Promising Approaches

Promising Approaches are tested, effective programs, policies and practices which:

• Address research-based risk factors for the 6 problem behaviors
• Increase protective factors
• Intervene at a developmentally appropriate age
• Have shown positive effects in high-quality tests
• Provide value for cost
• Build on existing services
• Use community resources e.g. parents/volunteers
  

High / Scope Preschool Program ( Family Domain )

The High/Scope Educational Approach provides a systematic method for enhancing children's development. The program has been demonstrated effective for children from high risk (i.e. poor, single parent) families and for children without known risks. Children attend four half-days per week. High Scope started in Michigan and is now delivered internationally in England , Indonesia , Ireland , Mexico , Singapore , Canada , and the Netherlands .

Key components of the program are language based learning centers which encourage children to think and plan sequentially, home visits, support to help families extend the preschool learning into the home, observational tracking of each child's development during the program to document changes, partnerships with other professionals, toy lending library and sensitivity to non-educational needs of families i.e. transportation, meals and program fees. Parents are encouraged to volunteer and a strong staff development, team-work and support environment are created.

Since our initial selection of the program, we are aware of the 40 year follow-up study that showed original benefits at age 19 years have now grown substantially.

Download the brochure in English or Punjabi.

Faces of High / Scope

The Faces of High/Scope Family Program has been developed as a way to target the family, in particular, parents, of High/Scope preschool children. With support from Capilano College, in cooperation with the High/Scope preschools, we offer a direct adult component in order to create a four component family literacy program. Four component family literacy programs also have proven outcomes making this an appropriate collaboration under the CTC umbrella. The program activities include educational workshops and enjoyable family fun nights that use activities like story telling and family and cultural activities to enhance literacy.

Strengthening Families Program (Family Domain)

SFP is a 13-session life skills training program designed to increase resilience and reduce risk factors for substance abuse, depression, violence and aggression, delinquency, foster care and school failure in 6-11 year old children and their parents. Although originally developed for children of substance abusers, SFP is effective and widely used with non-substance abusing families in many settings.
Download this brochure in English and Punjabi.

Information links:
www.strengtheningfamilies.org
www.highscope.org

Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14

This program for parents and youth (10-14), a video based intervention designed with parent, youth and family sessions uses narrated videos that portray typical youth and parent situations. The program takes seven weeks with booster sessions and includes interactive activities including role-playing discussions, learning games and family projects.

The program benefits include improved family functioning, increased youth resistance to drugs and alcohol. Youth sessions focus on strengthening goal setting, dealing with stress and strong emotions, communication skills, increasing responsible behavior, and improving skills to deal with peer pressure. Parents discuss the importance of both showing love to their youth while, at the same time, setting appropriate limits. Topics include making house rules, encouraging good behavior, using consequences, building bridges, and protecting against substance abuse.

Parenting Wisely

This high quality program is being offered in partnership with Mamquam Elementary School and School District 48. The program is self-paced and takes an average of three hours to complete. The curriculum, which uses video game technology is suitable for parents and any other relatives or caregivers who would like to develop more effective parenting skills.

The school has set up a computer with headphones in the library so program users can complete the modules without a need to share their responses with others unless they choose to do so. It is ideal if parents can participate when their children are in grades 6-9, before the transition into the later teen years. Parenting wisely has been thoroughly researched in a number of settings, and has proven to be very effective at helping parents meet the challenges of raising their children. The program helps to strengthen family communication, increase parental supervision skills, improve discipline and lower childrens' risk for developing health and behavior problems.

Parents can use the program with their older children, so they can practice the skills and do the home activities together. This program is an excellent tool for parents whose schedules do not allow them to attend some of the other parenting programs in the community. And it is easy to do in short time allotments. Just call 604 898-3601 to book an appointment to use the program.

Municipal Alcohol Policy (Community Domain)

Municipal Alcohol Policy (MAP) is an approach that helps ensure responsible drinking occurs on municipal property. Additionally, it would help reduce problem behaviours such as public intoxication, drinking in unlicensed areas, impaired driving, underage drinking, vandalism, assaults, injuries and death.

There are six keys to the Blue Ribbon MAPS:

1. Designation of properties, facilities and events to designate clearly where alcohol may or may not be used
2. Management practices to help control how alcohol is used before during or after events
3. Prevention strategies to reduce harm (ensure participants do not become intoxicated)
4. Enforcement procedures and penalties (when rental groups don't play by the rules)
5. Signage to provide information
6. Ongoing support such as education for staff, volunteers, the community and council members and program evaluation.

MAP has been widely used in Ontario and is also showing positive outcomes in other provinces. It has been demonstrated to have a positive effect on the targeted risk and protective factors. The MAP approach, implemented by the District of Squamish, provides criteria for helping local government to assess it's existing practices and take a leadership role in establishing norms around responsible alcohol use in public facilities.

Social Marketing Program: Step Up!

The goal for the Social Marketing Campaign is to raise community readiness for responsible drinking and role modeling of healthy drinking behaviors by those adults who choose to drink.

The program was selected based on the Too Smart To Start Program. The two programs to be implemented are the Municipal Alcohol Policy and a Social Marketing Program to increase readiness, modeled after Too Smart To Start. As the community was rated by workshop attendees as moderately ready to address the risk factors, the social marketing strategy will assist in building community readiness for action.

Too Smart To Start is a public education initiative that provides professionals and volunteers at the community level with materials and strategies to help them conduct an underage alcohol use prevention initiative. The materials from the program are designed to help plan, develop, promote, and implement a local initiative to educate 9- to 13-year-olds and their parents about the harms of underage alcohol use and to support parents and caregivers as they participate in their children's activities.

Key Components of the Campaign:

• Media advertising
• Posters
• Presentations to community groups
• Resource materials for families, community members, businesses, and community organizations.

Step Up! - Communities That Care Squamish (CTC) launched its Step Up! education campaign, on December 15th, 2005. The goal of the campaign is to spread awareness of the impact of role models on youth alcohol and drug use and the importance of setting a good example to the future of our community. Specific materials are available for, community groups, businesses and individuals to work toward delaying the age at which our community's youth first start to use alcohol and drugs, thereby reducing the likelihood of future dependency and other health and social problems.
Click links below to view pdf documents.

• What Families Can Do
• Letter to Community Groups
• List of partners/supporters
• Modeling Healthy Attitudes Toward Alcohol
• Some Ways Community Members Can Promote Youth and Community Health
• Information for Businesses
• Checklist- Handout for Event Organizers
• Community Alcohol Policy

Communities That Care has compiled some additional materials that may provide some useful ideas to consider when planning actions in your organization. Please contact us for a copy.