170965 Strengthening family communication in regards to sexual health: A parent training program

Monday, October 27, 2008

Christine Aquino, MPH , School of Natural Sciences and School of Graduate Medical Sciences, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL
Adult Role Models (ARMS) is a community based training program offered by Planned Parenthood to improve family communication and young people's health. Parents attend 75 hours of training dealing with effectively communicating topics of sexual health and societal pressure. After attending fourteen, three hour sessions, ARMS are able to choose what topics to use in their community. Upon completion of the training, the Adult Role Models provide other parents within their communities on how to speak to their children honestly regarding sexuality.

We believe that personal values and family beliefs are important as a result ARMS encompasses these characteristics when talking to adults and children about sexual health. ARMs began in 2002 partnering with other community agencies such as The Urban League, ASPIRA (A Latino Leadership Agency), Repair Shop Outreach Ministries, Pahokee City Parks and Recreational, and The Heart Project. Since 2002 ARMs has conducted over 3000 workshops reaching over 18,000 people therefore other counties have also implemented ARMS into their communities. Adult Role Models is a success because of the partnerships between community agencies and the dedication of community members. Collaboration between agencies shows the community that when it comes to public health there are no borders.

During this session we will present who our partners are and how we are able to effectively work together. We will show the curricula that our students go through and how it is effectively implemented in their communities. During this session a description of the evaluation process will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:
1.)Recognize the effects of agency collaboration regarding parental and adolescent communication in terms of sexual health. 2.)Discuss the process of facilitating a parent-training program. 3.)To translate the effets and intervention will achieve within the home and the community.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Communication Effects

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have seen first hand the sucess of a parent-training prgram because I am the facilitator/community educator of ARMS. I currently am working toward my MPH allowing me to become we versed in community-based practices and applying them to my program.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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