Description: Familia Adelante (FA) consists of twelve English or Spanish language, 90-minute modules for at-risk youth (age 10-14) and their parents. Trained promotoras or other paraprofessionals can become certified facilitators of the FA program.
Familia Adelante addresses the impact of acculturative stress on Latino communities and equips Latino-serving organizations with a psycho-educational curriculum that helps Latino families manage negative behavioral outcomes associated with stress exposure. The curriculum educates high-risk Latino youth, ages 10-14 and their families in family and peer communication, substance abuse prevention, HIV knowledge and perceptions of harm about high-risk behavior, and positive school bonding and behavior.
Familia Adelante has been effective in reducing family stress, reducing youth behavior problems, enhancing academic achievement and psychosocial coping, and decreasing substance use patterns in Hispanic youth as evidenced through multiple studies.
Population of focus: Latino youth aged 10-14 years
Setting: Community health center, community center
Level of focus: Individual, Family
Background: Latinos are expected to reach one quarter of the U.S population by the year 2050, and are at a disproportionate risk for negative behavioral health outcomes such as substance use and alcoholism, sexually transmitted illnesses such as HIV, and mental health concerns. With this knowledge, researchers have developed a behavioral health intervention that focuses on culturally based risk factors within the Latino community.
Resources: Factsheet on Familia Adelante in English and Spanish (pdf)
Contact Information:
Richard Cervantes, Ph.D.
Developer, Familia Adelante Program
bassessment@aol.com
familiaadelante.com
310-505-5913