Explore CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program

Recommended Process for Reviewing, Selecting and Implementing theCLFC Marriage Enhancement Program

 The following narrative describes the process before, during and after implementation of the Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) Marriage Enhancement Program, including information on evaluation support and technical assistance.

Before Implementation

Interested persons are encouraged to explore the information on materials and training for the Creating Lasting Family Connections (CLFC) Marriage Enhancement Program previously listed on SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices website (www.nrepp.samhsa.gov), the COPES, Inc. website (www.copes.org) and the RFN website (www.myresilientfuturesnetwork.com). Next, interested persons contact the CLFC Program Developer or National Training Director using the contact information below to further explore the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program and related implementation training and materials.

During this exploratory call, the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Developer or National Training Director facilitates a series of screening questions designed to help the interested party discover the appropriateness of the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program in the context of the agency’s intended work. The following checklist outlines the major topical areas to be reviewed:

• Administrator awareness, investment and institutional support
• Appropriateness of systemic interface (i.e. congruent philosophy and/or mission, feasible access to serving recruited groups of 8 to 30 participants in a closed group training design)
• Logistical capability (i.e., There is a clean, safe meeting room large enough to comfortably accommodate 4 to 15 participating adult couples plus two facilitators and all necessary training materials for up to 8, two-hour training sessions or a weekend retreat, etc.)
• Budgetary capability (i.e., resources available to purchase all required materials and training, support staff, etc.)
• Cultural fit for intended population served or to be served (i.e., couples who may have one or both partners in recovery for substance abuse, incarcerated or reentering the community after a period of incarceration, military service or any other form of physical or emotional separation.)
• Established domestic violence and child maltreatment policies and procedures
• Awareness and understanding of confidentiality and HIPPA rules and regulations
• Management staff and facilitators committed to fidelity implementation of the program
• Management staff and facilitators interested in developer-involved adaptation of program
• Prior experience using evidence-based interventions
• Qualified implementers (i.e. caring, outgoing, nonjudgmental attitude, accepting, tolerant of differing viewpoints, public speaking experience, group facilitation experience, empathy, willingness to strive for influence vs. control, willing to use the “buffet or take what you want, leave the rest” approach to facilitation, supports differing learning styles, culturally sensitive, approachable, knowledge of substance abuse and family dynamics, knowledge of local service providers and capable of making appropriate referrals)
• Motivated implementers
• Openness and ability to maintain ongoing communications/interactions with CLFC Marriage Enhancement Developer and/or National Training Director

If both the interested party and the CLFC Program Developer or National Training Director perceive the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program to be an appropriate fit, then the next step is conducting a thorough review of the program materials.

Conduct Review of Required and Optional Implementation Materials

It is strongly recommended that those interested in implementing the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program review all required and all optional materials prior to attending the required CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Implementation Training.

Required materials include: (1) One trainer manual for the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program module;(2) A set of 24 participant notebooks for the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program; (3) A copy of the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Fidelity Package; and (4) The CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Retrospective Survey Kit for process evaluation and quality improvement.

Optional but strongly recommended materials include: (1) A copy of the CLFC Secrets to Successful Facilitation and (2) The CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Survey Kit for Outcome Evaluation.

Interested parties have the option to order and review a complete CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program package (containing all required and optional materials outlined above) for up to 30 days. The complete package can be returned within 30 days for a full refund. Materials returned within 30 days that are received by Resilient Futures Network (RFN), LLC in what they find in their sole discretion to be in “New”, resalable condition may be credited back to the purchaser’s account.

CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Implementation Training

Next, interested persons attend and complete the required 3-5-day CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Implementation Training. The training is designed to be highly interactive with multiple opportunities for hands-on practice of exercises and activities outlined in the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program. Attendees will be asked to demonstrate key implementation skills such as: comprehension of CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program content and philosophy, integration of knowledge and skills, effective communication of content to others and effective facilitator techniques (i.e. leading group discussions and brainstorms, handling challenging participants, etc.). During the training, both the trainers and trainees will examine the characteristics of an effective CLFC facilitator (i.e. caring, outgoing, nonjudgmental attitude, accepting, tolerant of differing viewpoints, empathy, willingness to strive for influence vs. control, culturally sensitive, approachable, etc.). Anyone receiving our standard CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Implementation Training course (exposure to 90% or more of the training content and who also demonstrates integration of knowledge and skills) receives CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Implementation Trainer Certification and up to ten hours (agency total) of technical assistance (by telephone) with implementation issues for up to one year. Additional consultation is available for an additional cost. Please see the “CLFC Certification Training” section of the COPES website or contact the CLFC Program Developer or National Training Director for more details about trainings for the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Family Reintegration.

During Implementation

Next, Certified CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Implementation Trainers recruit participants and implement the program in their local communities. Prior to the each session of the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program, trainersuse the trainer manual, notebooks and CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Fidelity Package to create a detailed plan of presenting session material with fidelity. Trainers are strongly encouraged to also use the optional CLFC Secrets to Successful Facilitation book as a supplementary resource for planning. The CLFC Secrets to Successful Facilitation book covers a wide range of topics including room selection and set up, the multiple facilitator roles and responsibilities, group dynamics, crafting culturally sensitive anecdotes and illustrations, effective responses to challenging or inappropriate participant interactions and situations, and more!

During the actual sessions, trainers use the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program manual and notebooks. After each program session, trainers use the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Fidelity Package to track and maintain fidelity implementation. Management staff can also use information and forms found in the Fidelity Package to document services and to supervise line staff. Since referral capability and/or case management is a critical component of the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program, trainers are strongly encouraged to understand how to assess and link participants to additional support services in the community.

After Implementation

After successful implementation of the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program, verified by results from the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Survey Kit for Outcome Evaluation and/or the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Retrospective Survey Kit, certified CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program trainers become eligible for CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Master Trainer Certification. Master Trainer Certification is a 5-day course that enables certified trainers to train other professionals or volunteers within their own organization to implement the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program. For more information, interested persons are encouraged to see the “CLFC Certification Training” section of the COPES website and/or to call the CLFC Program Developer or National Training Director.

Evaluation

Administrators and/or trainers may use the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Survey Kit for Outcome Evaluation and CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program: Retrospective Survey Kit prior to, during and/or after the implementation to collect data for researching the effectiveness of implementation and for continuous quality improvement. Guidelines for managing the surveys are included in the kits. Technical assistance for evaluation may be provided by COPES, Inc., Resilient Futures Network, LLC or the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE). For more information and a cost estimate of available services, interested persons contact Ted N. Strader, CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Developer, at (502) 583-6820 or by email at tstrader@sprynet.com, or contact David Collins, PhD at (502) 634-3694 or by email at Collins@pire.org.

Technical Assistance and Consultation

Individuals and/or agencies who purchase the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Implementation Training automatically receive up to 10 hours of technical assistance by phone for implementation issues over the course of up to 1 year. Additional consultation is available at an additional cost.

 If you are interested in purchasing the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program, CLICK HERE.