Speaker
Description
Authors: Hanna Heikkilä (The Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention EHYT), Aala El-Khani (Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, Drug Prevention and Health Branch, Division of Operations, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); Division of Psychology and Mental Health, The University of Manchester), WADIH MAALOUF (UNODC), Karen Peters (UNODC)
Background: The Finnish law on substance use prevention mandates the municipalities to engage CSOs as well as citizens in prevention. The CSO-field in Finland is challenged by a scarcity of evidence-based approaches, while engaging voluntary workforce is increasingly difficult. The national prevention plan calls for parenting skills support, but no universal group-based parenting skills programs are available for the families of school-aged children. In this context, the feasibility of Family UNited (FU), a low-threshold family-skills program, is tested in the Finnish CSO-field, with the support of lay facilitators. FU is being piloted with 7 local CSOs and to date has reached 30 families, with numbers growing, including from cultural minorities and at-risk groups. FU is based on an understanding of positive family coping skills as important protection against developmental vulnerabilities (biopsychosocial-vulnerability-model) and on social learning theory. FU consists of 4 weekly group meetings for caregivers, children and families.
Methods: The feasibility of FU will be assessed using qualitative and quantitative data collected from parents in intervention and waitlist groups. The efficacy on parenting practices and child well-being is assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Parent and Family Adjustment Scale, while qualitative interviews add understanding on acceptability and accessibility. Facilitators insights complete assessment and help understand if facilitator’s roles support social inclusion among parent/peer-facilitators (Social Inclusion Scale).
Results: Preliminary results will be presented showing fidelity and parents reporting high experienced support, and insights from quantitative data and reflections that FU-groups seem promising in supporting hard-to-reach-families and service referral. Engaging lay facilitators (of all facilitators 18% had relevant degree, 40% other relevant studies, 40% relevant work experience and 27% experience only from voluntary work) seems a feasible dissemination method.
Discussion: FU appears as a promising tool to support families as well as local CSOs with an evidence-based prevention tool.
| Conflict of interest | n/a |
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