Feasibility of Connecting, a Substance-Abuse Prevention Program for Foster Teens and their Caregivers

Abstract

Objective To test the feasibility, usability, and proximal outcomes of Connecting, an adaptation of a low-cost, self-directed, family-based substance use prevention program, Staying Connected with Your Teen, with foster families in a randomized, waitlist control pilot study. Method Families (n = 60) fostering teens between 11 and 15 years of age were recruited into the study and randomly assigned into the self-administered program with telephone support from a family consultant (n = 32) or a waitlist control condition (n = 28). Results Overall satisfaction with the program was high, with 100% of parents reporting they would recommend the program to other caregivers and reporting being “very satisfied” or “satisfied with the program. Program completion was good, with 62% of families completing all 91 specified tasks. Analyses of proximal outcomes revealed increased communication about sex and substance use (posttest1 OR = 1.97, and 2.03, respectively). Teens in the intervention vs. the waitlist condition reported lower family conflict (OR=.48), and more family rules related to monitoring (OR = 4.02) and media use (OR = 3.24). Caregivers in the waitlist group reported significant increases in the teen’s positive involvements (partial eta sq = 17% increase) after receiving the intervention. Conclusions Overall, program participation appeared to lead to stronger family management, better communication between teens and caregivers around monitoring and media use, teen participation in setting family rules, and decreased teen attitudes favorable to antisocial behavior. This small pilot study shows promising results for this adapted program.

Two-Year Risk Behavior Outcomes from Connecting, a Prevention Program for Caregivers and Youth in Foster Care

“…Given the lack of evidence-based prevention programs to address higher levels of risk behaviors among teens in foster care compared to teens in general, it is important to develop and test interventions specifically designed to support caregivers and youth in foster care that address the risk and protective factors associated with health risking behaviors such as substance use, delinquency, and adolescent sexual activity. Consistent with the social development model and earlier findings (Haggerty et al, 2016 , 2021 ), we hypothesized that Connecting would lead to a reduction in the youths’ involvement in high-risk behaviors. To that end, we tested the efficacy of a family-focused prevention program adapted from a universal prevention program based on the social development model which has been previously shown to reduce substance use, violent delinquency, and sexual initiation among adolescents.…”

“…This suggests that the developmental timing of a self-directed, family-focused preventive intervention for caregivers of youth in foster care may have a stronger impact on risk behaviors that typically emerge in later adolescence as exposure to higher risks becomes more prevalent. Our previous work (Haggerty et al, 2016 ) has demonstrated that about half the caregivers refer back to the program materials over the course of time, suggesting ongoing use of the materials may be useful as environments become more risky. Thus, the availability of relevant, self-directed parenting guidance for foster caregivers caring for teens may be beneficial for reducing overall later risk-taking behaviors.…”

“…The current study is a randomized controlled trial of the Connecting program in which we examine program effects on health risk behaviors related to substance use, delinquency, and sexual activity at 12-month follow-up (12-FU) and 24-month follow-up (24-FU). Studies of the Connecting program—including a small, randomized, waitlist control pilot study (Haggerty et al, 2016 )—and posttest results from this current randomized trial (Haggerty et al ( 2021 ) have demonstrated a positive impact on preventing substance use and other risky behaviors. Building on these promising results, we hypothesized that at 24-FU, adolescents in the Connecting intervention would report lower substance use initiation; prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drug use; and less delinquency and sexual activity.…”

“…To address the need for parenting programs tailored to support the needs of adolescents in foster care that are easy to use, affordable, and evidence based, we developed Connecting . Connecting was adapted for youth in foster care and their caregivers (Barkan et al, 2014 ; Haggerty et al, 2016 ; Storer et al, 2012 ), using the ADAPT-ITT framework (Wingood & DiClemente, 2008 ), from an existing universal parenting program with evidence for preventing risky behaviors in adolescence, Staying Connected with Your Teen ( STC ; Haggerty et al, 2007 ).…”

Parentalidad y prevención de consumo de drogas: Estado de la cuestión y retos de futuro

“…UU. El estudio del programa entre los niños en familias de acogida ha indicado el impacto positivo del programa Staying Connected with Your Teen®, en términos de una gestión familiar más sólida, una mejor comunicación entre los padres y el niño adolescente, una mayor participación de los adolescentes en el establecimiento de reglas familiares, y una disminución en las actitudes positivas de los adolescentes hacia el comportamiento antisocial (Haggerty, Barkan, Skinner, Packard, & Cole, 2016).…”