Family Connection

1
Family Connection
A Comprehensive Prevention Program for Homeless
Children
A program of Rainbow Days, Inc. (RDI)
Presenter Kathy Daley Training Coordinator
2
Icebreaker

• Stand
• Up If

3
Stand Up If

• 1) You are at the 2008 NAEHCY Conference (yeah,
  we are all awake!)
• 2) You are on the staff in a shelter setting.
• 3) You are on the staff of an educational
  institution.
• 4) You are on staff of a state or other
  government agency.
• 5) You are on the staff of a prevention agency.
• 6) You are on the staff of a state or national
  coalition.
• 7) You are self-employed.
• 8) You are in a career path I have not mentioned.
• 9) You work directly with homeless persons.
• 10) You are from VA.
• 11) You are not from VA.
• 12) Youve heard about Rainbow Days.
• 13) You like to play tennis.
• 14) You like to watch football.
• 15) You like the fall season best.
• 16) You are wearing jeans.
• 17) You are wearing tennis shoes
• 18) You cant wait until it snows.
• 19) You like BBQ.

4

• Although the world is full of suffering, it is
  full also of the overcoming of it.
• Helen Keller

5
Rainbow Days History

• History
• Developed in 1982
• Original target population- Children of
  Alcoholics
• Target population expanded
• (more later!)
• Currently four program adaptations

6
Rainbow Days Core Service

• Curriculum-Based Support Groups (CBSG) Program

7
Rainbow Days Curricula

• Kids Connection For children ages 4-12
• Youth Connection For youth ages 10-15
• Kids Connection, Too - For children and youth
  ages 4-15 living in shelters or transitional
  living programs
• Faith Connection A Christian-based adaptation
  for children and youth ages 4-15

8
Rainbow Days Curricula
Play Connection A Curriculum-Based Support
Group Program for Families Building Stronger
Children and Families through Play For Parents
and their Children Ages 4-12
9
What is the CBSG Program?
The CBSG Program is a multi-cultural preventive
intervention for selective and indicated
populations of children and youth, developmental
ages 4-15 , whose high-risk situations, attitudes
and behaviors place them at elevated risk for
substance abuse, delinquency and violence.  
10

• The CBSG Program is evidence-based and uses a
  support group and trained facilitator to teach
  children and youth a set of essential life skills
  to help them learn how to
• cope with difficult family situations
• resist peer pressure
• set and achieve goals and,
• refuse alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

11
Prevention Framework

• Universal Programs which reach all of the
  general population (e.g. all students in a grade)
• Selective Programs which target groups at risk
  (e.g. COAs or poor school achievers)
• Indicated Programs are designed for individuals
  who exhibit risk-related behaviors (e.g. students
  already experimenting or involved in delinquency)

The CBSG Program is both Selective Indicated
12
Theoretical Framework of CBSG Program

• Reducing risk factors and increasing resiliency
  and protective factors

13
Increasing Resiliency Protective Factors

• Autonomy I Am

• Positive identity
• Self-efficacy and task mastery
• Self-awareness
• Adaptive distancing from negative messages and
  conditions

14
Increasing Resiliency Protective Factors

• Social Competence - I Can

• Responsiveness
• Ability to assert oneself
• Empathy and caring
• Respect
• Self-Control

15
Increasing Resiliency Protective Factors

• Interdependence I Have

• Pro-Social Bonding
• Asking and receiving caring and support
• Intimacy and trust
• Identifying safe people

16
Increasing Resiliency Protective Factors

• Problem-Solving Skills I Will

• Critical / Creative Thinking
• Ability to Plan
• Ability to Generate Alternatives
• Normative Beliefs

17
Increasing Resiliency Protective Factors

• Sense of Purpose and Future I Believe

• Goal Direction
• Educational Aspirations
• Pro-Social Ideals/Achievement Motivation
• Personal Commitment
• Faith/Spiritual Connectedness

18
Protective Factors and the Major Messages

• The CBSG Program has created a set of Major
  Messages, based on the protective factor
  research, which are repeated aloud by
  participants at the close of each support group
  session. These Messages provide a verbal
  reinforcement of the spirit of each protective
  factor, which is also incorporated into several
  session topics for reinforcement.

I Am - Autonomy I Can - Social Competence I Have-
Interdependence I Will - Problem Solving Skills I
Believe - Sense of Purpose and Future
19

• Rainbow Days, Inc. is proud that the
  Curriculum-Based Support Group (CBSG) Program
  has been accepted
• for review by the
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health
• Services Administrations (SAMHSA)
• National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and
  Practices (NREPP)

20
Effectiveness

• Children and youth participating in a CBSG
  demonstrate the following results
• Increased non-use attitudes toward alcohol,
  tobacco and other drugs
• Increased perception of the risks associated with
  alcohol, tobacco and other drug use
• Reduced conduct problems and impulsivity
• Increased social skills such as assertiveness,
  empathy, self-control and cooperation

21
National Replication

• Program replication funded by
• The Hasbro Childrens Foundation
• Houston, TX (2003-2004)
• Denver, CO (2004-2006)
• Pflugerville, TX (2006)
• Oklahoma City, OK (2006)

22
Family Connection Program
Supportive Services forHomeless Children
Families
23
How Rainbow Days Helps

• Services to homeless children began in 1989 -
  Funded originally with a 5 year demonstration
  grant from Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
  (CSAP)
• Serves approximately 1,000 (unduplicated)
  children per year in Dallas in 18 area family
  domestic violence shelters
• Currently funded by Department of Housing
• Urban Development (HUD)
• and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

24
Family Connection

• Provides a MENU
• of services from
• which shelters and
• transitional housing
• programs can choose from

• Support Groups
• Camps
• School supplies
• School clothes
• Art w/Heart
• Family Outings

25
On-Site Services
26
When you pave the way you make a difference!
Kids can walk around trouble,if there is
someplace to walk to, and someone to walk with.

From Urban Sanctuaries by Milbrey W. McLaughlin,
et al
27
Family Connection Curriculum

• Kids Connection, Too
• For children ages 4-15 living in shelters or
  transitional living programs

28
Kids Connection, Too Curriculum Content
29
Session Format

• Welcome
• Opening Sunshine and Cloud
• Guided Discussion
• Introduce topic and brief teaching with group
• discussion
• Activity
• "Art", Games, Written exercises, Skill practice
• Processing and Closing Summary
• Reviewing the topic and the activity as it
  relates
• to personal experiences
• Major Message Ritual

30
Activity

• Sunshine
• and Cloud

31
Major Messages

• I Am likeable, capable, unique and valued
• I Can treat others like I want to be treated
• I Have strengths, capabilities and people who
  care about me
• I Will make healthy choices and be alcohol,
  tobacco and drug free
• I Believe I have a purpose

32
Activity

• Major Message Rainbow

33
Activity

• Major Message Closing Ritual

34
Learning Tool Kits
Learning Tool Kit
35
LTK Activity

• Letter Treasure Hunt using a newspaper, book,
  magazine, etc.
• What this activity teaches
• The alphabet
• Capital letters
• To identify letters
• To look from left to right, as you do when you
  read
• Concentration and problem solving
• To find letters within words
• To find words within sentences
• Find a R, D, and I to earn your prize

36
Family Play Time
37
Play Connection
Rainbow Days Newest Curriculum
38
History of Play Connection

• Funded in 2004 by the Toy Industry Foundation
  (TIF)
• TIF Mission To bring joy, happiness and comfort
  to children in need through the experience of
  toys and play.
• Partnered with Rainbow Days to work specifically
  with the homeless population
• Five unit Play Connection Curriculum is in its
  second pilot (10 total sessions 5 Parent 5
  Family)

39
Play Connection Curriculum Content
40
Activity

• Newspaper Basketball

41
Off-Site Services
42
Art With a Heart
43
Family Outings
44
Kids University
45
Camp Broadway
46
Outdoor Adventure Camp
47
Back-to-School Backpack Drive Party
48
Fall Harvest
49
Community Service Projects
50
Training Information

• Upcoming Trainings
• San Antonio, TX Dallas, TX
• March 25-26, 2009 July 15-16, 2009
• Cost 0 Texas residents 300 non-Texas
  residents
• For information regarding contracted trainings or
  
• to register please visit www.rdikids.org or
• call Janet Mitchell at 214.887.0726
• Kathy Daley
• Rainbow Days, Inc.
• 8150 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1600
• Dallas, TX 75206
• 214.887.0726 or 800.889.7828
• www.familyconnection.org
  kathyd_at_rdikids.org

51
YOU are Inspirational!

• Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
  committed citizens can change the world. Indeed,
  its the only thing that ever has.
• Margaret Mead
• 1901-1978