Strengthening Families Program
A faith-based organization, Volunteers of America Texas is part of a national organization provides substance abuse prevention education and alternative activities for youth and adults throughout Tarrant County and surrounding areas. The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is an evidence-based family skills training program developed to significantly improve family relationships by reducing problem behaviors: delinquency, substance and alcohol use, negative peer relationships and poor school performance.
The Strengthening Families Program helps youth ages 12 - 16 learn how to effectively communicate while digging deep to understand and identify their feelings. This ultimately helps to improve social skills. Other benefits of the evidence-based curriculum are improving the ability to solve problems and understand the consequences of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. The program has been proven to improve student academic performance, help resist peer pressure and improve self-esteem. Upon finishing the program, participants will likely be more compliant to parental rules and be able to resolve conflicts while managing anger.
The sessions are conducted in schools, churches, recreational sites, community sites, and after school programs. Classes are conducted once a week for 14 weeks and last for two hours. Services are free and include dinner and snacks, baby sitting for under aged family members, transportation within a three-mile radius, a bag of groceries per group session, and bilingual sessions.
Parents learn how to increase desired behaviors in children by using preferred methods such as attention and rewards, clear communication, effective discipline, substance use education, problem solving skills and learning how to set limits.
Family Life Skills Sessions
These sessions strengthen the family bond by having families engage in structured family activities, participate in therapeutic youth play, conduct family meetings, effectively communicate, practice self discipline, reinforce positive behavior in one another, and plan family activities.