Parenting Education Program (PEP) – Educating Pregnant and Parenting Teens about Family Violence
Offering a comprehensive approach to a complicated issue, this program addresses the cycle of abuse and provides intervention and prevention services to pregnant and parenting teens. Understanding that learning styles differ from person to person, groups are interactive and multifaceted, including role playing, writing, videos and physical activities. Partnerships with area public schools enable SafeHaven (SH) to conduct this 6 session workshop. Through ongoing educational and therapeutic support, teens gain understanding of the cycle and dynamics of abuse. With the assistance of agency staff, teens are equipped with practical, emotional and physical tools needed to secure a life free from violence.
Initial educational program components assist teens in assessing their relationships, determining the existence of, or the potential for, abuse, and providing information about child abuse prevention. Not only does this program encourage young mothers to evaluate dating relationships, but family lives as well. As part of PEP, teen mothers develop safety plans and are provided with resources to help them obtain violent-free lifestyles. If she is being abused in her current home environment, staff assists the teen in determining a safer place to live. This often leads to linking her with SH’s wide variety of services, including access to emergency shelter, civil legal advocacy and counseling.
As these teens often attend school with their abusers, SH has developed an in depth partnership with these institutions. Principals, counselors and teachers attend educational programs provided by SH. These programs assist school personnel in understanding the dynamics of dating violence and available intervention services. School personnel assist the teenaged victims with safety plans including rearranging schedules so victims and abusers do not cross paths and developing a code (a word or phrase) so victims can alert school personnel of possible threatening situations.
About You
Location
Project Street Address
Project City
Project Province/State
Project Postal/Zip Code
Project Country
Your idea
Focus of activity
Education
Year the initiative began
2000
Position your initiative on the mosaic of solutions
Which of these barriers is the primary focus of your work?
Insensitive & Unresponsive Systems
Which of the insights is the primary focus of your work?
Create Paths to Prevention or Remediation
If you believe some other barrier or insight should be included in the mosaic, please describe it and how it would affect the positioning of your initiative in the mosaic
Name Your Project
Parenting Education Program (PEP) – Educating Pregnant and Parenting Teens about Family Violence
Describe Your Idea
Offering a comprehensive approach to a complicated issue, this program addresses the cycle of abuse and provides intervention and prevention services to pregnant and parenting teens. Understanding that learning styles differ from person to person, groups are interactive and multifaceted, including role playing, writing, videos and physical activities. Partnerships with area public schools enable SafeHaven (SH) to conduct this 6 session workshop. Through ongoing educational and therapeutic support, teens gain understanding of the cycle and dynamics of abuse. With the assistance of agency staff, teens are equipped with practical, emotional and physical tools needed to secure a life free from violence.
Initial educational program components assist teens in assessing their relationships, determining the existence of, or the potential for, abuse, and providing information about child abuse prevention. Not only does this program encourage young mothers to evaluate dating relationships, but family lives as well. As part of PEP, teen mothers develop safety plans and are provided with resources to help them obtain violent-free lifestyles. If she is being abused in her current home environment, staff assists the teen in determining a safer place to live. This often leads to linking her with SH’s wide variety of services, including access to emergency shelter, civil legal advocacy and counseling.
As these teens often attend school with their abusers, SH has developed an in depth partnership with these institutions. Principals, counselors and teachers attend educational programs provided by SH. These programs assist school personnel in understanding the dynamics of dating violence and available intervention services. School personnel assist the teenaged victims with safety plans including rearranging schedules so victims and abusers do not cross paths and developing a code (a word or phrase) so victims can alert school personnel of possible threatening situations.
Innovation
Description of Initiative
Offering a comprehensive approach to a complicated issue, this program addresses the cycle of abuse and provides intervention and prevention services to pregnant and parenting teens. Understanding that learning styles differ from person to person, groups are interactive and multifaceted, including role playing, writing, videos and physical activities. Partnerships with area public schools enable SafeHaven (SH) to conduct this 6 session workshop. Through ongoing educational and therapeutic support, teens gain understanding of the cycle and dynamics of abuse. With the assistance of agency staff, teens are equipped with practical, emotional and physical tools needed to secure a life free from violence.
Initial educational program components assist teens in assessing their relationships, determining the existence of, or the potential for, abuse, and providing information about child abuse prevention. Not only does this program encourage young mothers to evaluate dating relationships, but family lives as well. As part of PEP, teen mothers develop safety plans and are provided with resources to help them obtain violent-free lifestyles. If she is being abused in her current home environment, staff assists the teen in determining a safer place to live. This often leads to linking her with SH’s wide variety of services, including access to emergency shelter, civil legal advocacy and counseling.
As these teens often attend school with their abusers, SH has developed an in depth partnership with these institutions. Principals, counselors and teachers attend educational programs provided by SH. These programs assist school personnel in understanding the dynamics of dating violence and available intervention services. School personnel assist the teenaged victims with safety plans including rearranging schedules so victims and abusers do not cross paths and developing a code (a word or phrase) so victims can alert school personnel of possible threatening situations.
Innovation
In order to effectively reach the teenaged population targeted by PEP, SH has adopted a variety of teaching techniques. Specifically toward PEP, SH seeks to educate this audience as well as provide therapeutic services to victims. By responding to domestic violence with prevention and intervention services, the agency provides a comprehensive approach and effectively assists teens in understanding the dynamics of domestic violence and the steps needed to maintain a life free from violence. SH addresses all aspects of family violence with the participants including possible abuse in their family life, past and current relationships as well as child abuse prevention. Regardless of age, pregnant and parenting teens are emancipated within the state of Texas. Because of this, SH is able to offer additional services including emergency shelter, counseling, and legal advocacy to the teens without the adult parents’ consent. In order to provide adequate services to Tarrant County’s growing Hispanic population all services are provided in Spanish as well. All of SH’s services are provided free of charge.
Delivery Model
In partnership with public schools, SH is able to provide PEP to the community. Through this program, services are not only provided to teens, but school personnel are educated on the dynamics of domestic violence. This information enables educators to recognize warning signs of potential abuse and to become an integral part of assistance to victims. Additional partnerships with churches and subsidized daycares enable SH to provide expanded supportive services (i.e. diapers, formula, baby accessories, and childcare). Providing comprehensive service plans is essential to assist young families develop safe, healthy environments to raise children.
To communicate the vital need for PEP, SH provides a wide range of communication mechanisms. Public service announcements and the agency’s newsletter and website (www.safehaventc.org) inform the community at large of the services available. Written correspondence to educational facilities informs school personnel of services available. The impact of these mechanisms are measured by the number of presentations scheduled and number of calls inquiring about SH’s services following presentations.
Key Operational Partnerships
SafeHaven of Tarrant County understands that partnerships within the community create effective programs. Primarily, the agency partners with area schools in order to provide services directly to teenagers. In addition, schools provide space in which to hold workshops. Partnerships with subsidized daycare facilities, pregnancy centers and churches enable SH to provide referral sources to clients needing additional supportive services.
Impact
Financial Model
Due to public and private funding support, SH is able to provide PEP and related services free of charge to the community.
What percentage, if any, of the total operating costs does earned income (from products, services, or other fees) represent?
0
How is the initiative financed? Is it financially self-sustainable or profitable? How much do beneficiaries contribute?
PEP is funded through private and public support. The Criminal Justice Division and United Way provide a large portion of the funding. Additional funding is provided through private foundations and public support. Because of community support, there is no charge to the clients for this program or related services (i.e. emergency, legal advocacy and counseling).
Effectiveness
SH has provided PEP to over 1,200 teenaged pregnant and parenting teens in the past six years. Through this program sensitivity to domestic violence within area schools has increased. Schools partner with SH to provide educational opportunities to victims. Oftentimes this includes helping students recognize the potential for abuse, rearranging victims’ schedules to eliminate the risk of contact with their abusers within the school, and developing some type of code so victims can alert school officials of threatening situations.
How many people have benefited from your program over the last year? Which element of the program proved itself most effective?
Last year, SH provided PEP to approximately 200 pregnant and parenting teens. 97% of program participants indicated satisfaction with the program based on a five point Likert scale, a type of psychometric scale. Helping to break the generational cycle of violence, the most effective component of the program is educating teens on child abuse prevention and parenting skills. Equipped with practical tools for raising children, young parents have the ability to provide healthy, positive environments for their families.
Scaling up Strategy
1) Pregnant and parenting teens living in rural areas are at higher risk of dating violence because of limited education and resources. In order to assist this demographic, SH will concentrate a greater effort in rural communities and school districts.
2) In order to respond to the rapid growth of the Hispanic population within the community, it is necessary for SH to increase bilingual services. Hiring an additional teen victim advocate would ensure a greater number of victims are supplied with necessary intervention and prevention services.
3) In addition, SH will expand services by offering intervention and prevention programs to abusive teens. With early intervention, abusive teens can develop anger management and coping skills necessary to develop peaceful lives.
Stage of the Initiative
2
Origin of the Initiative
In response to overwhelming outcries from victims, teachers and counselors, SH developed PEP. Understanding that this group of teens brought many complicated issues with them (i.e. past history of abuse, welfare needs, and lack of experience), SH sought to aggressively tackle the problem with comprehensive services. By offering alternatives and supportive services, pregnant and parenting teens have the opportunity for change and a greater sense of self-worth.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
How did you hear about this contest and what is your main incentive to participate?
SH heard about this contest through the Family Violence Prevention Fund.
The main incentive of SH’s participation in this contest is to communicate services provided by the agency. Through this communication other service providers can replicate and enhance their services.
Main Obstacles to Scaling Up
1) Because school personnel are reluctant to discuss family violence issues within the school system, developing new partnerships is difficult. This is especially true within the rural communities where access to information and services is limited.
2) Due to the delicate nature of the topics discussed, PEP is an optional program held within the schools. Each session is held during non-academic periods of the day (i.e. before or after school or during study periods). If this were a mandatory program for pregnant and parenting students, a larger number would have greater of victims would have greater access to prevention and intervention services.
Main Financial Challenges
1) While SH provides intensive supportive services to victims at no charge, lack of financial resources for the victim makes it difficult for them to obtain transportation, groceries, childcare supplies, daycare, and medical assistance. Any amount of funding to assist victims in these areas will enable SH to provide one-time or on-going support.
2) In order to scale up, SH needs additional funding for another full time employee, specifically a bilingual, multicultural teen victim advocate. The cost of a teen victim advocate is approximately $30,000/year.
In order to provide a wide range of services, SH approaches many different sources for funding support. Understanding that government funds are diminishing, SH will become increasingly more dependent on foundations and social investors.
Main Partnership Challenges
School personnel are reluctant to discuss family violence issues within the school system. They often see it as a “Pandora’s Box” or a service that should be provided outside of the normal school operating hours. Since students spend a large portion of their days within the school environment, it is imperative that educators become more aware and proactive when it comes to recognizing potential and existence of abuse. While SH has been successful in informing educators of the vital need for their involvement within participating schools, struggles exist within new partnerships.
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