Strengthening Families Program renews relationships between parents and teens

The dinner table sits in the heart of the home, creating a common gathering place for meals, discussions, homework sessions and board game nights.

Yet, with the distractions of phones and divisions created by busy schedules, a family meal today might only be found in a Norman Rockwell painting.

Families have lost the “art of communicating around the dinner table,” said Janice Justice, executive director of Comprehensive Juvenile Services, Inc. (CJS).

Aiming to restore connection for families, CJS hosts the Strengthening Families Program, designed to teach households skills to renew relationships, set clear boundaries and monitor their children’s well-being and activities.

CJS started hosting the free program in 2019, which was created by psychologist Karol L. Kumpfer in 1982. The evidence-based program was designed to support at-risk teens and families.

Belinda Scott, assistant director of Comprehensive Juvenile Services, Inc. and site coordinator for the Strengthening Families Program, said, “Any teenager is appropriate for the Strengthening Families Program because all teens are at-risk or exposed to some factors within school, within the home.”

Families are referred to the program through juvenile courts, direct service workers, probation officers and community agencies that serve families.

Before diving into each week's topic, families sit around the table and share a meal, with food provided by Antioch for Youth & Family founder Charolette Tidwell.

Justice said the program encourages conversations by asking families to put away their phones during the meal and group sessions.

Scott described how the session divides into teen and parent groups for discussions led by trained coaches before coming together to practice the different life skills as a family unit.

“It really helps when the parents and teens are separate because they have time to talk amongst themselves, amongst peers, kind of like a support group for one another,” Scott said.

Justice later added, “It’s helpful for the parents to know that there are other parents who are going through the same thing they are.”

Each lesson breaks down communication and relationship building into actionable steps.

Scott said that lesson one focuses on compliments “because it’s one thing for someone to give, but a lot of people don’t know how to receive a compliment.”

“We also have a family tree activity … where the family lists on the family tree the strengths of each of the family members within their home,” Scott said.

Through the course of the 11-week program, families cover a variety of topics including problem-solving, stress and anger management, and keeping kids drug and alcohol-free.

Over the past two years, the program has weathered the coronavirus pandemic, which has impacted its attendance numbers and required a larger space for the group to meet.

Local organizations have opened their doors for the sessions including First Presbyterian Church, St. James Missionary Baptist Church and Central Christian Church in Fort Smith, Bethlehem Free Will Baptist Church in Van Buren, and the Crawford County Adult Education Center.

More than 60 families have completed the program so far, Scott said, most of whom have found the sessions helpful and supportive.

“The support the teens have amongst themselves, the parents amongst themselves, as well as the coaching from the coaches I think really helps,” Scott said. “And having the weekly incentives … also the free meal, just the bonding time to come together as a family. It’s really encouraging to actually witness and see.”

How to support the program

To continue serving families, CJS is looking for more volunteers to help provide free childcare during the Strengthening Families Program sessions.

CJS is also looking for local businesses to donate door prizes for families attending the program, such as meals at restaurants, movie tickets or other family outings.

For more information, contact Belinda Scott, assistant director of Comprehensive Juvenile Services, Inc. and site coordinator for the Strengthening Families Program, at bscott@cjsinc.org or 479-474-5031.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Comprehensive Juvenile Services Inc. offers family program