Together to Better Understand Nadia Kohler T.S. / R.S.W.

Rebecca Wigfield T.S. / M.S.W.

November 2012

Nadia Kohler R.S.W.

Anne-Marie Vaillancourt M.S.W.

Together to Better Understand

Observation

•No services existed to support the family and their dynamics as a unit.

Choosing families over children

•The Family is a system of interactions.

•CAF Member’s mental health issues affect family functionning.

•It is important to treat the family unit as a whole and provide each member with the help they need.

Program foundations

Guiding principles

• The parent is essential for the development and functioning of the child.

• A healthy relationship between parent and child, as well as adequate support from the parent, will foster the child’s resilience.

• Acting on optimal parental practices and strengthening parents’ feelings of competency will have a preventive effect on the development of a child’s behavioural and emotional problems.

• Providing parents and children with a program at the same time will help increase the effectiveness of the results.

• The program name E = MC³

stands for ‘Ensemble pour Mieux Comprendre’ (Together to Better Understand). The ‘3’ represents the child, father and mother.

• The E=MC3 program helps families address OSIs with a family perspective, as opposed to an individual one, within a therapeutic group setting.

• Two complementary programs for two age groups:

o 7- to 12 - year-olds

o 4 - to-6- year-olds

Program description

Goals

To develop each family member’s strengths in order to improve their well-being as an individual and as part of the family.

•To help family members help each other and end their isolation.

•To help children and parents better understand OSIs and their effects on the family.

•To promote communication within the family.

•To improve relationships between parents and children.

•To help prevent mental health problems and family violence.

Complementary objectives 4-6 version

• To improve children’s lives by changing parental attitudes.

• To increase parents’ feelings of competency and effectiveness, particularly the member suffering from an OSI.

• To foster families’ and children’s resilience.

Program Structure

7-12 program11 group meetings

6 workshops for children

3 workshops for parents

2 workshops for families

4-6 program7 group meetings

3 workshops for children/parents

3 workshops for parents

1 workshop for families

Workshop Themes

Our experience

2006 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

1st group : 4 families7 children ages 9 -12

2nd group :4 families6 children ages 6 -10

3rd group: 4 families4 children ages 6-11

Recruitingin process for

4-6 & 7-12 groups

Recruitingin process for

4-6 & 7-12 groups

Beginings of initial reflection process with

partners

Trial run Program nationalisation

Military Veteran Health

Research forum

presentation

Development of the 4-6 version

ResultsParents

• Provided a break from daily routine.

• Provided a common language.

• Generated positive family interaction.

• Improved parent/child relationship.

• Improved communication.

• Improved family well-being.

• Reduced feelings of isolation.

Children

• Reduced feelings of guilt/responsibility.

• Reduced feelings of isolation.

• Improved understanding of OSIs.

• Improved emotion management.

• Improved coping strategies.

• Increased knowledge of internal/external resources.

Results

Successes

• Improved local parterships facilitating recruitment.

• Increased program awareness.

• Continued parental implication throughout the process.

• Increased rate of registration from CAF Members.

• Contents modified to meet specific group needs.

• Program adapted to family counselling format.

• Scientific validation of program in progress.

ChallengesLogistics

• Staff availabilities. • Availability of premises.• Partner availabilities (OSSIS).• Prolonged delays between groups. • Families with children from two different age

groups.

Recruitement / Publicity

• Reaching target audience.

• Advertising the program through key local partners.

ChallengesFamily components

Spoken language:o English / French

Separated families : o Conflict / Poor communication o Non-involvement of one of the parents

Blended families: o Involvement of the new partner / childen

Family availabilities:o CAF Member operational obligationso Family obligations / well-being o Childcare

Group caracteristics•Transformation of target audience over time.•CAF Members at different stages of treatment. •Multiple/conflicting family obligations. •Wide range of needs amongst participants.•Age/maturity gap. •Children with behavioral issues.

Eligibility criteria•Meeting family needs when non-eligible for the group.

o Family violence o Unstable mental health/specific limitations of CAF Member o Children with special needso etc.

Challenges

Adaptations

• Modifying schedule/contents.

• Decreasing theoretical contents.

• Using the buddy system.

• Aiming for a discipline/content balance.

• Maintaining regular phone/email contact.

• Providing a detailed communication/log book.

• Offering group contents via family couselling.

• Developping a 4-6 version of the program.

Food for thought

• Reaching target audience.

• Blending groups 4-6 and 7-12.

• Adapting the program for family counselling.

• Increasing/decreasing parental implication.

• Promoting learning retention.

• Evaluating impacts following program modifications.

• Developping a continuum of services.

• Favoring national accessibility of the program.

What about you?

To contact us

Valcartier Family Centre 1-877- 844-6060

Nadia Kohler nadia.kohler@forces.gc.ca

Anne-Marie Vaillancourt vaillancourt.am@forces.gc.ca

www.forcedelafamille.ca