Excelsior Springs, Mo. — Excelsior Springs SAFE is excited to partner with the Excelsior Springs Community Center, Synergy Services, and Excelsior Springs Hospital to present Family Connections, a 7-session experience for families with children ages 10-14.
This program, recognized by the World Health Organization as the top prevention program for its long-term effects on substance use and misuse, will run weekly sessions to enhance family relationships and reduce risky behaviors among adolescents.
The weekly sessions, being marketed as Family Connections, focus on building good parenting practices and youth skills. Participants will meet on Thursdays from 5:30 – 8:00 pm from June 6th – July 25th (no meeting on July 4). Dinner will be provided for families from 5:30 to 6 pm. Then, they’ll split into separate parent/caregiver sessions and a youth session for one hour. Certified trainers will lead groups in sessions designed to build protective factors and positive relationships in families. In the last hour, families come together to participate in activities together.
The Family Connections sessions are meant to boost protective factors such as social skills, nonviolent discipline, and parent-child attachment while reducing risk factors like early drug use, family conflict, and neglectful parenting.
The youth sessions cover topics including goal setting, stress management, peer pressure resistance, and appreciating parents. Parent sessions address understanding child stress, making house rules, encouraging good behavior, using consequences effectively, and protecting against substance abuse. Family sessions focus on communication, joint problem-solving, and supporting each other’s goals and dreams.
Participants will gain practical skills through various activities, such as creating treasure maps of goals and dreams, engaging in role-playing games, and building family shields. The program aims to foster strong, caring families who support one another and enjoy quality time together.
Registration for the program is $35. However, the registration fee will be fully refunded to families that attend at least five of the seven sessions.
If you still have questions, you can email Excelsior Springs Safe Program Director Julia Mees.
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