Strengthening Families Program’s Dissemination Worldwide

The UN family initiative reflects a widening acceptance of family-based approaches as the most effective prevention strategies worldwide. This support came from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recent meta-analyses conducted by Oxford Brooks University researchers under the supervision of Dr. David Foxcroft (WHO, 2007). These meta-analyses of substance abuse prevention programs having at least two years of longitudinal outcomes have concluded that the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) and interventions targeting parents are the most effective approaches (Foxcroft, et al., 2003). Overseas SFP trainings and implementation in recent years include Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, United Kingdom, Russia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Peru, Chile and this last year the first Asian country, Thailand. Translation and adaptations of language, exercises and graphics and supporting materials are typically involved in creating a national adaptation of an SFP program.

Dr. Kumpfer & Associates SFP Dissemination Activities & Presentations

The first SFP 6-11 family group has been completed and a local evaluation is being done of interviews with families as well as the outcome results being sent to Dr. Kumpfer for analysis and outcome evaluation. See picture from last year’s training in Bergen, Norway with Dr. Bente Storm and two daughters at dinner at her lovely house overlooking the bay.

SFP 6-11 Undergoing Process and Outcome Evaluation in Norway

These SFP training workshops will occur after Dr. Kumpfer’s Vienna Study Abroad Program for the University of Utah. Twenty-four student coming this year to study Evidence-based Family Strengthening course (based on Dr. Kumpfer’s new Academic Press Book and also a Positive Psychology and Resilience course. Dr. Kumpfer teaches these courses every summer at the Austro-Amerika Institute for Education that also includes excursions to Prague, Budapest, Ljubljana and Lake Bled, Slovenia as well as Klagenfurt and Bad Ausee, Austria.

See some of the gals at the Vienna State Opera House from last year. Dr. Dee Hill-Mey (middle in red) finished her Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Education last May with Dr. Kumpfer as chair. However, she also was a co-instructor in the Positive Psychology, Health and Resilience courses in Vienna. She is now Director of the Wellness Clinic at IHC Park City Hospital. She brought information on wellness and positive health approaches to the course. Dr. Sandra Smeeding from VA in San Francisco will teach these modules this year. Dr. Catia Magalhaes from Portugal will co-teach part of the EBP Family Strengthening Interventions this year as she has for several years.

Vienna, Austria Study Abroad Program Continues for Sixth Year

Two training of group leader 3-day workshops will be held in June by Drs. Whiteside and Kumpfer to support continued implementations of SFP by Dr. Georg Spiel’s Promente Kinder, Jugen and Familie staff with a training in Vienna and SOS Kinderdorf training in SFP 3-5 in Klagenfurt, Austria.

Summer Vienna SFP Training Workshop in Vienna and Klagenfurt, Austria

Judy Strickland, Founder and Director of Hope House Counselling Centre in South Africa has send data and these pictures of their successful implementation of SFP 6-11 Years. Another agency in Cape Town is also exploring implementing SFP in schools to help high risk families and kids to have better outcomes.

SFP Being Implemented in South Africa Successfully in Schools

A four – day SFP 6-11 training workshop was conducted in Urgench, Khorezm Region Uzbekistan from March 31 until April 3, 2015 by SOS Kinderdorf in Klagenfurt, Austria. They have been implementing SFP and were asked to do the training on a grant “Building Strong Social Network for Families In Need” from the European Commission. The training was delivered by the group of trainers headed by MMag.a Alexandra More, Clinical and Health Psychologist. She was supported by Helene Salbrechter, and Mag.a Katharina Angerer, Clinical and Health Psychologist. All of them work with children and families at the Hermann Gmeiner Centre for SOS Children’s Village Austria.

Successful SFP Group Leader Training March 31 to April 3, 2015 in Uzbekistan by SOS Austria to Improve Child and Family Outcomes

We visited sites where SFP is being implemented in Thailand including in Mae Sot, Thailand for the Burmese refugee by the International Rescue Committee (see picture below of Mae Sot SFP trainees) and Songkhla, Thailand for Thai families in the southern part of Thailand. Implementation in Thailand started about 10 years ago by their government office for drug control. The Thai Ministry of Juvenile Justice had Dr. Kumpfer and Dr. Pinyuchon present on SFP to 350 of their social workers at the Windsor Hotel. They are hoping to start SFP 12-16 or SFP 7-17 in their new Family Centers.