Positive Family Support intervention: A three-tiered public health delivery model for middle schools.

Initiative Description:

Universal level intervention elements: 1.Each school established an FRC as a base of operations from which trained school personnel can disseminate evidence-based parenting information, such as brochures, books, worksheets, and videos. These materials offer parents approaches to problem solving, improving home–school communication, encouragement, supervision, setting limits. 2. Family–school partnerships were promoted through parent outreach activities 3. A schoolwide multiple-gating system was implemented to facilitate early detection of problems and efficient referral to more intensive support as needed

Second tier: At the second tier of the program, schools were trained to implement an enhanced version of the Check-In/Check-Out system which includes a family incentive component to promote student behavioral change at school.

Third tier: more intensive support for high-risk students or those for whom selected-level supports were unsuccessful. Intervention is delivered via the FCU, which included 2 brief, family-centered sessions to motivate parents to change parenting practices and use intervention services that address their specific needs.

Study Results: Students reported improvement in their peers’ positive involvement in school emerged as the only potentially significant Time × Condition effect

Reference: Smolkowski, K., Seeley, J. R., Gau, J. M., Dishion, T. J., Stormshak, E. A., Moore, K. J., & … Garbacz, S. A. (2017). Effectiveness evaluation of the Positive Family Support intervention: A three-tiered public health delivery model for middle schools. Journal Of School Psychology, 62103-125. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2017.03.004

Level of Evidence: Very Good