POSITIVE ACTION FAMILY PROGRAM
OVERVIEW
Positive Action is a seven-session program geared toward teaching members of a family to relate to one another in a positive way. The program's philosophy is, "You feel good about yourself when you do positive actions, and there is always a positive way to do everything." The program is recommended for families who are at-risk or who are court ordered to attend a family program. The program's goals are to improve social skills, teach family management skills, increase time parents spend with children, decrease family conflict, and provide positive role models for children. This pilot study randomly assigned families to receive the intervention or to a wait-list control group. At post-test, increased family cohesion, decreased family conflict, and increased parent-child bonding were found.
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM
Target Population: at-risk families needing training in positive family behavior.
The classroom portion of the intervention has seven sessions. Families are in separate rooms for the first half of each session. During sessions, families learn the "Thoughts-Actions-Feelings Circle" philosophy. This says that positive thoughts lead to positive actions, positive actions lead to positive feelings about oneself, and positive feelings lead back to more positive actions. After covering this philosophy, the family members learn the basics of one of the units. In the second half of the session, the groups come together to review and participate in an activity as a family.
Families receive a kit (which can be ordered online through the Positive Action website for $460 for an order containing materials for four or five people, and some kits cost less for families with younger children) with a manual containing 15-minute lessons. There are six lessons for each of six units and then six for review. There are colorful materials included as well such as an ICU Box (for I see you doing something positive), cards with a word of the week, plans for conflict resolution, games, posters, and songs.
The six units are (1) self-concept, (2) physical and intellectual positive actions for a healthy body and mind, (3) positive actions for managing yourself responsibly, (4) positive actions for getting along with others by treating them the way you like to be treated, (5) positive actions for being honest with yourself and others, and (6) positive actions for improving yourself continually.
There are two models, the intensive model and the extensive model. The program evaluated below is the intensive model, which has seven sessions over seven weeks. The extensive model has seven sessions over 36 weeks. The school kits have six units and the family kit has seven lessons/sessions.
Training for the program ranges in cost from $600 to $800 per day (depending on trainer), plus travel expenses
EVALUATION OF PROGRAM:
Flay, B. R. 2007. The Positive Action Family Program: A Pilot Randomized Trial and Replication. Unpublished Manuscript. Oregon State University.
Evaluated Population: 29 families in rural Utah who were court-mandated to attend a family program.
Approach: Families were randomly assigned to the control or treatment. About one-third (N=11) of the families were randomly assigned to the control condition, and completed the program after the initial study. Family conflict, family functioning, family cohesion, and parent-child bonding were measured before the program began and then at the end of the program (seven weeks later).
Results: Families in the Positive Action group experienced significantly more change at the post-test on family conflict, family cohesion, and parent-child bonding. For family conflict, the intervention group experienced significantly less conflict compared with the control group, and the effect size was 0.36. For family cohesion, the intervention group reported more cohesiveness, and the effect size was 0.34. The intervention group also reported more parent-child bonding, with an effect size of 0.59.
Website: http://www.positiveaction.net/
Physical Address:
Positive Action,
Inc.
264 4th Ave. S.
Twin Falls, ID 83301
E-mail:
info@positiveaction.net
Phone: 800-345-2974
Select extention 1 to speak to a Sales and Customer Service
Consultant, 2 to talk about an existing order, or 3 for billing
Fax: 208-733-1590
References:
Flay, B. R. 2007. The Positive Action Family Program: A Pilot Randomized Trial and Replication. Unpublished Manuscript. Oregon State University.
Program categorized in this guide according to the following:
Program components: counseling/therapy; parent or family component
Measured outcomes: social and emotional health
KEYWORDS: Early Childhood (0-5), Middle Childhood (6-11), Adolescence (12-17), Young Adulthood (17-24), Social/Emotional Health and Development, Skills Training, Life Skills Training, High-Risk, Community-Based, Family Therapy, Rural and/or Frontier, Family Conflict, Parent-management Skills, Conflict Resolution Skills, Problem-Solving Skills.
Program information last updated 5/21/09