Evaluation of Behavior-Focused Training for Chemically Dependent Parents

Mary E. Lutz, DSW, MPH, Roberta Shafter, PhD, Joyce Park, BA, Katherine Barbacci, MPA

Conclusions• Parents reported their use of alcohol and marijuana

decreased by 16% and 18% respectively after the program.

• Program had a slight association with improved confidence in parenting and no association with parent-child affective style.

• A comparison of the pre and post results indicated that the program had a weak effect on participant’s family strengths.

• Although the mean score decreased slightly after the program, SFP did not produce a significant change in parent’s observation on their children’s overt aggression behaviors or in cognitive concentration.

• Facilitators reported the development of trusting relationship with the parents.

• Facilitators reported that some of the SFP training was not applicable to the clientele and that the curriculum seemed to geared towards a different culture. As a result, the facilitators modified the SFP material to suit the parents’ needs and interests, which led to their enjoyment of weekly sessions and the development of a nonjudgmental forum for them to share their experiences.

• The evaluation result of SFP implemented at Greenwich House is similar to those found in SFP study results in other states.

AbstractThis report summarizes an evaluation of a 3-year family training program for parents in treatment for substance abuse. The agency, Greenwich House, offers drug-free, outpatient, medically supervised and methadone treatment programs and adopted Karol Kumpfer’s (NIDA) Strengthening Families Program to address needs of substance abusing parents and their children. Some modification of SFP was needed to meet Greenwich House requirements.

MethodsSFP was implemented at two sites: West 20 th Street Chemical Dependency (CDP) and Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP) Cooper Square treatment center. A 2-day training for group-leaders and facilitators for SFP was conducted at Greenwich House by Dr. Kumpfer in the summer of 2002. The facilitators who attended Dr. Kumpfer’s 2-day training provided subsequent training to new facilitators who were either staff members or second year Social Work Interns. SFP implemented at Greenwich House was bisected into two seven-session parts in order to accommodate the exigencies of the current substance abuse treatment program. Also, the children’s component was excised after the initial piloting due to barriers such as time, transportation and childcare.

Parent groups met for an hour each week and were given incentives for attendance worth about $5 each. Parents were pre-tested during the Program Enrollment session and post-tested on the last day of the program. The same instruments were used for the pretest and posttest. Parents were instructed to complete data on one “target” child, defined as the one with the most problems. The measures included basic demographic information about the parents and their target child, Involvement with Agency, Parenting Scales, Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Parent Drug & Alcohol Use, Overall Family Strengths/Resilience, and Parent Observations on Child Activities-Revised (POCA-R). Most of these measures are Cross-site Family Core Measures selected by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Core Measures Expert Panel as the best measures having high reliability and sensitivity to change.  Additionally, group facilitators and supervisors were interviewed one-on-one with the evaluator about strengths and challenges of the program, as well as additional comments about its perceived effectiveness, quality improvement, and leader preparedness. The study includes 5 courses of SFP conducted in July 2004, October 2004, March 2005, January 2006 and February 2006 and information was collected from July 8, 2004 to March 1, 2006.

Findings

Demographic Information Race/Ethnicity

26%

35%

3%5%

5%

26%

Hispanic/Latino

AsiaOther

American Indian

White

African

Parenting

29%

16%

8%5%

42% Single Parent

Tw o Parents

Relatives

Joint/ Shared Custody

Foster

Level of Education

18%

29%

40%

13%

Dropped out of High School

High School Graduate

College Graduate

Some College Education

Demographics by Completion Status

Completion of a posttest was used as a proxy for engagement but not as an indication of regular attendance.

No Posttest Completed Posttest

Race/Ethnicity 31% Hispanic/Latino 36% Hispanic/Latino23% African American 28% African American31% White 24% White

Average Age 37 41Parenting Status 46% Single Parents 40% Single Parents

38.5% Relatives 40% Two Parents

Average Education 12th grade 12th gradeWeekly Hours Worked 5.4 4.6Annual Income $10,500 $14,400

Program Outcomes

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Alcohol Tobacco Marijuana Otherillegaldrugs

GPRA Drug and Alcohol Use (past 30 days)

Pre-SFP

Post-SFP

Demographics by Overall Family Strengths/Resilience Score

Below the Mean Mean or Higher

Average Age 38 years 39 years

Parenting Status 50% Single Parents 36% Single Parents25% Relatives 32% Two Parents

Weekly Hours Worked 2.9 7.2Annual Income $6,900 $16,200 Lived in Shelter 10% 16%Lived with Target Child 5 years 4 years

Target Child on Medication 5% 16%