Strengthening Flint Families is a community-based behavioral health intervention designed to reduce behavioral health disparities and improve family resilience in the Flint Community by providing multiple levels of peer support and family services.
Our mission is to make effective substance use disorder and prevention programs available to all families throughout the Flint Community, with increased individual and family capacity to respond to crisis and promote self-efficacy.
While practicing social distancing and staying home, now more than ever we must practice proper storage of medications and other substances to protect our youth!
#upandaway
”Approximately 60,000 young children are brought to the emergency room each year because they got into medicines that were left within reach.”
Learn more about the Up&Away Campaign and how to take action!
About Strengthening Flint Families
Strengthening Flint Families is comprised of three behavioral health interventions:
Individual level: Peer Recovery Coaches (PRCs): We are working to strengthen a network of local Peer Recovery Coaches as well as increase access to and awareness of Peer Recovery Coaching services in Flint.
Family level: Strengthening Families Program (SFP): We are working to expand this program throughout the Flint Community by establishing referral, host, and adopter sites.
- Referral sites are organizations that refer families to the program.
- Host sites are organizations that have the space to host the program, but do not have trained staff to deliver the program.
- Adopter sites are organizations that have the space, trained staff, and funding to fully adopt the program at their organization.
If your organization is interested in becoming a referral, host, or adopter site, please contact Leah Maschino at maschino@msu.edu.
Community-level: Multi-Media Campaign: We will promote the availability of Peer Recovery Coaching services and the Strengthening Families Program in Flint via social media, bus bench ads, flyers, and on the Community Playlist radio station. We will also work to reduce the stigma around accessing these types of services and programs in Flint.
What are Peer Recovery Support Services /Peer Recovery Coaches (PRCs)?
Peer recovery support services are delivered by certified Peer Recovery Coaches (PRCs), individuals that have experienced substance use disorder and are currently in recovery (SAMHSA, 2009). The goal of peer recovery support is to use the experience and skills of peers who have been successful in the recovery process to assist individuals seeking to achieve or sustain recovery.
- Evidence-based approach that assigns a peer recovery coach to community members in substance use treatment for support during and after treatment.
- Coaches will typically be existing staff or volunteers within the organization and will be trained as a group, with semi-annual training provided for new staff.
- Coaches are required to have a minimum of two years sustained recovery, 500 hours of work at a substance use treatment or prevention program, and complete specialized education and testing.
Additional Resources on Peer Recovery Coaching
What is the Strengthening Families Program (SFP)?
The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is an evidence-based family prevention program for all families with children between the ages of 10-14. This program consists of 7 interactive sessions and is taught to 5-10 families meeting once per week, with sessions typically offered in the evenings. A free family-style dinner is provided at the beginning of each session and free childcare is provided for families who also have children under age ten.
- Evidence-based family sessions emphasizing parenting skills, children’s social skills, and family life skills.
- Culturally sensitive to multi-ethnic families who live in urban or rural areas and are appropriate for individuals and families of all educational levels.
- Parents and children participate and learn skills, both separately and together.
- Effective for improving parent, child, and adolescent behavioral health outcomes as well as substance use prevention.
Additional Resources on the Strengthening Families Program
Make a referral to the Strengthening Families Program:
Submit the electronic referral form
What is the Community Playlist?
The Community Playlist with Kristen Senters Young interviews community members to learn about and promote their projects, products, and services with the Flint Community and help us build a playlist that reflects the depth and variety of those who live, work, and play within the ten mile range that covers Flint and its edges. Individual shows are comprised of 4 – 5 interview blocks interspersed with a guest chosen song list of 7 -10 songs.
Check out the Community Playlist on SoundCloud!
Strengthening Flint Families Team
Academic Principal Investigator: Debra Furr-Holden, PhD
Academic Co-Principal Investigator: Sarah Stoddard, PhD
Community Principal Investigator: Kristen Senters Young, MA
Co-Investigator: Julia Felton, PhD
Project Coordinator: Leah Maschino, MPH
Research Staff: Barrett Montgomery