141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

291490
Using family strengthening strategies as an innovative practice towards reducing family violence and promoting healing and wellness due to trauma

Monday, November 4, 2013 : 3:30 PM - 3:50 PM

Renee Haynie-Jackson , The Next Generation of Leaders, Chicago, IL
Xochitl Salvador, MPH , Illinois Project LAUNCH, Healthy Families Chicago, Chicago, IL
Andrea Palmer, MPA, CHSM , Bureau of Early Childhood Development, Illinois Department of Human Services, Chicago, IL
Felicia Fair Thompson, MS MSW , Bureau of Early Childhood Development, Illinois Department of Human Services, Chicago, IL
Diane Scruggs, MSW , Healthy Families Chicago, Chicago, IL
One strategy used to engage parents in a federally funded project called Project LAUNCH is family strengthening activities. As one of five key strategies for this program, Family Strengthening activities included an evidence-informed parent education program called Chicago Parent Program, a parent networking activity called Parent Cafes, and parent leadership trainings as well coaching of parent leaders. Oftentimes, projects limit family strengthening activities to parent education programs. However, over many years of working with families in communities with high rates of community violence, family violence and historical trauma such as racism, and deportation, it was discovered that it is important for families to receive opportunities to get out of isolation (through parent café discussions) as well as explore opportunities to advocate for themselves and their families (through parent leadership opportunities) and get support and guidance by experienced and skilled parent leadership trainers (through parent coaching). This approach has been effective in showing improvements in the lives of women in treatment, the incarcerated as well as women who have experienced childhood trauma who are caring for young children. Results of these approaches and how they work in combination to promote healing and wellness in communities with high levels of trauma and violence will be discussed.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Provision of health care to the public
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Describe four Family Strengthening activities that contribute to improving the lives of families who have experienced trauma Discuss the importance of networking and advocacy in addition to parent education programs to reduce family violence Demonstrate the impact of Family Strenghening activities on high risk populations such as incarcerated women and women in treatment.

Keywords: Violence Prevention, Vulnerable Populations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the contractor for conducting Family Strengthening activities for Illinois Project LAUNCH
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.