Week 7 – Getting Help for Special Family Needs
NOTE: This is the week for the teen panel for the youth session; no DVDs are used.
Note to Coordinators:
Follow evaluation protocol for program funders. If the program is using WSU Extension evaluations as well as, or in place of those required by the funder, contact Brittany Cooper (WSU Human Development) by email: Brittany Cooper or phone: 509-335-2896.
Parents/Caregivers
Post poster of “Tools and Skills for Parenting Youth.” Conduct evaluation (30 minutes), reading each question if necessary for your audience. Assist where needed. Collect evaluation surveys.
Distribute envelopes to each family, ask them to write their youth’s name and address on the envelope. Pass out Letter to Youth. Tell families to complete the letter and place it in the self-addressed envelope. Collect envelopes.
Talk about stress from normal family changes and stress from special circumstances. Make list of stressors on flipchart. Ask families to mark situations where families might need additional help, either from friends, family, church or community services. Ask how these stressors can affect a preteen or teen. Read scenario and ask parent/caregivers to name places where this family could go for help. Put up poster “Personal and Community Resources for Families.” Divide group into 2-3 groups and distribute Getting Families the Help They Need worksheet. Ask groups to read scenario and identify resources for the family. Distribute Local Community Resource Directory to each participant. Ask parent/caregivers to record resource names and numbers on their own Getting Families the Help They Need” worksheet. Discuss and compare participants’ answers. Distribute Looking Close to Home worksheet and tell group to complete Part I only. Working individually, ask participants to think of one particular person who may be experiencing stress and to name something positive they could do to offer support. Next have participants fill out Part II privately, regarding a stress or concern in their own family. They will not be sharing this information.
Distribute Strong Families magnet cards. Thank families for attending the classes. Tell them that at the family session there will be a graduation ceremony. Say the Parent Creed.
Youth
Conduct round of compliments. Tell youth they are going to have a group of older teens who will come to talk with them and answer questions later in the session. Conduct evaluation (30 minutes). Assist where needed. Collect evaluation surveys.
Pass out Letter to Parent/caregivers. Assist youth to complete letter. Ask youth to address envelope to their parents. (NOTE: Check addresses carefully to see that they are complete!) Collect envelopes.
Pass out What Do I Do When,, worksheet. Tell youth to match the problem by drawing a line between the statement in the left hand column with the action step in the right hand column. Review answers. Watch time carefully, to ensure that the panel has adequate time.
Pass out cards and ask youth to write their questions for older teens to answer. Write topics on the flipchart to help them think of questions: Goals for the Future, Understanding Parents/Caregivers, Handling Stress, Following Rules, Handling Peer Pressure. Facilitator adds questions “What can you do if your friend is in some serious trouble – like drugs or being depressed?” Put index cards in bowl, mix them up. Talk about respect of panel members, draw one question at a time out of the bowl.
If any time remains, play active game. Thank youth for attending the classes. Tell them that at the family session there will be a graduation ceremony. Say Youth Creed.
Family
Play an active game that families all enjoyed. All facilitators – divide up reviewing the topics each week showing pages from the flipcharts and/or posters. Play the Power Point presentation with family photographs. Conduct the graduation ceremony, presenting certificates for each family. Each family member shakes the hands of each facilitator. Facilitators can comment on families as they come to the front of the room. You many choose to serve an additional healthy snack at this time. Celebrate!
Hold final closing circle with phrase with each person completing the phrase “One think I learned at the Strengthening Families Program is….” Say the Youth, Parent and Family Creeds.