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Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families: A Promising Model

Explore a violence prevention program for diverse families promoting cultural roots, parenting relationships, and life skills. Curriculum covers cultural values, discipline, and community involvement. Developed by Ronald F. Johnson, this model integrates spiritual and cultural rites of passage to nurture children's sense of identity and connection.

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Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families: A Promising Model

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  1. Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communities:A Promising Group Model to Enhance Prevention Esta M. Glazer-Semmel, LCSW-C Kathleen Sullivan, LGSW Family Connections, Center for Families UMB School of Social Work The 9th Annual Governor’s Conference on Child Abuse & Neglect Baltimore, April 25-26, 2002

  2. Agenda • Introductions and interests • Neglect prevention and Family Connections • Strengthening Group model description • Rites of passage and community vision • Challenges and opportunities • Other?

  3. Child Neglect • (1) Neglect refers to omissions of care to meet a child's basic needs that (2) result in harm or a threat of harm to children • A child is neglected when his or her most fundamental physical or emotional needs have been unmet • An average of 1,139 reports of suspected neglect were made each month in Maryland in 2001.

  4. Why Neglect Prevention? • Child neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment reported to public child protective services agencies. • Its consequence are equally , if not more damaging, than other forms of child maltreatment.

  5. Family Connections • Mission:Promoting the safety and well-being of children and families through family and community services, professional education and training, and research and evaluation.

  6. Program Description • Guiding philosophies • Service • Education • Research

  7. Model Selection • Philosophical fit • Previous implementation • System focus • Model classification • Staff expertise • Fiscal fit

  8. Focus Groups • What services did families find helpful/not helpful? • What made families want to return/not return to work with an agency after introduction? • What ways of working together were most/least desirable?

  9. Strengthening Multi-EthnicFamilies and Communities:A Violence PreventionParent Training Program

  10. Building Blocks Violence- Free Healthy Lifestyles Childhood Characteristics Parent Modeling Family & Community Parent Teaching Relationships, Discipline, Society Parent/ Child Relationship Ethnic & Cultural Roots Marilyn Steele (1992)

  11. Ethnic & Cultural Roots • Foundation of who we are as individuals • Represents our history and our culture • Incorporates our values, traditions, and customs

  12. Parent/Child Relationship • Biological parent or any significant adult in the child’s life • Relationship should have certain characteristics to support and nurture the child

  13. Parent Teaching/Modeling • How parents transmit their beliefs to their children through behavior and words to communicate, develop relationships, manage behavior, and problem solve

  14. Childhood Characteristics • Self-esteem • Self discipline • Social competency

  15. Core Components • Integrates parent training, education and community resource awareness • Addresses violence against self (drugs/alcohol) and violence against others (child abuse, domestic violence, crime, gangs) • Assists parents and children in developing strong ethnic/cultural roots, a positive parent-child relationship, and life skills for functioning in today’s society • Enhance parent ability to model and teach as a vehicle for fostering high self-esteem, self-discipline and social competence

  16. Curriculum Areas • Cultural/spiritual • Enhancing relationships – violence prevention • Positive discipline • Rites of passage • Community involvement

  17. Structure • Orientation and 12, weekly three-hour sessions • Responsive to a variety of learning styles by utilizing instructor modeling, role-play, lecture, discussion and parent follow-up activities • No expectation that a parent must read • Facilitative model with curriculum as framework • Evaluation procedure

  18. BREAK!

  19. Values

  20. Spiritual Rite of Passage Help your child: • Develop a relationship with a “Greater Spirit” • Develop faith in something for which there may not be proof • Develop courage and strength to go on Developed by: Ronald F. Johnson

  21. Spiritual Rite of Passage Help your child: • Learn to face obstacles without complaint or resentment • Develop patience in the face of obstacles, difficulty, or adversity Developed by: Ronald F. Johnson

  22. Spiritual Rite of Passage Help your child: • Develop ability to maintain unconditional love for himself/herself, family and community • Develop friendships and attachments Developed by: Ronald F. Johnson

  23. Cultural Rite of Passage Help your child learn about: • What is happening in your country of origin • Cultural rituals, ceremonies, and traditions • Cultural values Developed by: Ronald F. Johnson

  24. Help your child: Learn about and participate in cultural holidays Learn about cultural foods Learn how people of the same cultural/ethnic background have influenced music, dance, hair styles, and fashion Cultural Rite of Passage Developed by: Ronald F. Johnson

  25. Historical Rite of Passage Help your child: • Learn about your cultural/ethnic group’s contribution to world history • Develop/maintain circles of interdependence Developed by: Ronald F. Johnson

  26. Historical Rite of Passage • Participate in family gatherings with your child and help your child develop and maintain relationships with the elderly • Help your child learn about ethnic/cultural historical figures and their messages Developed by: Ronald F. Johnson

  27. Historical Rite of Passage Help your child: • Develop plans to enhance his/her ethnic group and community • Develop plans to enhance his/her state, country, and the world Developed by: Ronald F. Johnson

  28. Community Involvement

  29. Model Implementation • Transportation • Childcare • Food • Door prizes • Graduation

  30. Challenge: Attendance • Group kick-off event prior to each new group cycle • Staff instead of taxi pick-up in the AM • Menu revision • Mini focus group mid-way through group cycle • Member-driven reminder calls

  31. Challenge: Funding • Strengthen community partnership to support space needs • Seek additional funding for model enhancements • Reach out to the community to provide in-kind support

  32. Challenge: Human Resources • Sponsored facilitator training for selected community providers • Utilized trainees to provide therapeutic play activities • Encouraged mutual support

  33. Preliminary Findings • 82% agreed they felt supported and encouraged to share with the group • 86% felt other group members listened to them • 85% felt the group facilitators helped them when they asked for help • 90% felt the facilitators shared information that was helpful to their family • 90% learned new skills that they were able to use at home and in the community

  34. Conclusions • Assess client engagement and readiness to change prior to group participation • Modify structure and curriculum to fit clients and community • Recognize significant resource demands and plan accordingly

  35. Afterthoughts

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