TRAINING

Training of SFP group leaders by SFP-certified trainers and technical assistance for implementation, including evaluation, is coordinated by LutraGroup SP. Contact Dr. Henry O. Whiteside, Managing Partner, (801) 583-4601 or hwhiteside@lutragroup.com.

Fees are $3,650 for a two-day SFP group leader training for up to 35 trainees. Reduced fees for smaller groups are available in some circumstances. The training fee includes one copy of the SFP master set of course materials on CD and limited site license to reproduce unlimited copies for the agency's own use. Two trainers' travel expenses, lodging, and per diem of $35 are reimbursable in addition to the training fee. SFP training teams typically include a woman and a man and reflect the ethnicity of the trainees and families to be served. Training in the United States is available in English and in Spanish, but only SFP6-11 Parent Handouts are currently available in Spanish. The training fee includes some technical assistance in implementation.

Opportunities to qualify as SFP trainers (qualified and authorized to train group leaders to deliver SFP to clients) are also periodically available

Minimum staffing to implement SFP requires five trained staff: two group leaders for the parents, two for children or teens, and a site coordinator. If your budget is limited and the number to be trained is small, you may be able to send your trainees to a training already scheduled to be hosted by another agency. LutraGroup will help you locate other trainings, but the terms and costs are negotiated directly with the host agency. Finding a training in your region to meet your schedule is often difficult, however, and travel costs for trainees often more than offset cost savings of joining another training.

SFP group leader trainings include both instruction and participation by trainees and include:

  • Conceptual basis and origins of SFP
  • Overall structure and operation of SFP
  • Overview of the parent, child, and family curriculums
  • Learning "Child's Game" and "Parent's Game" in SFP3-5 and SFP6-11 and “Our Time” and “Clear Directions in SFP12-16
  • Simulation experience delivering sessions from parent, child, and family courses
  • Recruiting and retaining families and decreasing attrition
  • Administering evaluation instruments
  • Dealing with ethical and legal problems; handling crisis; providing referrals
  • Group leading skills

Evaluation of SFP implementations offered through LutraGroup SP is comprehensive, normed against a national data base, and extremely cost-competitive. All evaluations are supervised by the program developer and data is entered, analyzed and evaluated by staff at the Strengthening Families Program national office. A follow-up on-site visit once implementation has begun is often helpful in assuring fidelity and program effectiveness. See Evaluation for more detail and Request for Evaluation Cost Estimate form.