Strengthening Families Program

1. Introduction

Version followed: two related programmes share the name, and both are covered. Part A (main, most detailed): the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10–14 (SFP 10–14, formerly the Iowa Strengthening Families Program), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, 7 weekly sessions plus 4 optional boosters, as specified in the EPISCenter/ISU fidelity observation packets (parent, youth and family forms, updated 29 Aug 2016). Part B: Karol Kumpfer's original Strengthening Families Program (University of Utah; SFP 6–11 and 12–16, 14 sessions; SFP 7–17, 11 lessons plus an intro), as described by Kumpfer and Tait (2000) and current programme listings. The two are run by different organisations with different manuals and training; do not mix materials. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; Michigan MDHHS SFP summary; EPISCenter SFP 10–14 page]

What it is. SFP is a manualised, group-based family-skills prevention programme, not a psychotherapy. Several families attend together; parents (or any regular caregiver) and children/youth meet in separate skills groups, then come together in a family session to practise the week's skills, usually around a shared meal. Kumpfer's version began in 1983 as a NIDA-funded project for children (6–10) of substance-abusing parents and is aimed at higher-risk families; SFP 10–14 is the universal 7-session adaptation developed at Iowa State (Virginia Molgaard and colleagues) for families of young adolescents. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; WSU SFP 10–14 brochure; Michigan MDHHS summary]

How change is thought to happen. Family risk and protective factors are treated as the main lever on adolescent substance use and behaviour problems: parents learn to combine warmth with consistent limits (SFP 10–14's "love and limits"), youth learn goal-setting, stress coping and peer-refusal skills, and the joint session turns those separate lessons into new family interaction patterns through rehearsal with coaching and weekly home practice. Kumpfer's version draws on social-learning parent training (Forehand & McMahon's Helping the Noncompliant Child), Guerney's Relationship Enhancement communication training and Spivack & Shure-style child social problem-solving, under a social-ecology / Values-Attitudes-Stressors-Coping (VASC) model; Kumpfer's original trial found the full three-part format (parent + child + family sessions) did better than parent-only or parallel groups without the family session. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000]

For a clinician: you deliver SFP as a trained group facilitator within an agency implementation, not as an individual therapist. You may also refer to it, or bring its skills into family work (marked [synthesis] where that happens below).

2. Framework

Part A: SFP 10–14 (Iowa State)

Population: universal or selected; any parent/caregiver with a young person aged 10–14. The evaluated trials were mostly 11–12-year-olds in rural US schools. [source: Foundations Guidebook; EPISCenter]
Dose and format: 7 consecutive weekly 2-hour sessions. Hour 1: parents and youth in separate, video-supported groups. Hour 2: joint family session. A family meal often comes first; some sites provide childcare for younger siblings. Session 7 ends with graduation. 4 optional booster sessions, offered about 3–12 months later (EPISCenter/prevention.org) or 6–12 months later (Foundations), with the same separate-then-joint format. [source: EPISCenter SFP 10–14 page; prevention.org implementation guide; Foundations Guidebook] [uncertain: booster session titles and contents are not specified.]
Group size and staffing: 8–12 families per group (up to about 36 people) [source: Foundations]. 3 trained facilitators: one for the parent group and two for the youth group, all three in the family hour. Each facilitator follows the same 3–4 families every week during family activities [source: prevention.org; WSU brochure]. Foundations instead describes two practitioners co-leading parents and one leading youth [uncertain: sources differ; follow your trainer's manual]. Recommended supervision: one host-agency supervisor [source: Foundations].
Session structure (parent group): arrival; home-practice review (about 10 minutes from session 2 on); short video segments, each followed by a scripted discussion or practice activity; home-practice assignment, a take-home magnet or card, a preview of the family session, and the Parent Creed. [source: SFP Parent Observation Forms]
Session structure (youth group): an icebreaker; a round of compliments and home-practice review; 2–4 experiential activities and an optional active game; home practice and preview; the Youth Creed. [source: SFP Youth Observation Forms]
Session structure (family hour): a game or icebreaker; 2–4 joint activities (often run as a mini family meeting that opens with compliments and ground-rule cards); a closing circle in which each youth stands beside their parent, both finish a posted sentence prompt about that week's topic, and the group recites the Youth, Parent and Family Creeds. [source: SFP Family Observation Forms]

Week	Parent session	Youth session	Family session
1	Love and Limits	Having Goals and Dreams	Supporting Goals and Dreams
2	Making House Rules	Appreciating Parents	Appreciating Family Members
3	Encouraging Good Behavior	Dealing with Stress	Using Family Meetings
4	Using Consequences	Following Rules	Understanding Family Values
5	Building Bridges	Dealing with Peer Pressure	Building Family Communication
6	Protecting Against Substance Abuse	Peer Pressure and Good Friends	Families and Peer Pressure
7	Getting Help for Special Family Needs	Reaching Out to Others	Putting It All Together (graduation)

[source: SFP Parent, Youth and Family Observation Forms; WSU brochure for the youth session 7 topic] [uncertain: the youth session 7 observation form was cut off, so its activities are not described below.]

Moving through the programme: progress runs on a fixed weekly calendar, not on clinical criteria. Each week depends on the one before: point-chart rewards drafted by parents in week 3 are negotiated with youth in the family hour; youth peer-refusal steps from weeks 5–6 are rehearsed with parents in family session 6; parents' letters written in week 6 are read aloud in the family hour. Missed sessions should be made up before the next week, because the family activity assumes both halves attended. [source: Observation Forms] [synthesis: the make-up rule follows from the design; the parent welcome does encourage attendance and make-ups.]
Fidelity and certification: to deliver under the programme's name you need ISU/partner certification. That means a 3-day facilitator training (attendance at every full day is required) for facilitators, coordinators, on-site arrangers and fidelity observers. Use only the official facilitator manual, DVD set and poster set bought from ISU Extension and Outreach. All 7 sessions must be delivered, 2 hours each, weekly. A trained observer completes fidelity observation forms, which list every activity, required elements and minimum timings. Foundations lists no separate licence fee but does require certification training; booster practitioner training is recommended. [source: EPISCenter Training Information; prevention.org; Foundations]

Part B: Kumpfer's SFP (6–11, 12–16, 7–17)

Population: higher-risk families, including parents who use substances, families reported for maltreatment and families with a disruptive child. Foster, kinship and grandparent carers can attend. Children aged 3–5 have a separate curriculum but are often given babysitting instead. [source: CEBC]
Dose: SFP 6–11 and 12–16 run 14 weekly sessions of about 2 hours. SFP 7–17 (2012) has an intro lesson plus 11 lessons over 12 weeks, combines the child and teen content, adds mindfulness (2015), and has a home-use DVD version delivered by a case manager. Across versions the length is 10–14 weeks. [source: Michigan MDHHS; CEBC]
Session structure (group version, as CEBC describes it): family meal (about 30 min), with facilitators seated among families to coach positive responses and check home practice → separate parent and child/teen classes (about 50 min). Each class runs welcome, review, home-practice check, objectives, new content, experiential practice and new home practice → family practice class (about 45 min) → a consistent closing ritual (about 10 min). Kumpfer & Tait (2000) give a simpler version: brief gathering, 1 hour in separate groups, then 1 hour of family skills training. [source: CEBC; Kumpfer & Tait 2000]
Group sizes (Kumpfer & Tait 2000): parents ideally 8–12 sets, child groups 6–8 with two trainers, overall 8–12 families (5–14 has worked). Family skills groups have at least two trainers; typical staffing is a supervisor plus 4–6 facilitators. You need a meal room plus two or three classrooms. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; CEBC]
SFP 6–11 sequence (parent / child): 1 power of play and praise / welcome and class rules; 2 children's abilities by age and stress management / listening; 3 social rewards / I-messages; 4 goals and objectives / creating good behaviour in others; 5 noticing and ignoring, reward charts and spinners / saying no to stay out of trouble; 6–7 communication and family meetings (both groups); 8 alcohol, drugs and families / harms of alcohol and drugs; 9 problem solving and giving directions / problem solving; 10–12 setting limits 1–3 / following instructions (the Parent's Game) and coping skills (feelings, criticism); 13 building behaviour programmes / coping with anger; 14 maintaining good behaviour / graduation, resources and review. [source: Michigan MDHHS, titles paraphrased]
SFP 12–16 sequence: like 6–11, plus parent lessons on helping teens with peer pressure, on relationships, love and sexuality, and on behaviour contracts. Teen lessons cover goals and dreams, appreciating parents, stress and anger, peer pressure, friends and dating, managing emotions and handling criticism. [source: Michigan MDHHS]
SFP 7–17 sequence: intro (the brain, mindfulness); noticing and complimenting the good, plus stress reducers; communication and family meetings; rules, rewards, responsibilities and routines; positive discipline and consequences; problem solving and negotiation; stress and anger management; goals and contracts; harms of alcohol and drugs; choosing friends and monitoring; values, traditions and service; review, reducing conflict, graduation. [source: Michigan MDHHS]
Family-skills phases (Kumpfer & Tait 2000): (1) positive interaction first: the Child's Game with attending and rewards, then goals, differential attention and charts, then communication practice in four graded levels from non-threatening topics to real family issues; (2) limit-setting next: the Parent's Game (clear directions, time-out, consequences for compliance and non-compliance) and family meetings; (3) running an ongoing behaviour programme, then graduation. Order matters: build positive interaction before you teach discipline. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000]
Training and fidelity: onsite training for 5–35 trainees, 2 days in the US and 2.5–3 days internationally. Fidelity checklists come through the developer's evaluation contract or site visits. Detailed manuals allow trained paraprofessionals, interns and students to deliver it under a site coordinator (bachelor's level or above). Cultural adaptation of language, examples and exercises by culturally knowledgeable staff is an essential component. [source: CEBC] Kumpfer & Tait (2000) note that a values-focused adaptation that cut behavioural content showed weaker outcomes, so keep the behavioural core when you adapt.

3. Guiding principles

Love and limits together (SFP 10–14): every parent tool is framed as either showing love or setting limits. Practical meaning: when a parent describes a problem, ask which half is missing, rather than handing over a technique. [source: Parent Forms S1, S6]
No blaming of parents in discussion: in the harsh and permissive parenting video discussions, the manual asks what the children learn, not what the parents should have done. Practical meaning: draw out consequences for the child and don't critique particular parents. [source: Parent Forms S1]
Calm, neutral, non-judgemental facilitation of sensitive topics. Practical meaning: keep your tone even when parents disclose harsh practices or family stress, and steer towards win-win solutions. [source: prevention.org]
Build on strengths: family trees, compliments and the "Things I Do Well" checklist come before correction. Practical meaning: each session opens with something families do well. [source: WSU brochure; Family Forms S2]
Positive before corrective (Kumpfer): attending, play and praise are taught before limit-setting. Practical meaning: don't teach time-out to a family that hasn't yet practised the Child's Game or praise. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000]
Learning by rehearsal, not instruction: role-play, games, video modelling and coached family practice carry the content. Practical meaning: keep talk short and get everyone practising within minutes. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; Observation Forms]
The joint family session is essential: in Kumpfer's trial, the combined format outperformed parent-only training. Practical meaning: never drop the family hour to save time. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000]
Weekly home practice with review: Practical meaning: always check home practice at the start of the next session and treat partial attempts as success. [source: CEBC; Parent Forms]
Small, specific, observable targets: behaviours are named in positive, observable terms with a time frame, and small consequences go with small problems. Practical meaning: replace "be respectful" with something checkable, such as homework started by 7 pm. [source: Parent Forms S3–S4]
Youth voice and autonomy: youth help choose rewards and family rules, and the programme names belonging, enjoyment, power and independence as the needs behind behaviour. Practical meaning: leave the reward section of a point chart blank until the youth has had a say. [source: Parent Forms S3, S5; Family Forms S3]
Ritual and consistency: the same creeds, closing circle and session format every week. Practical meaning: never skip the closing even when time runs short; shorten an optional activity instead. [source: CEBC; Family Forms]
Fidelity with cultural adaptation: the core content and dose stay; language, examples and imagery may be adapted (family shields can use cultural or religious symbols; families with different surnames put both names on). Practical meaning: adapt the surface, not the active ingredients. [source: CEBC; Kumpfer & Tait 2000; Family Forms S4]
Inclusion and dignity: read cards aloud where literacy may be an issue, and join any family sitting alone at the meal. Practical meaning: check that no family is embarrassed or isolated. [source: Family Forms S4, S5, S7]
Reduce barriers to attendance: meals, transport, childcare, incentives, non-stigmatising venues, personal invitations and follow-up when families miss a session. Practical meaning: retention is part of the facilitator's job, not an extra. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; CEBC; prevention.org]
Facilitator–family continuity: each facilitator stays with the same 3–4 families. Practical meaning: you become those families' coach during family activities. [source: prevention.org]

4. Intervention inventory

How this section works: Part A follows the SFP 10–14 fidelity observation forms activity by activity: parent group (A1), youth group (A2), family hour (A3). Part B (B1) covers interventions specific to Kumpfer's SFP. Activity names follow the programme. All steps are paraphrased, and all example language is my own illustrative wording. Video segments come from the licensed DVD and are not described beyond their topic. Timings are the minimums the forms list. [source: SFP Parent, Youth and Family Observation Forms, 2016, unless otherwise tagged]

A1. Parent group (SFP 10–14)

Get acquainted and group ground rules (Parent 1)

Purpose: build the group and set norms in the first session.
Steps: (1) Welcome the group, explain the 7-week format and goals, and encourage attendance and make-ups (about 1 min). (2) Facilitators introduce themselves, then each parent gives their name, their child's name and one activity the family enjoys. (3) Brainstorm group ground rules onto a flip chart and keep it up every week. (4) Explain the video-plus-discussion format.
Example language (illustrative): "Tell us your name, your young person's name, and one thing your family likes doing together."
Watch for: parents who say nothing about their family. Accept a minimal answer and come back to them later.

Teen problems: everyday stresses vs. severe problems (Parent 1, activity 1.1)

Purpose: normalise ordinary adolescent stresses and name the serious problems the programme aims to prevent.
Steps: after the video, build two lists: everyday stresses (peer pressure, appearance, school, rebellion, money) and serious problems (substance use, smoking, shoplifting, reckless driving, dropping out). About 5 min.
Example language (illustrative): "Which of these are part of growing up, and which would really worry you?"
Watch for: a parent whose child already has a serious problem. Acknowledge it briefly and offer a private follow-up (see section 5).

Qualities you want in your child (1.2)

Purpose: connect parenting choices to long-term goals.
Steps: each parent names two qualities (for example honesty, responsibility, respect) and posts them on a large teen outline. Discuss the qualities. Bring the poster to every later session (it is reused in 5.6).
Example language (illustrative): "Picture your child at 25. What two qualities do you most hope they'll have?"
Watch for: later discipline choices that cut against these qualities. Refer back to the poster when that happens.

Harsh, permissive ('wimpy') and love-and-limits parenting video discussions (1.3–1.5)

Purpose: show the effects of the three parenting styles on children.
Steps: after each video clip, ask what the young person learns about themselves and their parent (and, for love and limits, about the world). Ask what is hardest about combining love and limits. The forms say not to critique what the video parents should have done. About 2 + 2 + 5 min.
Example language (illustrative): "What did that boy just learn about himself?"
Watch for: parents defending harsh methods. Keep the focus on what the child learns rather than arguing.

Things I Do Well checklist (1.6)

Purpose: private self-assessment of strengths in both love and limits.
Steps: parents privately rate how often they do each listed behaviour (odd-numbered items cover limits, even-numbered items cover love). Each parent chooses one behaviour to do more often. Don't collect the sheets. About 8 min.
Example language (illustrative): "This is just for you. Circle one thing you'd like to do a little more of this week."
Watch for: parents who score themselves very low. Point out the items they do well.

What did you want to be? and young people's feelings (1.7–1.8)

Purpose: help parents empathise with their child's age by recalling their own goals at 10–14, then discuss two video youths' feelings and likely outcomes.
Steps: a round of sharing (about 4 min), then the video discussion (about 1 min).
Watch for: painful memories coming up. Acknowledge them and keep the round moving.

Home practice, magnets and the Parent Creed (end of every parent session)

Purpose: carry the skill into the home.
Steps: set one concrete task. Week 1: notice one moment to show love and one to set a limit. Week 2: use an I-statement and track one rule. Week 3: run the point chart and hide compliment cards. Week 4: give a small chore for misbehaviour. Week 5: listen for feelings. Week 6: ask Who/What/Where/When questions. Week 7: keep using the tools. Hand out that week's magnet or card, preview the family hour, and recite the Parent Creed together.
Watch for: home practice is reviewed for about 10 minutes at the start of sessions 2–7. Ask what worked before asking what didn't.

What youth this age are like (Parent 2, 2.1)

Purpose: set realistic developmental expectations.
Steps: three small groups each list normal changes in one area: physical (growth, skin, sexual development), activities (more time with friends, wanting a phone) and getting along at home (moodiness, questioning rules, less time with parents). Groups report back. About 10 min.
Example language (illustrative): "Which of these changes surprised you most when they started?"
Watch for: normal behaviour being read as defiance. Gently reframe it as development.

Rules and responsibilities worksheet (2.2)

Purpose: each parent drafts household rules and the youth's responsibilities.
Steps: the video gives directions and facilitators help individual parents. Keep the worksheet for 2.7 and for home tracking.
Watch for: long lists. Encourage a few clear rules.

Building I-statements in four stages (2.3–2.7)

Purpose: remind youth of rules without criticising them.
Steps: (1) 'I feel...': name your own feeling about a posted situation. (2) Add 'when you...' plus the specific behaviour. (3) Add 'because...' plus the reason. (4) Add 'I want you to...' plus the behaviour you want. At stages 1–3, no solutions or consequences yet. (5) Practise the full form on three situations as a group, then each parent writes one I-statement about a rule from their worksheet and shares it. About 20 min in total.
Example language (illustrative): "I feel worried when you come in after nine because I don't know you're safe. I want you to text me if you'll be late."
Watch for: 'you' accusations disguised as I-statements, such as "I feel you're lazy." Coach the parent back to their own feeling and an observable behaviour.

Compliments and being taken for granted (Parent 3, 3.1–3.2)

Purpose: help parents feel what it is like to be overlooked, and teach specific praise with no tag-on criticism.
Steps: discuss what makes a compliment work: it is specific and isn't followed by a 'but' or a lecture. Pairs (not spouses) each name something they do that others don't notice and say how that feels. Optional: what does your youth do well that goes unnoticed?
Example language (illustrative): "Thanks for unloading the dishwasher without being asked. That really helped me." (No 'but next time...')
Watch for: praise that turns into a lecture.

Turning negatives into positives (3.3)

Purpose: restate problem behaviours as specific, observable positive targets with a time frame.
Steps: list small, observable problems. For each, write the specific behaviour wanted instead and when it should happen. Each parent writes their own example. About 6 min.
Example language (illustrative): "Instead of 'stop being messy': 'school bag on the hook by 4 pm.'"
Watch for: vague targets such as 'attitude'. Ask what the behaviour would look like.

Giving compliments: compliment cards (3.4)

Steps: pairs brainstorm specific compliments. Each parent writes several cards to hide for their youth to find during the week.
Watch for: at the next review, ask how the youth responded. Embarrassment counts as a good sign.

Point chart and privileges/rewards (3.5–3.6)

Purpose: reinforce a small daily behaviour.
Steps: (1) Hand out the points-for-rewards card and put up the poster. (2) The parent chooses one small, once-a-day behaviour from 3.3 for the chart. (3) Leave the reward section blank so the youth can help fill it in (done in family session 3). (4) Brainstorm practical rewards and privileges on a flip chart and keep it for the family hour.
Watch for: charts with too many behaviours, or rewards the parent can't deliver. Use one behaviour at first.

Building a positive relationship: ways to show love (3.7)

Steps: after the video, brainstorm ways to show love beyond rewards: hugs, saying 'I love you', notes. Hand out the 'Ways to Show Love' magnet.
Watch for: cultural differences in how affection is expressed. Accept non-verbal and practical forms [synthesis].

Small chores and loss of small privileges as penalties (Parent 4, 4.1–4.3)

Purpose: respond calmly and proportionately to minor misbehaviour.
Steps: (1) Brainstorm short chores that can serve as penalties (for example scrubbing a sink, sweeping, taking out rubbish) and the minor misbehaviours they suit. (2) List short, easy-to-track privileges that could be removed. Teach that big penalties for small problems tend to produce resentment, sneaking around and getting even, and that results may not be immediate. (3) In pairs with a worksheet, role-play giving a small chore for a sample misbehaviour, then swap roles after about 2 min. Debrief as a group.
Example language (illustrative): "You talked back when I asked you to turn off the game. That's a five-minute chore: please sweep the kitchen."
Watch for: penalties that are too long to enforce, or that are handed out in anger. Serious problems are left for 4.5.

Staying calm (4.4)

Steps: identify the times it is hardest for parents to stay calm (rushed periods, end of the day, when angry at someone else, when ill). Brainstorm calming strategies to use before giving a consequence.
Example language (illustrative): "I'm too annoyed to decide right now. We'll talk about this after dinner."
Watch for: disclosures that suggest a risk of harm (see section 5).

Big penalties for big problems (4.5)

Steps: each parent recalls a childhood mistake and what they learned from it. Pairs brainstorm larger consequences for serious problems. The group checks they are reasonable and names penalties that would be too severe.
Watch for: proposals involving physical punishment or humiliation. Have the group judge them as too severe, and follow safeguarding procedure if needed.

Poor vs. good listening video comparisons (Parent 5, 5.1–5.4)

Steps: watch scenes of poor listening between adults (a problem at work, a visit), then the same youth scenes (shoplifting, a question about sex) shown first with poor and then with good listening. For each, ask how the speaker felt and whether the youth would come back to that parent.
Watch for: parents recognising their own reactions. Treat that as a good moment, not a reason for shame.

Listening for feelings (5.5)

Purpose: reflect the young person's feeling before responding.
Steps: parents respond to at least 6 of 12 youth statements by reflecting the feeling (a 'sounds like you're feeling...' format), using a list of feeling words. Optional: describe situations in which youth feel anger, hurt or fear.
Example language (illustrative): Youth: "Coach never plays me." Parent: "Sounds like you're feeling left out and frustrated."
Watch for: parents jumping to advice. Coach them to reflect first and solve later.

Qualities you admire in parents (5.6)

Steps: use the teen poster from week 1. Build two columns of parent qualities, negative (for example abusive, selfish, indulgent) and positive (loving, sets limits, patient, a good listener, makes family time), and replace each negative with a positive alternative. Parents name things about their own parenting they feel good about.

Needs behind misbehaviour (5.7–5.8)

Purpose: understand problem behaviour as an attempt to meet a deep need.
Steps: present the four needs (belonging, enjoyment, power, independence). For each sample situation, parents name the need and list negative ways a youth might meet it (being mouthy, drinking, shoplifting, refusing chores, gangs) and positive ways. Then discuss how to meet the needs for power and independence positively: choosing clothes, helping solve problems, having a say in rules and consequences, choosing chores, taking on family responsibilities, building skills.
Example language (illustrative): "When she slams the door, what might she be trying to get: belonging, power, independence or fun?"
Watch for: the needs frame being used to excuse behaviour. Limits still apply.

Talking to kids: timing (5.9)

Steps: discuss what a youth may be feeling in a hard moment and how to respond: offer to talk later, stop pressing, reopen the subject later. Optional: brainstorm good times to talk, such as during chores, while driving, after school, at bedtime or at dinner.

Family values on alcohol, tobacco and drugs (Parent 6, 6.1)

Steps: after the video, discuss the different family positions shown, which range from no drinking at all to tasting at home only to expecting older youth to experiment, along with removing alcohol from the house and knowing the values of friends' parents. Each parent clarifies their own position.
Watch for: parents who use substances themselves. Avoid shaming, and give private information on support (see section 5).

Supporting your youth in school (6.2)

Steps: use the video case of a boy with a poor attitude to school. Brainstorm: set a time and place for homework, make sure it is done, attend school events, talk with teachers, back teachers up, praise completed homework. After about 5 min, read aloud the handout on parents' rights.

Who, What, Where, When (6.3)

Purpose: monitoring.
Steps: put up the poster and role-play a youth asking to go out. The parent asks who they will be with, what they will do, where they will be and when they will be back. About 4 min.
Example language (illustrative): "Sure, tell me who's going, what you're planning, where you'll be and when you'll be home."
Watch for: monitoring delivered as interrogation. Pair it with warmth.

Letter to your child (6.4)

Steps: guided by the video, parents complete a letter expressing love and hopes for their young person (couples write one joint letter, and parents write one per child). The letter is read aloud in family session 6.
Watch for: literacy problems. Offer to scribe, or let the parent say it instead [synthesis].

Tools and skills review and situation vignettes (6.5–6.6)

Steps: put up the tools poster and ask which tools parents already use. Play 10 video vignettes, each followed by about 30 seconds for parents to name tools that would help. Stress that several answers can be right, and make sure everyone takes part. At the end of the session, hand out the Handling Peer Pressure card.

Stress and special family needs (Parent 7, 7.1)

Steps: separate stress from normal changes (a new baby, a graduation) from stress caused by special circumstances (illness, job loss, divorce, bereavement, a child with special needs). Parents list stresses and star the ones that need outside help. Discuss how family stress affects youth. About 15 min.

Getting families help: community resources (7.2–7.4)

Steps: (1) Present asking for help as a strength and use a case vignette about a family whose son is struggling. Brainstorm personal and community resources (friends, teachers, faith leaders, school counsellors, GPs, youth services). Small groups complete a worksheet. (2) Hand out a local resource directory and have groups find contacts for the services they identified. (3) 'Looking close to home': privately name a positive way to help a friend under stress (no names), then privately consider a stress in your own family. Worksheets stay private.
Watch for: a parent who stays after the session, or who stars many stresses. Offer a private conversation and a referral (see section 5).

Mailed letter to youth and post-survey (7.5–7.6)

Steps: parents write a second letter to their youth (couples jointly), seal it in a pre-stamped envelope, and the coordinator posts it 3–4 weeks after the programme ends. Facilitators read the post-survey questions aloud and help where needed. Remind parents about the boosters.

A2. Youth group (SFP 10–14)

Icebreakers and active games (every youth session)

Purpose: warm-up, energy and group cohesion. Active games marked optional on the forms (Body Talk, What Do We Have in Common?, Mystery Shape, Pass the Ball, Molecules) are not core components and can be swapped for other games.
Steps (examples from the forms):
- Name game: two teams face each other across a blanket, and when it drops, the seated partners race to name each other.
- Mystery Compliments: each youth has a card taped to their back, and everyone writes a compliment on each card.
- Follow the Leader: the group copies a secret leader while a guesser tries to spot who it is.
- Word-guessing game: the group guesses letters to reveal the session theme ('stress', 'peer pressure').
- Traffic Jam: each youth gets a private sound card, and one hidden 'zoom' player breaks up the jam.
Watch for: youth left out. Use mixed teams.

Compliments circle and group ground rules (Youth 1)

Steps: (1) Run a round of compliments. (2) Youth suggest group rules (one person speaks at a time, respect others' ideas, keep what is said in the room) and matching consequences (a reminder, an apology), written on a flip chart. (3) A round of compliments plus home-practice review opens every later session.
Example language (illustrative): "What rule would make this a group where you'd feel OK saying what you really think?"

Goals and steps toward goals; treasure maps (Youth 1, 1.1–1.2)

Purpose: build a positive future orientation.
Steps: (1) Each youth writes a goal or dream on a slip of paper, and the slips are collected. (2) Put 2–3 goals on the flip chart and have the group work out steps for each. Keep the chart for the family hour. (3) Youth make unsigned collages (treasure maps) from magazine cuttings sorted into four labelled topic boxes, with time reminders every 5 minutes (about 30 min). (4) Explain that parents will guess which map belongs to their child, and hand out the 'When You Were My Age' question cards.
Watch for: youth who say they have no goals. Offer interests or small near-term goals.

What's good and what's hard about being a youth or a parent (Youth 2, 2.1)

Purpose: build empathy for parents.
Steps: props sort the youth into a 'youth' team and a 'parent' team. Each team lists 10–15 good things and 10–15 hard things about its role, then picks its top 5 hard things onto cards. Teams guess each other's lists. Debrief with three discussion questions. About 19 min.

Why parents are stressed (2.2)

Steps: put the 'concerns of parents' cards up in a row. Youth draw cards describing things parents say or do, match each one to the concern behind it, and explain the match. Discuss.
Example language (illustrative): "When your mum nags about homework, which worry might be underneath that?"
Watch for: disclosures of harsh or frightening parenting. Follow safeguarding procedure (section 5).

Gifts and appreciation note (2.3)

Steps: youth decorate a worksheet 'gift package' with four categories of what parents give (fun times, things you learn, material things, ways you know you're loved). Then they write a signed appreciation note from sentence starters and hide it for a parent to find. Home practice: notice when a parent is upset and think about the cause.

Situations that cause stress and signs of stress (Youth 3, 3.1–3.2)

Steps: (1) Define stress: it comes from outside, varies by person, can be positive or negative, and builds up. (2) Draw a figure with a gender-neutral name. Small groups write stressful situations on sticky notes under Home, School, Friends and Other, and place them around the figure. (3) Teach four kinds of stress signs (physical, feelings, behaviour, relationships). Groups list symptoms for one kind each and draw at least one from each kind onto the figure.
Watch for: severe or persistent distress in a youth. Follow up privately.

Healthy ways to handle stress and my coping plan (3.3–3.4)

Purpose: coping skills for both the moment and the longer term.
Steps: (1) Discuss unhealthy responses and where they lead. (2) Separate long-term coping (exercise, talking to someone, time alone, music, hobbies) from in-the-moment techniques (deep breathing, walking away, counting to ten, positive self-talk, spiritual connection). At least four of each should come up. (3) Youth make up a gesture for each technique and act out coping responses to situations read aloud. (4) Hand out a mental-health helpline card. (5) Worksheet: a stressful situation expected this week and which techniques to try. Home practice: notice two stressful moments and respond in a positive way.
Example language (illustrative): "Show me your gesture for 'walk away and breathe'."

Driving game (Youth 4, 4.1)

Purpose: show, through play, that following rules brings good results.
Steps: half the group 'drives' through six stations while the others act as station masters. Drivers go in order of birth month. Obeying the safe-driving rules lets a driver advance, and breaking one means staying put or missing a turn. After about 25 min, debrief with questions about which rules were broken, what the consequences were, how it felt, what following the rules brought, why rules exist, and what the group learned.
Watch for: competitiveness. Keep the debrief on the purpose of rules.

Adult rules and responsibilities (4.2)

Steps: pairs draw an adult rule card, choose a consequence for breaking that rule, and act it out for the others to guess. Draw out that adults have rules too. Home practice: notice a hard rule being followed and a rule being broken, along with its consequence. Prepare for the family hour: pairs choose a family value to act out, and show them an example family shield.

Why youth use substances and what harm they do (Youth 5, 5.1)

Steps: a figure called 'Kris' gets 'worry' notes, and youth write things Kris might do to be liked. Discuss why some young people use tobacco, alcohol or drugs and the myths involved. List the harms: effects on the nervous system, poor judgement, false confidence, trouble with family, school and the law, damaged relationships. Stress that most young people don't use. This is the largest single activity on the fidelity form.
Watch for: youth who already use, or whose family members do. Avoid moralising, and follow up privately.

Peer-pressure resistance steps (Youth 5–6, activities 5.2–6.3)

Purpose: turn down risky requests while keeping the friendship.
Steps: (1) List requests that sound fun but are risky, and acknowledge that saying no to a friend is hard. (2) Teach the steps one at a time, with road-sign posters as prompts. Facilitators demonstrate each step and every youth practises with a facilitator playing the friend applying pressure: Ask questions (find out what is planned) → Name the problem → Tell what could happen (the consequences act as a 'stop sign') → Suggest another route (an alternative activity, chosen from a brainstormed list) → Start on your way (added in session 6). (3) Show video of teens using the steps. (4) Role-play all the steps with coaching from the road-sign cards, in small groups if needed. (5) For persistent pressure from a pushy friend (session 6): stay calm, say the friend's name, say "listen to me", then go through the steps again. Every youth practises with all nine road signs. (6) Session 6 also covers how alcohol and drugs block goals: list goals that substance use could derail (sport, college, careers, being a good parent).
Example language (illustrative, youth role-play): "What are we doing at Sam's? ... That's shoplifting. If we get caught we're banned and my mum finds out. Let's go shoot hoops instead. I'm heading to the courts. Coming?"
Watch for: youth who freeze, or who laugh their way through the role-play. Repeat the role-play with a less intense pressurer, and praise any one step done well.

Goin' Fishin': what makes a good friend (Youth 6, 6.4)

Steps: youth 'fish' for paper fish cards with paper rods. Positive friendship traits go on the stringer and negative ones go in a bucket. Youth reflect on their own strengths as friends and what they could improve, and discuss how good friends keep each other out of trouble. Home practice: notice a friend acting as a good friend.

Reaching Out to Others (Youth 7)

[uncertain] The topic is confirmed by the WSU brochure, but its observation form was cut off and the activities were not seen. Use the official facilitator manual.

A3. Family hour (SFP 10–14)

Closing circle and creeds (every family session)

Purpose: a consistent ritual that ends each session with each youth next to their parent.
Steps: (1) The youth stands beside their parent(s) in a circle. (2) Each pair completes the posted sentence prompts about this week's topic, one from the youth's view and one from the parent's (for example, a strength each has, a value the family holds, or one thing learned about reaching goals). (3) The group recites the Youth, Parent and Family Creeds; from session 5 on, encourage them to do it without looking at the poster. 3–5 min.
Watch for: youths whose parent is absent. A facilitator stands in as their partner [synthesis].

Treasure-map discussion and steps to goals (Family 1, 1.1–1.2)

Steps: (1) Families sit together with the youth's treasure map. Parents ask questions from their card about the map, and youth ask questions from the 'When You Were My Age' card. (2) Each side shares with the group what it learned. (3) The youth picks one goal, and the family brainstorms steps toward it and writes them down. Facilitators move from family to family.
Example language (illustrative): "What's one small step you could take toward that before the end of the month?"

How Well Do We Know Each Other? (1.3)

Steps: form a parent team and a youth team (5–6 each); everyone else is the audience. Take the parents out of the room while each youth answers two questions on folded paper. Bring the parents back to sit facing their child and answer the same questions. Score matching answers on the flip chart, then swap roles. About 20 min.
Watch for: a parent who gets everything 'wrong' and is embarrassed. Keep it light and point out what they did get right.

Family tree of strengths (Family 2, 2.1)

Purpose: have every family member name strengths.
Steps: (1) Show examples of different family trees, so single-parent, blended and grandparent-headed families can all see themselves; a grandparent who is the main carer goes on a main branch. (2) Each member uses a worksheet to name at least four of their own strengths and writes them on leaves on their branch. (3) Grandparents' or supporters' strengths go on the roots, and whole-family strengths go on the trunk. (4) Families decorate their tree, with a facilitator helping each family in turn. About 45 min.
Watch for: youth struggling to name strengths. Have the parent offer one first.

Family meeting practice (Family 3, 3.1)

Purpose: set up a regular family meeting for planning, problem solving and fun.
Steps: (1) Briefly explain the purpose: schedules, transport, older youth having a say in rules and consequences. (2) Each family opens with compliments and reads the ground-rule card. (3) Following the video, process the four things that keep a meeting running smoothly: stick to the ground rules, stay on topic, don't interrupt, be polite. (4) Families negotiate the privileges and rewards for the point chart the parent started in week 3, with examples given (a later bedtime at the weekend, a friend over, choosing a programme, someone else doing a chore). (5) Ask which 'heavy' topics should stay out of family meetings. The manual's examples include serious money problems, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, serious school problems and marital problems; these need a separate private conversation or outside help.
Example language (illustrative): "Start with one compliment each, then read the ground rules aloud."

Family fun time (3.2)

Steps: families play a card or board game together while facilitators help them get started. Send games home if you can. Families complete a worksheet listing fun things they like to do together (at home if time runs out). An active warm-up game such as balloons is optional.

Values charades, matching values to actions, family shield (Family 4, 4.1–4.3)

Purpose: make the family's values explicit and link them to daily choices.
Steps: (1) Define values as what a family invests time and energy in, and note that families differ. Youth pairs act out values for parents to guess. (2) Youth and parents form two facing lines. Each parent holds a value card and each youth a scenario card. Youth read their scenarios aloud and stand by the matching value; some scenarios fit more than one value. If literacy might be a problem, facilitators read the cards aloud. (3) The family holds a mini-meeting (compliments and ground rules), chooses 3–4 values, and makes a shield from magazine cuttings, words or drawings. The shield can take a shape or use symbols from the family's culture or faith, and the family name goes at the bottom (both surnames if they differ). Facilitators show a shield they made in advance.
Watch for: parent and youth disagreeing about values. Acknowledge both views and suggest they include a value they share.

Listening game (Family 5, 5.1)

Steps: (1) The group lists feeling words. (2) Two facilitators demonstrate twice how to summarise what was said and name the feeling, and both prompts go on the flip chart. (3) Parent–youth pairs sit facing each other, take turns reading a situation card and respond with a summary plus a feeling. Points go to a parent team and a youth team (not one family against another). Read cards aloud if literacy might be a problem. About 25 min.
Example language (illustrative): "So you're saying the teacher blamed you in front of everyone. Sounds like you felt humiliated."

Joint problem solving: demonstration and game (5.2–5.3)

Purpose: a four-step family method for small problems.
Steps: (1) Demonstrate with a story about a family arguing over the TV: name the main problem, summarise each member's point of view on its own sheet, brainstorm suggestions (silly ones welcome), and choose one to try for a set time. (2) Each family holds a mini-meeting, then works through four cards in order: small problem → points of view → brainstorm solutions → choose a solution. Two facilitators acting as 'referees' (baseball caps are suggested) check each card before handing out the next. Suggested problems include too little family time, clearing up after meals, sharing the bathroom in the morning and computer time. (3) Families share their problem, their options and their choice. Home practice: hold a short family meeting.
Watch for: families choosing a big or emotionally loaded problem. Redirect them to a small one.

Reaching Our Goals game (Family 6, 6.1)

Steps: mark a curved tape path of four squares on the floor. Each parent–youth pair is linked at the ankle or elbow and moves along the path by drawing cards (positive or negative), keeping at least one foot in a square. Audience members can use 'I'll Save You' cards to help pairs that fall far behind, and facilitators can swap cards if a pair falls too far behind. After 7–8 minutes, congratulate the winners. Then discuss what was learned about reaching goals and working together, and what the 'I'll Save You' cards say about community help and the services families might not know about.
Watch for: physical limitations. Adapt the linking or let the pair walk side by side [synthesis].

Parents helping with peer pressure; refusal-skills rehearsal; reading the letters (6.2–6.4)

Steps: (1) Families watch the video and discuss how the parents in it helped their children. (2) Parents play a peer trying to lead their child into trouble while the youth uses the refusal steps, and the parents coach from their Handling Peer Pressure card. (3) Parents read aloud the letter about love and hopes that they wrote in week 6, and the families take the letters home.
Watch for: strong emotion when letters are read. Allow time and quiet.

Review, graduation and celebration (Family 7, 7.1–7.4)

Steps: a family game, a slide or video review of no more than 15 minutes covering all six weeks of content (use sample treasure maps and trees if no photos were taken), a graduation in which a coordinator or community leader presents each family with a certificate, the closing circle, and an optional meal at which facilitators join any family sitting alone.

B1. Interventions specific to Kumpfer's SFP (6–11, 12–16, 7–17)

Beyond topic level, the detail here is thin, because Kumpfer's manuals were not openable. Steps are given only where the sources describe them, and anything else is marked. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; CEBC; Michigan MDHHS]

Family meal coaching (CEBC description)

Purpose: use the shared meal for live coaching.
Steps: facilitators sit among several families during the roughly 30-minute meal, coach parents to respond positively to children's requests, review the week and check home practice. SFP 7–17 adds mindfulness practice during the meal. [uncertain: the mindfulness content was not seen.]

The Child's Game (family skills training)

Purpose: non-directive, positive one-on-one play to strengthen the relationship before discipline is taught.
What the sources say: introduced in the first family sessions. Parents practise it with their children while trainers review attending skills and rewards, and give each family individual coaching. CEBC lists positive play without being directive as a family-practice topic, and the parent curriculum opens with 'the power of play and praise' and daily one-on-one time.
Steps: [synthesis, the sources give no rules] (1) The child chooses a play activity for 10–15 minutes. (2) The parent follows the child's lead, describes and comments on what the child is doing, and praises specific behaviours. (3) The parent holds back on directing, teaching or criticising. (4) The trainer stands nearby, quietly prompts and praises the parent, then gives brief feedback. (5) Set daily home practice.
Example language (illustrative): "You're stacking the red blocks really carefully." To the parent: "Nice. You described without directing."
Watch for: parents who keep asking questions or giving instructions. Prompt them to switch to describing.

Attending, social rewards, differential attention, charts and spinners

Purpose: increase wanted behaviour.
What the sources say: parents learn to 'catch children being good' with attention and social rewards, to attend to wanted behaviour while ignoring minor annoyances, and to set goals with charts and reward spinners for target behaviours. Families make charts and spinners together in the family session. Later sessions cover fading rewards and moving to natural ones. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; CEBC]
Steps: [synthesis] (1) Choose one target behaviour. (2) Agree the chart with the child. (3) Give praise and points straight away. (4) Have the child spin for a reward from an agreed menu. (5) Thin out the rewards once the behaviour is stable.

Graded communication practice (four levels)

What the sources say: communication skills drawn from Relationship Enhancement (listening, I-messages, avoiding communication roadblocks) are practised across four levels, moving from non-threatening topics up to real family issues, with trainers modelling and giving immediate praise. Includes a 'learning from parents' discussion that covers alcohol and drugs. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000]
Steps: [synthesis on the content of each level] Begin with neutral topics such as favourite foods, then pleasant events, then mild disagreements, then a real current family issue. Coach the speaker to use an I-message and the listener to reflect back before replying.

The Parent's Game (limit-setting)

What the sources say: parents learn to give clear directions and commands, to use consequences for compliance and non-compliance, and to use time-out. The parent limit-setting sessions also cover overcorrection and positive practice. Children rehearse 'following instructions' in their own group, so both sides know the game. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; Michigan MDHHS]
Steps: [synthesis] (1) Get the child's attention. (2) Give one short, specific direction. (3) Wait a few seconds. (4) Praise compliance at once. (5) If the child doesn't comply, give one warning, then the pre-agreed consequence (for example a brief time-out), delivered calmly. (6) Afterwards, return to positive attention.
Watch for: time-out used punitively or for long periods, or before the family has a positive base. [uncertain: the developer's time-out parameters were not seen.]

Behaviour programmes and contracts

What the sources say: parents build and run a behaviour programme for a problem behaviour, and the teen version adds written contracts and goals for change. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; Michigan MDHHS]

Children's skills group components

What the sources say: group rules and a 'Dynamic Doer' chart; conversation skills (listening, eye contact, voice volume, praise); four steps for saying no; family talks and I-feel messages; asking friends for help; harms of alcohol and drugs; seven-step problem solving; coping skills (recognising feelings, giving and receiving criticism, managing anger); community resources. Delivered through games, songs, puppets, workbooks and role-play, with small prizes for good behaviour. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000] [uncertain: the exact four refusal steps and seven problem-solving steps in Kumpfer's version were not seen. Do not assume they match SFP 10–14's steps.]

Family meetings with an agenda; graduation

What the sources say: families learn to run a family meeting from a sample agenda. Graduation includes certificates, games, and a party that families help plan. [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000; CEBC]

5. Handling problems

What the programme sources say: they offer limited troubleshooting. They cover barrier reduction and retention, calm and neutral facilitation, win-win resolution of family disagreements, follow-up on larger issues, literacy accommodation, and the optional activities that can be dropped. Kumpfer's Implementation Manual covers difficult clients and ethical situations, but its content is not drawn on here. Everything else below is [synthesis] unless tagged.

Poor attendance or drop-out. Recruit at least two months ahead. Avoid clashes with school sports, faith events and holidays. Use a central, non-stigmatising venue. Offer meals, transport, childcare and incentives (food vouchers, homework prizes, graduation gifts). Invite families personally, and follow up with any family that misses a session. Send reminders by the family's preferred channel [source: prevention.org; Kumpfer & Tait 2000]. Run a short make-up with any family that missed a week before the next family hour, especially weeks 3 and 6, when parent and youth material is joined up [synthesis].
Running out of time. Use the optional questions and games only when ahead of schedule. Protect the family hour and the closing circle [source: prevention.org; Observation Forms]. Cut optional active games first, never the home-practice review [synthesis].
Home practice not done. Ask what got in the way, praise any partial attempt, and shrink the task to something achievable before next week, such as one I-statement or one compliment card. Ask the parent to complete it in the room now, for example writing the compliment card in session [synthesis].
A parent who dominates or argues against the material ("kids today need a good hiding"). Thank them and widen the question to the group: what do children learn from that? Use the harsh-parenting discussion frame and don't debate. Talk privately at the break if needed [synthesis built on Parent S1 guidance not to critique parents].
Youth who disrupt or refuse role-plays. Use the youth-made ground rules and their agreed consequences [source: Youth Forms S1]. Give a reluctant youth a role such as station master, referee or audience member with an 'I'll Save You' card; these roles exist in the forms. Praise whatever part they do [synthesis].
Conflict between parent and youth during the family hour. Steer them towards a mutually beneficial solution, and follow up larger issues later [source: prevention.org]. Move a heated topic out of the meeting; the programme says 'heavy' topics such as substance abuse, pregnancy, serious money or marital problems don't belong in family meetings. Offer a private conversation and a referral [source: Family Forms S3; synthesis].
Disclosures of maltreatment, domestic violence or a child at risk (these come up in 2.2, 4.5 and 7.1). This is a universal prevention group, not therapy. Follow your agency's safeguarding policy and mandatory-reporting duties, and tell families at the start what confidentiality covers and where it ends. Do not explore a disclosure in front of the group. Acknowledge it, move on, and speak to the person privately afterwards [synthesis].
Suicidal ideation or self-harm in a youth or parent (this can surface in the stress or feelings activities). Respond privately the same day using your service's standard risk-assessment procedure. Bring in the parent or carer as appropriate. Give crisis contacts; the programme hands every youth a mental-health helpline card in session 3 [source: Youth Forms S3]. Refer on rather than managing it inside the group [synthesis].
Families whose needs exceed universal prevention (active parental substance use, a youth already using, conduct problems, severe mental illness). SFP 10–14 is universal; the programme's session 7 resource mapping is the planned route to further help [source: Parent Forms S7]. For higher-risk families, consider Kumpfer's 14-session SFP, which was designed for children of substance-using parents [source: Kumpfer & Tait 2000], or individual or family treatment alongside the group [synthesis].
Literacy and language barriers. Read cards aloud so no one is embarrassed [source: Family Forms S4–S5]. Scribe letters and worksheets for parents who need it. Use the official translated versions; SFP 10–14 and Kumpfer's SFP both exist in many languages [source: CEBC; synthesis].
Overwhelm in very stressed families. Reduce each task to one behaviour or one rule, lean on the strengths activities, and link the family to the session 7 resources early if they need them [synthesis].
Separated parents, foster or kinship carers, a grandparent as head of household. The family-tree and shield activities explicitly accommodate different family forms and surnames [source: Family Forms S2, S4]. Kumpfer's SFP invites any regular carer [source: CEBC]. Where a youth has two households, invite both carers if it is safe, or agree which home the home practice targets [synthesis].
Cultural mismatch. Adapt the language, examples and imagery with culturally knowledgeable staff [source: CEBC]. Keep the behavioural core: Kumpfer & Tait (2000) report weaker outcomes when a values-focused adaptation cut behaviour-change content. Don't drop sessions or shorten the dose; check any adaptation with the developer or your trainer, because it can affect certification [synthesis].
Penalties drifting into harshness. Remind parents of the rule that small problems get small penalties, and that big penalties for small problems breed resentment and getting even [source: Parent Forms S4]. Physical punishment or humiliation is never an acceptable consequence; handle it under safeguarding if it is a pattern [synthesis].
A clinician wanting to use SFP techniques in individual or family therapy. You can use the skills (love and limits, I-statements, point charts, the joint problem-solving steps, the refusal steps) in your own work, but you cannot call it SFP or claim its evidence unless you are certified and delivering the full programme with fidelity monitoring [source: EPISCenter Training Information; synthesis].
Ruptures with a facilitator. Because each facilitator works with the same 3–4 families every week [source: prevention.org], a rupture affects that family's whole experience. Repair it promptly and privately, and if needed move the family to a co-facilitator in the family hour [synthesis].

Sources

Sources: