Putting the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework into Practice
The Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework moves from a research-informed approach to a transformative practice through the actions taken by families, providers and leaders to create environments where families thrive. As noted by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), “Strengthening Families is implemented through small but significant changes in daily practice, supported by shifts at the program level that allow workers to make those changes.” Explore the resources below that support programs and workers to make these meaningful shifts to support families.
Center for the Study of Social Policy (2021). Strengthening Families Practice. Retrieved 3/19/2021: https://cssp.org/our-work/project/strengthening-families/#practice
- The Strengthening Families Practice page on the CSSP website includes resources that practitioners can use to create environments where families build protective factors, including supports for goal-setting and identifying strengths, incorporating the approach into different systems and action sheets to use with families.
- Explore the need2know resources developed by the Alliance National Parent Partnership Council to find tools, infographics, social media campaigns and conversation guides related to the protective factors.
- The Five for Families website, developed by the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, provides information about the protective factors and videos of caregivers sharing their experiences.
- The Father Involvement and the Five Protective Factors brief from the National Fatherhood Initiative discusses how to support dads to build protective factors.
- Programs can learn more about how the protective factors are embedded or related to a variety of evidence-based programs by exploring the Strengthening Families and Evidence-Based Programs: Making the Link page on the CSSP website.
- To learn more about community and system-level shifts, visit the Community Systems tab.
Strengths Based Program Shifts in Policy and Practice
Families are at the heart of the work of many support agencies and programs. Programs may need to shift practices to ensure that all families are served in a culturally responsive manner and that staff is well-equipped to provide equitable, strengths-based services. A dedication to hiring staff with lived experiences similar to those served and providing learning opportunities for staff to explore concepts around equity and social justice are ways to support this effort. The Center for the Study of Social Policy, the organization that developed the Strengthening Families™ approach, has resources for organizations to support the advancement of equity and justice for all families.
Programs may use frameworks to assess that family support professionals have the knowledge and competencies to interact with families. An example of one framework is the National Family Support Competency Framework for Family Support Professionals, developed by the Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals. Staff benefit from ongoing support to develop personally and professionally. One method of supporting staff is through reflective supervision.
There are many aspects to organizational practice and policies. The Child Welfare Information Gateway has a robust library of resources in their Workforce and Cultural Responsiveness sections. Although many of these resources are aimed at child welfare systems, most of the concepts transfer to other systems including family support.