Program Goals/Target Population
Creating Lasting Family Connections (CLFC) was originally designed as a family-strengthening program for youth and parents, with the goal of reducing a variety of negative youth outcomes such as use of alcohol and other drugs. The program was later adapted for adults who were experiencing marital stressors or any form of physical and emotional separation (such as separation due to incarceration) and was designed to increase healthy marriage skills and improve responsible parenting skills (Shamblen et al. 2018). The program was further culturally adapted for adult males who received substance abuse treatment while in prison and were reentering the metropolitan Louisville, Ky., community.
The culturally adapted version of CLFC, Creating Lasting Family Connections Fatherhood Program: Family Reintegration (CLFCFP), uses a multifaceted approach to address the interconnected challenges for individuals with substance abuse issues who are reentering the community, including family strengthening, substance abuse and recovery support, violence, HIV/hepatitis, and risk of recidivism. The goals are to reduce prison recidivism, substance abuse, and HIV/hepatitis infection rates, and to promote fatherhood and relationship skills and healthy sexual practices of program participants.
Research has shown that family connectedness is an important factor for psychological well-being and positive outcomes for individuals with substance abuse issues (Field, Diego, and Sanders 2001). Other studies have found that having social support systems and personal relationships during treatment improved outcomes (Knight and Simpson 1996). To encourage strong family harmony, CLFCFP promotes nine relationship skills as they closely align with the program content and principles. These include 1) communication skills, 2) conflict-resolution skills, 3) intrapersonal skills, 4) emotional awareness, 5) emotional expression, 6) interpersonal skills, 7) relationship management skills, 8) relationship satisfaction, and 9) relationship commitment.
Program Components
The CLFCFP program consists of three multisession facilitator-led, group-learning modules, in addition to a brief module on HIV and other sexually transmitted disease prevention and sexual health. The four modules are based on research regarding the role of family in recovery and the changing family systems to support recovery (McKiernan et al. 2013). The four modules comprise the following topics:
- Developing Positive Parental Influences. In this module, the training promotes an awareness of personal thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences along the continuum of chemical abuse, use, and dependency. Information is also provided on approaches for intergenerational family substance use prevention, as well as providing a practical understanding of intervention, referral procedures, and treatment options. There is also an in-depth look at the dynamics of chemical dependency, its impact on families, and the importance of abstinence and recovery for the entire family.
- Raising Resilient Youth. In this module, the training focuses on a broad range of relationship skills for individual and family strengthening. Individuals and their families learn and practice communication skills, which include listening and validating others’ thoughts and feelings, and learning and practicing how to successfully manage their own thoughts and feelings. Individuals and families are also asked to examine and enhance their ability to develop and implement expectations and consequences for all areas of interest and concerns to others (such as spouses, coworkers, friends, and children). Parents are taught to include their children’s active participation in setting both expectations and consequences in areas of interest and concerns to parents, such as alcohol and drugs. This communication strategy encourages a dialogue that enhances a sense of competence, connectedness, and bonding between parent and child.
- Getting Real. In this module, the training encourages participants to examine personal responses to the verbal and nonverbal behavior they experience in their interactions with others and offers personalized coaching on communication skills, including speaking with confidence and sensitivity, listening to and validating others, sharing feelings, and matching body language with verbal messages. There is also information on how to promote skills of self-awareness and mutual respect, while focusing on helping participants combine thoughts, feelings, and behavior in a way that instructs them to deliver powerful and meaningful messages to others.
- The ABC 3D Approaches to HIV Prevention. In this module, the training covers the primary modes of transmission of HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted diseases in a serious and candid, but often humorous way. Information is provided on preventive measures to reduce or eliminate risk of infection. There is also recognition, discussion, and support of healthy sexual expression. Onsite HIV testing—which is voluntary, free, rapid, and confidential—is also offered.
There is a total of 20 module sessions; the classes are 2 hours long and offered once or twice a week from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (usually after work hours). To incentivize program participation, program staff provide meals and the opportunity for informal interactions for those interested, 30 minutes before each session.
Another component of the program includes comprehensive and culturally sensitive case-management services for participants. Case managers provide support, advice, and referrals to community-based services to address a variety of barriers to recovery and reentry (i.e., job skills, child case issues, transportation).
Key Personnel
In addition to the facilitators and case managers, state-certified substance abuse prevention specialists and/or certified alcohol and drug counselors (CADC) co-facilitate program sessions.
