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The original Creating Lasting Family Connections® Program is designed to be presented sequentially and concurrently in separate trainings for youths and their parents. Each module, however, also works effectively as a stand-alone training. While the content and emphasis of each module and each separate curriculum may vary, the following themes are repeated for the sake of emphasis: the importance of self-worth and taking control of one’s life; the importance of good communications in building healthy relationships (e.g., listening, empathy, negotiation, and cooperation); and the importance of personal responsibility (e.g. choice, cause and effect, limits, and consequences).
The modules for parent and youth are paired as follows:
1) Developing Positive Parental Influences (for parents) is paired with Developing a Positive Response (for youth)
2) Raising Resilient Youth (for parents) is paired with Developing Independence and Responsibility (for youth)
3) Getting Real (for parents) is paired with Getting Real (for Youth)
The NEW CLFC: Overcoming and Understanding Stress and Trauma Program (CLFC: OUST) is designed for general audiences, including late junior high and high school aged students, and both young and middle-aged adults in a variety of educational, health, mental health, judicial or work settings. Learn more.
COPES now also offers multiple, new and innovative Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) curriculums specifically adapted to support adults who may be 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. These new curriculums have produced statistically significant results published in Criminal Justice Policy Review, a peer-reviewed journal, and are each separately listed on SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
The Creating Lasting Family Connections® Fatherhood Program: Family Reintegration helps fathers develop the following 9 key relationship skills:
The new ABC 3(D) Approach to HIV, Hepatitis and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases Prevention module was created specifically for use with prison reentry and substance abuse recovery fathers. This optional new module is a serious, yet often humorous and candid, examination of the primary modes of transmission of HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted diseases. This training concludes with effective preventive measures to reduce or eliminate risk of infection. Healthy sexual expression is recognized, discussed and supported. During this component, it is highly recommended that participants are also offered voluntary, free, rapid, confidential and on-site HIV testing.
The Creating Lasting Family Connections® Fatherhood Program has demonstrated compelling results in supporting recovery and in reducing prison recidivism in multiple studies.
NOTE: The Creating Lasting Family Connections® Fatherhood Program can be further bolstered by serving the children of participating fathers using the Original Youth CLFC curriculum.
The Creating Lasting Family Connections® Fatherhood Program: Family Reintegration
Couples are provided the opportunity to complete exercises and practice skills specifically designed to:
The Creating Lasting Family Connections® Marriage Enhancement Program is offered in 2 Flexible Formats:
Weekend Retreat/16 hour Program
8 Session/16 hour Program
Couples may receive 16 hours of marriage and family enhancement skills over the course of one weekend in a retreat setting or 16 hours in 8 sessions over the course of 8 weeks (1.5 to 2 hour session per week).
The CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program has demonstrated compelling results
in improving the following skills for couples:
Communication skills
Conflict resolution skills
Intrapersonal skills
Emotional awareness skills
Emotional expression skills
Interpersonal skills
Relationship management
Relationship satisfaction
Relationship commitment
Getting Real and/or Developing Positive Parental Influences modules, and the Original CLFC modules for youth can be added to create a comprehensive skill development program for couples and their entire families.
The Creating Lasting Family Connections® Marriage
Enhancement Program
Institutions and organizations interested in promoting healthy youth, healthy fatherhood and motherhood, healthy marriages and healthy families, in:
Reducing substance abuse
Reducing violence
Reducing HIV transmission
Reducing prison recidivism
Reducing inappropriate, uncontrolled, unhealthy behaviors
Enhancing family strengthening skills
Enhancing recovery skills
Enhancing communication and refusal skills
Enhancing emotional awareness and expression skills
The COPES CLFC program is also featured in a book by Ted N. Strader, David Collins and Tim Noe published by Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers, 2000. This book provides a clear description of a comprehensive and multi-faceted youth substance abuse prevention program based on a demonstration program that has successfully achieved desired Alcohol and Drug outcomes in a variety of urban, suburban, and rural settings. The book examines the larger issues of how to promote healthy, happy and productive youth through active interpersonal engagement and emotional awareness.
The larger purpose of this book deals with examining the general principles that COPES has come to embrace, as well as the specific programmatic elements which it has developed that embody these principles.
All program manuals and support materials are user friendly.
One need not have a formal background in alcohol and drug prevention, psychology, counseling, or social work to put them into effective use.
All manuals offer clear, step-by-step instruction in the presentation of material to help assure successful outcomes.
The original “Creating Lasting Family Connections®” Program Package (includes all 6 training manuals, a set of 150 participant notebooks (25 for each module), 6 trainings, and 6 poster sets)
The original Creating Lasting Family Connections® is a program designed for parents and youth which offers training modules for both audiences. The program is designed to: improve communication and conflict resolution skills; build coping mechanisms to resist negative social influences; practice effective refusal skills for both parents and youth; engender self-knowledge, personal responsibility, and respect for others; and impart knowledge and understanding about the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.
All six of the individual CLFC Training Kits listed below are also available as stand-alone programs for both youth and adult audiences. Each adult and/or youth module can be completed in six 1.5 to 2 hour sessions or less.
Developing Positive Parental Influences is a training that offers interactive instruction to adults. Content includes: substance abuse and family dynamics; using personal, genetic, social and lifestyle risk factors to create a personal family prevention plan; and examination of intervention, referral and treatment models; and setting clear family standards for parents and children.
A 44-page participant workbook containing articles and illustrations.
Raising Resilient Youth is a training offering interactive instruction to adults. Content includes: knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding family management practices; communicating effective expectations; growth needs of children; managing thoughts and feelings; giving and receiving feedback; and assisting youth in making healthy choices.
A 43-page workbook containing exercises, articles and issues on effective family life, with an emphasis on assisting parents with effective family management.
Getting Real is a training offering interactive instruction to adults and youths separately and combined. Content includes a focus on refusal skills; verbal and non-verbal communication; effective communication and negotiation; effective listening; communication within the family unit; and establishing and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships.
A 23-page guide containing refusal skills content and illustrations on body language.
Developing Independence and Responsibility is a training guide offering interactive instructions to youth. Content includes: the dynamics of independence and responsibility and the importance of open and honest communication. Through role playing exercises, youth visualize themselves as growing successfully into positions of authority where they must define expectations and appropriate behaviors, and set consequences for others. Exercises in this manual have proven to increase self esteem, empathy, understanding, self-respect, and respect for parents and other authority figures.
This workbook contains articles, exercises, activities and illustrations that support a young person’s desire to learn how to succeed in gaining greater freedom through personal responsibility.
Developing a Positive Response is a training offering interactive instruction to youth. Content includes: knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about tobacco, alcohol and drugs (including marijuana); values clarification; making healthy choices; and resisting negative social pressures.
This workbook contains articles, activities, exercises and illustrations that support healthy alcohol, tobacco and other drug use decisions.
This dynamic 17 minute DVD presentation by the developers of the Award Winning Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) curriculum series for youth and parents describes how each person has a “shared”, “hidden”, and “lost” component of the self. In this presentation from the Getting Real component of the CLFC Series, Ted N. and Teresa Boyd Strader of COPES and the Resilient Futures Network outline the critical role that trust (or a lack of trust) plays in our human relationships. This presentation unravels the “safe and alone” versus the “vulnerable and intimate” paradox we each face in our relationships. Young people and adults both can learn to recognize the importance and value of finding and maintaining trusting relationships in order to learn how to honestly know one’s self. This video presentation provides an introduction to the basic CLFC theory of how to become the most interpersonally effective person you can in order to reach your fullest human potential.
(with trainer’s notes)
This 65 minute DVD production features Jonathan R. Hackley and Michele A. Kupres-Mace (two adult volunteers) in a pressure packed Getting Real role-play situation under the direction of Ted N. Strader, the primary developer of the Award Winning Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) curriculum series for youth and parents. Jonathan and Michele volunteered to be filmed without practice and without any script. Both were participants in a CLFC Implementation Training in Reading, Pennsylvania hosted by the Council on Chemical Abuse, the Community Prevention Partnership of Berks County, Inc., and the Reading Communities that Care Coalition. In this presentation Ted and Teresa Strader demonstrate and explore all six of CLFC‘s basic human defensive responses readily recognized in most cultures, when individuals are put under interpersonal pressure. Next, this video allows viewers to compare the defensive responses with the intimate and vulnerable, “Getting Real” response. Viewers are enticed into examining their own communication styles and considering the costs and benefits of Getting Real in everyday life situations. At the end of this production, Ted N. and Teresa Boyd Strader discuss effective pointers and tips with certified CLFC Implementation trainers who are interested in increasing their skills for implementing the exciting and challenging Getting Real component of the Creating Lasting Family Connections® curriculum series.
This dynamic 33 minute DVD presentation, by the developers of the Award Winning Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) curriculum series for youth and parents, explores a powerful and interesting exercise illustrating the early excitatory, depressant, and rebound stages that occur during a single episode of acute alcohol intoxication. Very few people recognize and fully understand the serious risks associated with consuming large quantities of alcohol in a single episode. This parent training presentation, taken from CLFC‘s Developing Positive Parental Influences component, clearly illustrates the risks associated with drinking games, birthday alcohol bashes, and binge drinking episodes. Many young people are exposed to situations involving pressure to participate in excessive drinking. Parents and other caring adults can benefit from knowing how to avoid the pitfalls of using scare tactics, while clearly communicating the potential for harm (including death from acute alcohol poisoning or aspiration) that can occur to the young people in their life who may be targeted for inclusion in such events. This video is designed to help adults learn how to combat the “let them sleep it off” mentality among young adults prevalent in many communities across the nation.
This 33 minute DVD presentation, of a very popular and effective exercise from the Developing Positive Parental Influences component of the Award Winning Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) curriculum series for youth and parents, illustrates how our language and a few subtle beliefs about alcohol and other drugs impact our children’s choices to use them. This video also illustrates how and why practicing, promoting and discussing natural, non-chemical means of experiencing pleasure are important tools for parents to use with their children and other young people for whom they care. Using a mixture of humor, science and personal experience, Ted N. and Teresa Boyd Strader help parents and other caring adults understand and appreciate their role in preventing alcohol tobacco and other drug abuse by using their positive influence in effective ways. This presentation validates the natural human drive for pleasure and excitement while promoting healthy productive and safe means to experience both pleasure and excitement in life without involving alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
This 37 minute DVD presentation, taken from the Developing Positive Parental Influences component of the Award Winning Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) curriculum series for youth and parents, provides a very effective illustration of how and why many people fail to recognize symptoms of alcoholism (or any form of chemical dependency) among family and friends in the early stages. This video illustrates and eliminates the doubt about a loved one’s need for alcoholism assessment or treatment. In very simple terms alcoholism and chemical dependency are clearly defined and separated from problem drinking or drug misuse. This video provides a very clear and simple definition of alcoholism for practical use by everyone. The information in this presentation can have a dramatic impact on individuals, families and community norms.
This 5 minute 30 second DVD presentation includes a variety of customer testimonials from a regionally and culturally diverse group of professionals whose agencies are implementing the exciting and comprehensive “Creating Lasting Family Connections ® Curriculum Series”.
COPES now offers multiple, new and innovative Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) curriculums specifically tailored to support adults who may be 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. These two NEW CLFC programs have produced statistically significant results published in Criminal Justice Policy Review, a peer-reviewed journal, and are in the review process of SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
The CLFC Fatherhood Program: Family Reintegration Kit (includes all 3 original adult training manuals, a set of 75 participant notebooks (25 for each original adult module), the optional new ABC 3(D) HIV, Hepatitis and Other Sexually Transmitted Prevention Trainer Manual and 25 ABC 3(D) HIV, Hepatitis and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases Prevention Notebooks for participants, 1 poster set and the Creating Lasting Family Connections® Fatherhood Program: Adaptation Guidebook. This “guide” presents trainer notes from the program developer, Ted N. Strader, and CLFC Master Trainer, Christopher Kokoski, on how to tailor implementation of the original CLFC curriculum to specifically serve fathers reintegrating into the family after periods of substance abuse, incarceration, military service or any form of physical or emotional separation).
The Creating Lasting Family Connections® Marriage Enhancement Program Package (includes the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Trainer Manual, and a set of 25 Marriage Enhancement Program participant notebooks.)
The Creating Lasting Family Connections® Marriage Enhancement Program is designed to improve the quality of life for couples involved in any serious and committed relationship. The Marriage Enhancement Program has demonstrated results in specifically enhancing a marriage when one of its members is 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. The Creating Lasting Family Connections® Marriage Enhancement Program helps both partners in a couple to develop a variety of skills married partners find useful in exploring their marriage and establishing or re-establishing a deeper sense of family harmony. Topics include marriage enrichment, respectful and effective communication, refusal and conflict resolution skills, using positive parenting techniques, and encouraging responsible and healthy family-centered attitudes, values and behaviors regarding substance abuse.
The Trainer Manual includes marriage enhancement exercise for couples specifically designed to:
Strengthen their marriage and family relationships
Develop emotional awareness and expression
Develop effective communication as a couple
Help uncover hidden motives and unwanted dynamics in relationships
Help couples learn more about themselves and their partners
Help couples recognize and meet each others deepest emotional needs
There are two different types of evaluation kits available for use with the original CLFC program. One is a sophisticated pre-post test design and includes Construct Definitions, Psychometric Properties, Analysis Guide and etc. The second one is a user-friendly Retrospective Survey Design which is post test only.
There are two different types of evaluation kits available for use with the Creating Lasting Family Connections® Fatherhood Program: Family Reintegration. One is a sophisticated pre-post, and follow up test design and includes Construct Definitions, Psychometric Properties, Analysis Guide and etc. The second one is a user-friendly Retrospective Survey Design which is post test only.
There are two different types of evaluation kits available for use with the Creating Lasting Family Connections® Marriage Enhancement Program. One is a sophisticated pre-post test design and includes Construct Definitions, Psychometric Properties, Analysis Guide and etc. The second one is a user-friendly Retrospective Survey Design which is post test only.
For the Original CLFCFidelity information, please open the dropdown list of links by clicking on the “Topics of Interest” button on the navigation bar (see gray bar at top of webpage), then click on the dropdown link titled Original CLFC Program Implementation Fidelity. A free, downloadable copy of the Fidelity Implementation Instrument is available on this page. For fidelity implementation information on the two new CLFC curriculums, please click here.
This training offers potential CLFC implementers a step-by-step guide for implementing the 5-stage CLFC community mobilization strategy. (NOTE: Provided free to participants of CLFC Implementation training) Here’s some of what you will learn:
An innovative approach to recruitment that can work in any community
The little known dangers of marketing your program to different subsections of the community — don’t do another marketing campaign until you know this information!
How to tap into natural “clusters” of people for recruitment and never worry about lack of participants again
The new CLFC ABC 3(D) Approach to HIV, Hepatitis and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases Prevention module was created specifically for use with at risk populations. This new module is a serious, yet often humorous and candid, examination of the primary modes of transmission of HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted diseases. This training concludes with effective preventive measures to reduce or eliminate risk of infection. Healthy sexual expression is recognized, discussed and supported. During this component, it is highly recommended that participants are also offered voluntary, free, rapid, confidential and on-site HIV testing.
The developer of the original Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) curriculum, Ted N. Strader, and former national trainer, Ric Stuecker, distilled over 30 years of CLFC facilitation experience into this insight-packed book to provide new and experienced trainers practical, step-by-step guidance on how to facilitate CLFC for ultimate effectiveness.
COPES, Inc. provides their highly interactive CLFC Training System through the Resilient Futures Network (RFN) to organizations, agencies, and interested parties across the nation and around the world. RFN is deeply dedicated to offering the highest standard of training experiences in implementing the nationally recognized, evidence-based curriculum, Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC).
The standard 5-day CLFC Implementation Training is offered periodically at our COPES National Office in Louisville Kentucky, and in various regional locations around the nation at a cost of $750 per person. Groups of five or more may also inquire about scheduling private or customized training sessions. Our experience has shown that many agencies (especially those training five or more staff or volunteers) prefer to have training at their own site. This often saves travel- related costs and reduces the overall training budget. Agencies can purchase on-site CLFC Implementation Training for up to 18 participating staff from the Resilient Futures Network (RFN) National Training Team at their local site for as little as $7500 plus travel and per diem. Call Teresa at 502-897-1111 to discuss availability.
Anyone receiving our standard 5-day CLFC Implementation Training course (or any Customized CLFC Implementation Training provided by COPES Inc. or Resilient Futures Network) will receive CLFC Implementation Trainer Certification and ongoing technical assistance by phone with implementation issues. Each person earning this certification will receive a printed certificate acknowledging such status. Further, COPES and the Resilient Futures Network, will maintain a National Registry of Certified CLFC Implementation Trainers on file for reference purposes. This certification enables one to train both parent and youth participants in the CLFC program. This training alone does not enable one to train other professionals to implement the CLFC program with either parents or youth. This is not a “training of trainers” certification. For those who wish to train others to implement CLFC, please see the “CLFC Certification Training” webpage for a description of Master Trainer Certification.
Customized site-based training and/or technical assistance for groups can vary in length and focus according to needs and resources. Technical assistance with CLFC evaluation is also available. Fees for CLFC Implementation Training and Consultation may vary from as little as $1500 a day (plus travel and per diem) for an associate trainer/consultant, up to a maximum of up to $2500 per day for the Curriculum Developer or National Training Director (plus travel and per diem). The custom training option often proves less expensive than the standard $750 per participant cost when an organization is training more than five CLFC facilitator/trainers. Further, this training can be specifically tailored for your organization’s special needs, and be provided at your home location.
COPES and RFN have successfully trained thousands of others to implement CLFC. Trainings have been provided to:
Schools
Social Service Organizations
Large and small prevention agencies
Recreation Centers
Drug Treatment Centers
Health Centers
Churches
Community Centers
Juvenile Justice Centers
Corrections
Fatherhood Service Centers
Marriage Enrichment Centers
Thousands of professionals and caring volunteers have already received CLFC Trainer Certification to implement all or part of this highly flexible and effective “state of the art” curriculum series listed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). Additional information about the trainings that others have found helpful includes:
Customized, in-person training to implement CLFC with fidelity and effectiveness.
Recommend for anyone interested in providing any of the Creating Lasting Family Connections® (CLFC) program modules for youth and/or parents.
Training in the use of any individual module, or any of the parent and youth companion pairs of modules can be provided in a 2 to 3 day seminar.
Training in the implementation of the original Creating Lasting Family Connections® Curriculum Set, which involves all three pairs of modules listed below, plus a special CLFC Community Mobilization Strategy, can be provided in as few as 5 days.
Implementation Trainings are also available for the following two NEW versions of the CLFC curriculum:
Creating Lasting Family Connections® Fatherhood Program: Family Reintegration
A 6-9 day Creating Lasting Family Connections® Fatherhood Program: Family Reintegration Implementation Training is required for trainers serving (or planning to serve) fathers. The estimated cost starts as low as $9,000 plus travel and per diem. Please note that the 6-day version is for those who are already certified to implement the Original CLFC Program. Anyone receiving our standard 9-day CLFC Fatherhood Program Implementation Training course (or any Customized CLFC Implementation Training provided by COPES Inc. or Resilient Futures Network) will receive CLFC Fatherhood Program Implementation Trainer Certification and ongoing technical assistance for up to one year with implementation issues. Please see the “CLFC National Training and Certification System” page for more details on implementation training.
Creating Lasting Family Connections® Marriage Enhancement Program
A 3-day Creating Lasting Family Connections® Marriage Enhancement Implementation Training is required for trainers serving (or planning to serve) couples. The estimated cost is as low as $4,500 plus travel and per diem. Anyone receiving our standard 3-day Creating Lasting Family Connections® Marriage Enhancement Implementation Training course (or any Customized CLFC Implementation Training provided by COPES Inc. or Resilient Futures Network) will receive CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program Implementation Trainer Certification and ongoing technical assistance for up to one year with implementation issues. Please see the “CLFC National Training and Certification System” page for more details on implementation training.
Limited, free grant-writing assistance is available for organizations wishing to implement any CLFC curriculum. For more information, click here.
