Iowa State University Extension

Problem:
Juvenile Court personnel started a mini summit in 2007 consisting of representatives of various service agencies and organizations interested in youth. Their goal was to provide programs and services to help keep youth out of the court systems and reduce out-of-home placement of youth.

Response:
Juvenile Court, along with ISUE, received a grant to provide training for facilitators of the Strengthening Families Program. That training occurred Fall, 2008. 9 people were trained for free with the requirement that they will facilitate two series of SFP sessions.

ISUE received a $2,000 grant from the Community Foundation to provide funds to run one series of SFP. The first series started February 3 and finished March 17, 2009. Sessions were held at the YMCA in Mason City. Child care and an evening meal were provided.

Impact:
There were 6 families (10 adults, 8 youth) who completed the program. (Names have been changed.) Adam, by far the most resistant to the idea of coming to the group, had the most significant change. Through the sessions, we learned that his mom has a hard time accepting his goals. We heard and witnessed that both mom and step-dad are somewhat overprotective which feels like control to Adam. By the end of the program, Adam and his mom were communicating more effectively and able to respect the words of one another. This family did use the tools we taught them for effective communication. Adam often shared the way the point chart was used in his home.

All of our youth were open to discussing the stressors they incur through their daily lives and, as a group, were able to identify healthy ways to deal with those stressors. One of our youth was a fourteen-year-old girl who identified very closely to the peer pressure component of the program. Ann is a freshman in high school who has always been an A student. This fall, she was introduced to a new group of friends. Ann abandoned her old friends for the new and, with this new group, came the introduction of alcohol. This new behavior allowed Ann to tailspin out of control. Ann's grades dropped below a 2.0. The situation had become so severe that she recently switched schools.

Mom was very receptive to the program and felt like it offered her the support and tools to manage this situation. Mom felt like she had the information she needed to support her daughter while offering her the structure she needs. Ann was able to successfully accept and practice the peer resistance steps. Mom said, "I thought I was going to lose her, but you have given me the tools I need. I feel so much better about our future."

Additional Team Members or Community Partners:
Scott Hand, Juvenile Court
Liz Conley, YMCA, Mason City

Contact:
Janet Brown
Cerro Gordo County Extension
2023 S Federal Ave
Mason City, IA 50401
641-423-0844
jmbrown@iastate.edu