Strengthening Families

A family skills program that strengthens parenting, improves relationships, and reduces risky behaviors.

Substance Use Prevention Programming

Strengthening Families Program

The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is a family skills training program designed to improve parenting skills, strengthen family relationships, and reduce risky behaviors like substance abuse and delinquency. It is an evidence-based program designed to enhance the overall well-being of families, particularly those facing challenges such as socioeconomic struggles, substance abuse, mental health issues, or other risk factors. The SFP aims to promote positive family dynamics, improve parenting skills, and equip children and youth with essential life skills.  The Strengthening Families Program is recognized both nationally and internationally.

The Strengthening Families Program is a weekly, evidence-based class that brings parents and youth together to build skills, strengthen relationships, and reduce the risk of substance use and depression. Parents and youth meet separately and together to learn and practice key skills like setting healthy boundaries, communicating with care, and staying connected. By reinforcing positive behaviors and strengthening family bonds, SFP helps create a home environment where young people feel supported, understood, and less likely to engage in risky behaviors.

Lessons Include:

  • Daily looking for and complimenting the good; eliminating harsh criticism
  • Using communication and fun family meetings
  • Problem solving, win-win negotiation, and pre-problem solving to stay out of trouble
  • Limit setting and establishing mild, fair, pre-determined consequences
  • Making family rules and setting up a reward system for good behavior
  • Reducing stress and using good anger management skills
  • Setting goals and using contracts for change
  • Learning how alcohol and drugs hijack the teen brain
  • Choosing good friends and monitoring kids’ activities
  • Creating fun family traditions, learning pro-social values, and engaging in service

Program Objectives:

  • Increase knowledge of the impact of alcohol, tobacco, prescription and illegal drugs on children, youth and families
  • Develop coping skills to deal with stressful situations
  • Develop problem solving and decision-making skills
  • Decrease use of alcohol and other drugs by increasing knowledge and use of healthy life skills
  • Educate participants about substance use as a disease and how it affects families
  • Delay onset of substance use and other problem behavior
  • Decrease in substance use related episodes of truancy, tardiness, or behavior referrals
  • Increase in attendance, persistence in school, credits accrued, and school completion
  • Improve family communication
  • Improve family relationship and
  • Reduce substance use related escalations/violations