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Staying Connected with Your Teen® Facts, Frequently Asked Questions, and Training

Program Facts | Program FAQs | Training

Program Facts

Summary:

The science-based Staying Connected with Your Teen program teaches parents of teens how to improve their family management practices and enhance family bonding. Because of its flexibility, the Staying Connected with Your Teen program works either as a series of facilitator-led parenting workshops or as a self-paced home-study program. Parents and teens work together through responses and solutions to contemporary challenges such as teen parenthood, school dropout, and substance abuse.

Goal:

The goal of the Staying Connected with Your Teen program is to prevent problem behaviors among teens, such as substance abuse and violence, by helping parents acquire or improve a variety of key parenting skills and techniques.

Target Audience:

Parents of teens ages 12-17

Program Length:

Either five 2-hour sessions (when used in a workshop setting) or seven discussion units (when used as a self-paced home-study program)

Materials:

The Core Program includes:

  • Workshop Leader's Guide (2 copies)
  • Workshop DVD (2 copies)
  • Family Guide (2 copies) (Every family should have its own. Additional Family Guides are available.)
  • CD (2 copies) for PowerPoint® presentations and handouts

Each set of Parent and Teen Self-Study Materials (for use when implementing as a take-home program) includes:

  • Workshop DVD (1 copy)
  • Family Guide (1 copy)

Providers:

The Staying Connected with Your Teen program can be implemented as a series of workshops or as a self-directed home-study program. For the workshop-based option, providers would include:

  • parent educators
  • guidance counselors
  • others who are comfortable facilitating workshops for adults.

Effectiveness:

The Staying Connected with Your Teen program is recognized by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) with a rating of "Effective" in OJJDP's Model Programs Guide. OJJDP has rated the Staying Connected with Your Teen program effective in reducing:

  • favorable attitudes about substance abuse
  • initiation of substance abuse or sex
  • violent behavior.

Research has shown the self-administered version of the program to be effective in reaching and positively impacting behaviors of families who are unlikely to attend regularly scheduled group meetings due to busy schedules or reluctance to discuss family issues in public.†

Recognition:

The Staying Connected with Your Teen program is recognized as:

  • Effective, Model Programs Guide, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
  • Best Practice, Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT)
  • Model Program, Strengthening America's Families

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Program FAQs

What is the Staying Connected with Your Teen program?

The Staying Connected with Your Teen program teaches parents and teens the skills they need to improve family communication and family bonding. It draws on extensive research that demonstrates the critical importance of parent involvement in reducing or inhibiting adolescent participation in antisocial behaviors.

Who developed the Staying Connected with Your Teen program?

The Staying Connected with Your Teen program was developed by J. David Hawkins, Ph.D., and Richard F. Catalano, Ph.D., professors of social work and directors of the Social Development Research Group at the University of Washington. Dr. Hawkins and Dr. Catalano, pioneers in the field of prevention research and developers of the Social Development Theory, are internationally known for their groundbreaking work in the area of risk and protective factors.

How do we know the Staying Connected with Your Teen program works?

In a controlled study of the Staying Connected with Your Teen program (formerly known as Parents Who Care), participant families showed statistically significant improvement in these four areas considered critical in preventing substance abuse and other problem behaviors among teens: improved family discipline practices, improved family supervision skills, improved family bonding, and reduced family attitudes favorable to antisocial behavior.

How long is the Staying Connected with Your Teen program, and how is it structured?

The Staying Connected with Your Teen program can be implemented as a formal parenting workshop in five 2-hour sessions, or as a 7-unit self-paced home-study program. The workshop option allows parents to network and discuss parenting strategies with one another. The home-study option helps you avoid potential recruitment and logistical issues -- parents and teens complete the activities in the book and video at home, and you simply call them or schedule follow-up meetings at school.

What materials does each participating family need?

Each family will need a Family Guide and access to the accompanying DVD.

How much does the Staying Connected with Your Teen program cost?

The Staying Connected with Your Teen Core Program is $881.00.
The Staying Connected with Your Teen Workshop Leader's Package, which includes the Core Program plus 10 sets of Parent and Teen Self-Study Materials, is $1,469.00.
Additional sets of Parent and Teen Self-Study Materials: $61.00 each
Additional Family Guides: $34.00 each
Additional DVDs: $30.00 each
Quantity discounts are available for Family Guides and other materials. Please call 1-877-896-8532 for more information. Prices subject to change without notice.

Where can we get more information?

Call us toll free at 1-877-896-8532.

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Training

Training is available from certified, experienced trainers who will assist in the implementation
of the program and help ensure its fidelity. The training contact for Staying Connected with Your Teen is:

Dr. Dorothy Ghylin
81 NW Doncee Dr.
Bremerton, WA 98311-9110
(360) 649-8903 (mobile) or (360) 692-9986
(360) 613-0726 (fax)
dr.d.ghylin@comcast.net

†Program tested under its previous name, Parents Who Care. Source: Haggerty, K., et al. (2006). "Participation in 'Parents Who Care': Predicting Program Initiation and Exposure in Two Different Program Formats." Journal of Primary Prevention 27 (1): 47-65.

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