Adapting a Model Program for Different Racial and Ethnic Groups

This presentation will examine how a model program can be adapted for racial and ethnic groups without jeopardizing program fidelity. Families and Schools Together (FAST) is a multi-family group intervention designed to build protective factors for children and empower parents to be the primary prevention agents for their own children. FAST is an award-winning model program for the prevention of substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, school failure, child abuse and neglect and mental health problems. The goal of the FAST process is to increase the likelihood of the child being successful in the home, in school, and in the community. FAST has been implemented by more than 800 sites across the US. Each site follows predetermined guidelines that include training from a certified FAST trainer, regular site visits and feedback. Any adaptations are made with the permission of the trainer and in collaboration with program participants. Each program cycle is evaluated for its outcomes and program fidelity. As a result of this process, sites have been able to adapt the program for their participants without losing program fidelity. The presentation will give specific examples of adaptations by different groups and will discuss their evaluation findings. The overall goal is to illustrate how practitioners can utilize and adapt state-of-the-art interventions for different populations in order to maintain the benefits of the intervention and be culturally appropriate.