Curricula Training for SFP Group Leaders
SFP B-3, 3-5, 6-11 & 12-16:
North America and International Training
CONTACT: Jeanie Ahearn Greene, Ph.D., MSW
(240) 460-3931
sfp@ahearngreene.com
Click here to see a Training agenda
Training of SFP group leaders by SFP-certified trainers and technical assistance for implementation, and quality/fidelity and evaluation are provided by Ahearn Greene Associates, LLC (AGA). Hispanic and Native American Trainers available
The Core Component for Successful Implementation
Certified SFP Group Leader Training and Advanced SFP Group Leader Training are the keys to successful Strengthening Families Program implementations implementations and effective delivery of the SFP Evidence-based model. SFP Group Leader Training assures program quality, advances best practices, enhances implementation, and assures cultural competence and congruence. SFP Group Leader Training fully prepares you and your staff to deliver SFP in your community with the resources available to you and your families.
Overview & Options
Strengthening Families Program Group Leader Training is provided by Ahearn Greene Associates, LLC, the sole authorized source for SFP B-3, 3-5, 6-11 & 12-16 Group Leader Training. Group Leader Trainings are hosted on the site of and at the expense of the implementing agency. Trainings are two days long, typically running from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Trainees learn 1) the background of SFP as an evidence-based family skills training program, 2) how to determine eligibility and recruit and enroll the families the agency serves, 3) practical requirements and preparation for delivering of SFP, including meals, hosting site, and support staff, and 4) specific instruction and experiential practice in delivering SFP to families.
After completing the training, participants are fully prepared to recruit families, prepare for, staff, and deliver the curriculum with fidelity to the established SFP model. Over 40 years of implementation, backed up by research and evaluation findings, new and experienced sites have found significant positive changes in families, parents and children who complete the program when delivered by staff who have attended the Group Leader Training.
Advanced SFP Implementation & Staff Training
is available as a follow-up to agencies after their initial implementations. Advanced SFP Implementation Training is custom designed for the contracting agency, based on the agency’s implementation experiences and is designed in response to each contracting agency’s strengths and challenges.
International SFP Training & Implementation Support
has expanded around the globe over the past three decades. SFP has been implemented successfully in Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Balkans, Middle East, Central Asia, China, Southeast Asia and Australia. Tailored training and implementation support beyond North America is available for agencies and communities implementing SFP. Using an adapted training model, international SFP Group Leader Training is provided by SFP-certified trainers with advanced and on-going technical assistance to support implementation fidelity and outcome evaluation. The SFP model for international implementation is to deliver culturally specific trainings in the language of the trainees through partnering with the implementing agency and community.
Upon Completion of SFP Group Leader Training:
Participants receive a Certificate of Completion for 12-hours of training and will have met SFP Fidelity Guidelines for staff training. Participants are fully prepared to deliver SFP in their community using resources locally available.
SFP Group Leader Training Formats and Capacity:
SFP Group Leader Training is offered in two formats with variable capacity:
- In-person Trainings for a maximum of 20 trainees at contracting agency’s site.
- In-person Training for a maximum of 35 trainees at contracting agency’s site.
- Virtual Training for a maximum of 20 participants using the Zoom platform when distanced delivery is indicated.
SFP Group Leader Training Costs:
Training fees are based on the number of participants, training format and costs for travel costs for the AGA trainer(s). To determine the cost of a training for your agency, contact Ahearn Greene Associates at or call 240-460-3931 or email sfp@ahearngreene.com.
Training dates are usually readily available to meet the schedules of contracting agencies.
For Information and to Schedule an SFP Training
For a training quote and information about training, course materials, and implementation, call or email:
Jeanie Ahearn Greene, Ph.D., MSW
Ahearn Greene Associates, LLC
(240) 460-3931 and sfp@ahearngreene.com
Ahearn Greene Associates, LLC, is the sole source authorized by the SFP developer for SFP Group Leader Trainings, course materials, implementation support, quality assurance and evaluation.
OUR POLICY: Inquiries and Requests for Information are routinely returned within one or two business days. Please include your name, phone number and email when you contact us. If you have not heard back in a timely manner, please send a follow-up inquiry.
Five Staff Members Needed to implement SFP groups classes. SFP group classes require five trained staff: two group leaders for the parents, two for children or teens, and a site coordinator. If your budget is limited and the number to be trained is small, you may be able to send your trainees to a training already scheduled to be hosted by another agency. Jeanie Ahearn Greene, Ph.D., MSW sfp@ahearngreene.com will help you locate other trainings, but the terms and costs are negotiated directly with the host agency. Finding a training in your region to meet your schedule is often difficult, however, and travel costs for your trainees often more than offset cost savings over hosting your own training.
In-Person or Online Family Coach Training for all SFP 7-17 Curricula:
North America and International Training
CONTACT: Jaynie Brown
(385) 226-3396
Email: strengtheningfamiliesprogram1@gmail.com
Click here to see a Training agenda
Training for SFP 7-17 Classroom Family Coaches, In-Home Family Coaches, and SFP DVD Discussion Leaders by certified SFP Trainers is handled through our Strengthening Families Program LLC. Hispanic and Native American trainers available.
Training Descriptions
SFP 7-17 classroom Family Coaches (formerly called Group Leaders) use the SFP 7-17 class curriculum to teach Parent, Teen, Child, and Family Practice lessons. Six Family Coaches are needed for this model: 2 each for the parent, teen, and child classes held the first hour. Then all six coaches help with the Family Practice Session during the second hour. (You can also only recruit and teach only Teens or Children, thus reducing needed staff.)
SFP 7-17 -DVD Family Discussion Leaders are trained to facilitate class discussion and family skill practice in a multi-family group viewing of the SFP7-17 Home-Use Videos and PowerPoints. They can be used in-person or on-line with families. Discussion Group Curriculum Flash-drive included.
SFP 7-17 Family Coaches for In-Home Intensive Program use the SFP 7-17 curriculum, Home-Use videos, and PowerPoints on a tablet to teach at-risk families in their homes, or in a counselor’s office.
PowerPoints, video clips, and fun songs that teach children each SFP skill are included for all lessons. Email or call to find the best option for your organization.
All trainees (online or in person) learn:
- Background and outcomes of SFP as an evidence-based family skills training program and the science behind why it works;
- Content of each SFP lesson for Parents, Children (6-11), Teen (12-17), and Family Practice Sessions;
- How to prepare and present an SFP lesson using the SFP 12-Step Teaching Model;
- How the brain develops and “wires” in new behaviors through practice;
- Essential qualities of an SFP Family Coach;
- How to train children and parents in Mindfulness practices to reduce stress and improve focus and emotional regulation. In addition, we present tips on how to
- recruit and enroll the families; and
- the practical aspects of preparation for delivering of SFP, including ideas for meals, hosting site,
and support staff.
In-person 2-Day training times:
Day 1 — 8 hours : Time = 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. with 1 hour for lunch + morning & afternoon breaks
Day 2 — 8 hours : Time = 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. with 1 hour for lunch + morning & afternoon breaks
On the 2nd day, each participant will practice-teach an SFP mini-lesson with a partner.
Online 3 partial-day training times:
Online training is typically done in two and a half-hour segments over a 3-day period. We prefer to cap online training at 12-14 people so everyone has a chance to practice-teach on Day 3. All material covered in the in-person training is also done in the online training.
Below are suggested training times, but we are flexible and can offer a different schedule, including evenings and week-ends, if needed.
Day 1 — 5 hours : Time = 9:30 a.m.-12 and 1-3:30 p.m.
Day 2 — 5 hours : Time = 9:30 a.m.-12 and 1-3:30 p.m.
Day 3 — 5 hours : Time = 9:30 a.m.-12 and 1-3:30 p.m.
On the 3rd day, each participant will practice-teach an SFP mini-lesson with a partner.
SFP 7-17 Pre-Training Assignments: There are also some pre-training assignments that participants are required to do before the training begins. This includes:
- Watch the SFP Home-Use videos with the free video viewing code. (11 lessons, approximately thirty minutes each = 5 ½ – 6 hours of viewing time)
- Answer the Lesson Quizzes that go with each lesson (1 page for each lesson x 10 minutes per lesson). They can be filled out digitally using the latest version of Adobe Reader, or Adobe Fill & Sign using a free mobile app.
- Email the Home Study Questions to your SFP Trainer before training begins.
- Review the SFP 7-17 Handouts that go with each lesson (150 pages)
- Begin using the SFP skills in your own life as soon as you learn them, so you have personal
success stories to share, and you can be authentic when you say you know they work.
Training Costs for SFP 7-17
In-Person Training Fees are $3,600 for a two-day SFP Family Coach or SFP Video Discussion Leader training for up to 20 people. The fee includes a USB Flash-drive of all SFP 7-17 course materials including Parent, Teen, Child and Family Practice lessons, and an Implementation Handbook for the agency to copy.
Travel expenses for one trainer (for 20 or fewer people) or two trainers (for up to 40 people), are in addition to the training fee. Comprehensive fees that include training, course materials, and trainer travel are available.
Online Training Fees are $2400. The training includes two flash drives with the Family Video Discussion Guide. For more information or to schedule a training, please email us at: strengtheningfamiliesprogram1@gmail.com.
(Some partial training scholarships are available for churches and small non-profits.
Contact: strengtheningfamiliesprogram1@gmail.com)
