Working with families

The following are some posts that might be of interest to students and practitioners in relation to families studies and working with families.

A few good places to start are:

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Here are some of the other blog posts that could be of interest:

Post-Separation Counselling and Mediation Services (Part 6): References - Part 6 (the last) of a series of posts about best practice in post-separation counselling and mediation services: a research project with Uniting counselling and mediation services only has the references. Continue reading →
Post-Separation Counselling and Mediation Services (Part 5): summary and conclusion - Part 5 of a series of posts about best practice in post-separation counselling and mediation services: a research project with Uniting counselling and mediation services. Continue reading →
Post-Separation Counselling and Mediation Services (Part 4): Synthesis of findings (continued) - Part 4 of a series of posts about best practice in post-separation counselling and mediation services: a research project with Uniting counselling and mediation services. Continue reading →
Post-Separation Counselling and Mediation Services (Part 3): Synthesis of findings - Part 3 of a series of posts about best practice in post-separation counselling and mediation services: a research project with Uniting counselling and mediation services. Continue reading →
Post-Separation Counselling and Mediation Services (Part 2): Staff interviews, client survey and document review - Part 2 of a series of posts about best practice in post-separation counselling and mediation services: a research project with Uniting counselling and mediation services. Continue reading →
Post-Separation Counselling and Mediation Services (Part 1): Introduction to research and literature review - Part 1 of a series of posts about best practice in post-separation counselling and mediation services: a research project with Uniting counselling and mediation services. Continue reading →
Best practice in counselling and mediation services: A collaborative case study of Uniting - A summary of a recently published report by Tamara Blakemore and me: Best practice and trends in counselling and mediation services in NSW: A collaborative case study of Uniting. Continue reading →
Creating a safe space for a workshop on Zoom - Reflecting on strategies for creating a safe space for an Alternatives to Violence Project workshop we are offering via Zoom Continue reading →
Evidence-Informed Practice and the Integration of Research, Policy, Teaching and Practice in Family Services - The text of an article Deb Hartman and I have just had published in Developing Practice on evidence-informed practice and the integration of research, policy, teaching and practice in family services Continue reading →
Some literature on engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities - A collection of articles on engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities Continue reading →
A reading list on family and community engagement - Here is a reading list for an online elective I offer to students at the University of Newcastle about family and community engagement. Continue reading →
An introduction to strengths-based practice (a video lecture) - An introductory lecture on strengths-based practice I prepared for students in a course on engaging families and communities. In it I outline 8 principles of strengths-based practice. Continue reading →
Power and strengths-based practice - Strengths-based practice fundamentally challenges traditional approaches to power relationships in working with individuals, families and communities. Rather than operating from a position of power-over, strengths-based practice requires us to critically reflect on the dynamics of power in our relationships and to focus on power-with and power-to, and to nurture power-within. Continue reading →
4 types of power: What are power over; power with; power to and power within? - When I first started as a youth worker in 1991, I was working in a medium-term accommodation unit for young people who were homeless. I really struggled with being in a position of authority having just graduated from a welfare … Continue reading →
Evidence-informed practice, evidence-based programs and measuring outcomes -
This post is based on a workshop on evidence-informed practice, evidence-based programs and measuring outcomes that Alan Hayes, Jamin Day and I facilitated for the Combined Upper Hunter Interagencies. The slides from the workshop are above or you can download … Continue reading →
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Evidence-based programs in rural family services - In Australia and elsewhere, government and other funders increasingly require family services to adopt evidence-based programs. For example, Communities for Children[1]—a federally funded program in 52 disadvantaged communities across Australia with a focus on improving early childhood development and wellbeing … Continue reading →
Strengths-based practice: more than being positive - In strengths-based and asset-based approaches to family and community work we focus on strengths, aspirations and potential rather than problems, needs and deficits by, amongst other things: Consciously looking for the strengths and potential of the people, families and communities … Continue reading →
A video and some tips on family engagement - This is a useful short video (produced by the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health) introducing some key concepts relating to engaging families. While its focus is child and youth mental health, it is just as … Continue reading →
Evidence-based practice and innovation - In some ways we live in an exciting time where we are learning more and more about what works—and what doesn’t—in helping to nurturing strong families and communities. Research and research evidence play a crucial role in these discoveries and … Continue reading →
Creating an online course on engaging families and communities - From 2018, an undergraduate online elective I teach on community engagement at the University of Newcastle will be one of a growing number of courses (or subjects) the Family Action Centre is offering in family studies at both an undergraduate … Continue reading →
Principles of effective parent engagement in early childhood education - The engaging diverse families project of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) identified principles of family engagement in early childhood education, collected case studies of good practice and developed resources to help programs more effectively engage … Continue reading →
10 tasks of “good enough” parents - When we had our first child, I genuinely worried I would leave her on a train or forget her while out shopping. I’m glad to say that she is now 16 and my fears never came to pass. (Although I … Continue reading →
Rethinking the roles of families and clients in evidence-based practice - The principles which underpinned our approach to supporting Children and Parenting Support programs to implement evidence-based programs and practice as part of the Children and Families Expert Panel, had a large influence on how I presented evidence-based practice in the … Continue reading →
What is evidence-informed practice? - Some authors appear to use evidence-based practice and evidence-informed practice interchangeably [e.g., 1] but other authors identify significant difference [2-5]. The main difference is in the approach to evidence. Webber & Carr [4] suggest that, in evidence-informed practice: Evidence is … Continue reading →
What are evidence-based programs? - While evidence-based practice is a decision-making process that incorporates the best research evidence, the best clinical experience and family and client values; evidence-based programs are programs that have been standardised, systematised and rigorously evaluated. According to Williams-Taylor [1], evidence-based practice … Continue reading →
What is evidence-based practice? - Although there is no universally accepted definition of evidence-based practice in social work and family work [1, 2], it is generally described as a decision-making process that incorporates: The best research evidence The best clinical experience Family and client values … Continue reading →
Weaving Parenting Partnerships into Service Delivery - Coparenting has been described as the relationship parents share in the business of raising children, and the quality of this relationship is linked to both child and parent outcomes.1,2 Children from higher quality parenting partnerships experience superior social and emotional … Continue reading →
Engaging Aboriginal fathers - The following is the final submitted version of an article (just published in developing practice) by me, Chris May and Craig Hammond, all from the the Family Action Centre at the University of Newcastle.While it is the August 2015 edition, … Continue reading →
Over 60 ideas to consider for strong supported playgroups - How supported playgroup programs deliver their services vary. There are a wide range of practices involved in providing specific program elements, activities, procedures, philosophies, and policies that effect the way each program is provided to families. Attracting parents to the … Continue reading →
An overview of literature on supported playgroups - Family services have been using supported playgroups widely for many years to work with families who may not access community playgroups and other services1. The high cost and complexity of conducting research that clearly demonstrates the effectiveness (or otherwise) of … Continue reading →
Engaging fathers: An overview of evidence-based practice - Fathers are important. Research demonstrates that close involvement of fathers from birth can support positive infant and child development. This includes boosting social, emotional and academic development. Effective co-parenting, where fathers are engaged in positive ways with the mother and … Continue reading →
36 ideas for helping to engage fathers - The importance of fathers is increasingly recognised in working with families. The following are 36 ideas that could help services engage fathers. Prioritise father inclusive practice in the annual strategic plan Ensure support for father inclusion through policy development Have … Continue reading →
Program fidelity and baking a cake - Program fidelity is an important concept in evidence-based programs. It is the “extent to which an enacted program is consistent with the intended program model” [1, p. 202]. In other words, it’s about ensuring we stay true to the original … Continue reading →
Research evidence for family (and community) workers - [Updated 2 June 2017] There are a range of reasons we might want to use research evidence as family workers or community workers. A quite inadequate reason, but potentially a motivating one, is that funding bodies are increasingly expecting the … Continue reading →
Finding literature on working with families - The following are some websites which have research publications and other literature about working with families. The list is associated with the post on research evidence for family (and community) workers. Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) including: Publications on … Continue reading →
What works in connecting families, communities and schools? - What works in strengthening connections between families, communities and schools? This is the subject of a report by the J R McKenzie Trust, “Connecting Education and Communities.” The J R McKenzie Trust, a New Zealand charitable trust, currently focuses on … Continue reading →
What are program logic models? - [Updated 13 July 2017 to add a new resource.] Program logic models are like “road maps” which show how your initiative will work and why you believe that if you do certain things, you will get the results you are … Continue reading →
Mutual self-help parent groups - Mutual self-help groups for parents are widely used as a means of providing support to parents. In 2006 Mary Kay Flaconer from the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida wrote a paper looking at the rationale for these types of … Continue reading →
Some good articles/links – mutual self-help parent support groups - I’m getting ready to meet with some family workers who want to explore peer support / mutual self-help groups for parents, so that’s the focus of this week’s articles. There isn’t much research evidence but the following articles all draw … Continue reading →
Jihad Dib on school transformation (TEDx talk) - This TEDx talk by Jihad Dib, the Principal at Punchbowl Boys High, captures the essence of strengths-based practice and highlights the importance of community engagement. In the school of around 450 students, 65% of the students come from the bottom … Continue reading →
Some good articles/links – evidence-based programs and practice - [Links check and updated, 18 September 2019] Four weeks ago I posted some articles about evidence-based programs and practice. As I’ve continued looking, I’ve found many more useful resources and thus decided to include some more. This time, most of … Continue reading →
Some good articles/links – strengths-based practice - My most popular post, is on strengths-based practice and the strengths perspective so this weeks collections of readings are about strengths-based approaches to working with individuals and families. Strengths-based practices: The evidence. A discussion paper by Natalie Scerra from UnitingCare … Continue reading →
Young Aboriginal fathers talk about being dads - Colleagues of mine (Craig Hammond, Charlie Faulkner and Richard Fletcher) have been interviewing young Aboriginal fathers from Newcastle, Moree and Tamworth about being dads. They have produced four short videos as part of Stayin’ On Track. I originally embedded all … Continue reading →
Some good articles/links – evidence-based practice - Each Friday I post six useful or interesting articles. Last week I focused on engaging ‘hard to reach’ families because of the work my colleagues and I will be doing over the coming 12 months with organisations who provide children and … Continue reading →
Some good articles/links – engaging ‘hard to reach’ families - Over the next 12 months I will be working with a number of organisations in regional and rural New South Wales who provide child and parenting support. One of the challenging issues they face is how to engage ‘hard to … Continue reading →
9 principles for supporting families and communities - In 2006 I helped facilitate a national forum for family and community workers supporting permanent residents of caravan parks. Through the forum we identified nine principles of promising practice for working with permanent residents of caravan parks. These principles, however, … Continue reading →
Climate change, health and children - Our health is dependent on a healthy planet and ecosystem [1, 2], and thus climate change is a global public health problem [1, 3, 4]. The longer we leave taking serious action, the harder it will be to address the … Continue reading →
Engaging families in early intervention for child conduct concerns - I was one of the authors on a paper published this month in the journal Children Australia about Getting on Track in Time (Got It!): an early intervention programs assisting families to deal with emerging child behavioural difficulties that are … Continue reading →
Domestic violence training materials - . This great video on domestic violence, from a free Australian training package, involves actors playing real people. Bronwyn and Gary own a real estate business in a rural regional centre. They have two children; Luke aged 13 and Sally aged … Continue reading →
The still face experiment - Imagine growing up in an environment where you were neglected, abused or ignored. Unfortunately this is the experience of far too many people (including, I’m sure, some readers of this blog). As the videos I recently posted show, “serve and … Continue reading →
Childhood trauma and brain development - Research is increasingly showing the huge impact trauma can have on the development of children. The following three short videos (under 2 minutes each) from the Center on the Developing Child help to explain the impact of trauma on brain … Continue reading →
A resilience practice framework by the Benevolent Society - The Benevolent Society, in partnership with the Parenting Research Centre, recently released a Resilience Practice Framework that will form the basis for their work with children and families from disadvantaged communities. It’s a great resource that many family and community … Continue reading →
Domestic and family violence – What about men? - This week I’m helping to facilitate a three day workshop on domestic and family violence for students in the Master of Family Studies. I’m looking forward to it, but must admit I’m also a bit apprehensive because domestic and family … Continue reading →
ABCD and Making the invisible visible - This is a great TEDx talk by DeAmon Harges demonstrating some features of asset-based community-driven development (ABCD). The following are a few of the great quotes that stood out for me. Find the gifts and talents of everyone in the … Continue reading →
Domestic violence, family, friends and neighbours - Domestic violence is still largely seen as a private matter between two individuals and few services successfully engage the informal social networks (e.g., family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues) of survivors [1]. Even ‘community’ responses, frequently focus on service providers … Continue reading →
Parenting styles – another look - In the last post I discussed four parenting styles (authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved and authoritative) based on the work of Baumrind [1, 2] and Maccoby and Martin [3]. While I think they can be quite useful, we also need to recognise … Continue reading →
What are authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved and authoritative parenting styles? - Not surprisingly, our parenting style has a major impact on our children. Based on the work of Baumrind [1, 2] and Maccoby and Martin [3] we often talk about four broad styles: authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved and authoritative. These four parenting … Continue reading →
Learning vs school education - [Updated 24 July 2017 to fix link to second video.] Engaging children in their school is not the same as engaging children in learning. I’m a huge fan of families being engaged with schools but we also need to recognise … Continue reading →
When is it OK for kids to walk home alone? - I was very interested in a recent news story from Maryland, USA which created headlines around the world, raising the issue of parental responsibilities. Parents, Danielle and Alexander Meitiv are still being investigated for allowing their children (aged 10 and … Continue reading →
Some definitions of family - Everybody knows what a family is, but trying to find a widely accepted definition is actually very hard. I’ve been looking at how various writers define families and the following are some examples. I’m not going to comment on them … Continue reading →
Workshops for Aboriginal fathers in prison – what we learnt - In this post, the last in a series on some fathering workshops I helped facilitate for Aboriginal men in jail, I explore some of the things we (Craig Hammond and I) learnt from doing the workshops. The workshops, Brothers Inside, … Continue reading →
Workshops for Aboriginal fathers in prison – what worked - In this post, part of a series on some fathering workshops I helped facilitate (with Craig Hammond) for Aboriginal men in jail, I explore some of the things that worked well. The workshops, Brothers Inside, were generally 4½ days spread … Continue reading →
Workshops for Aboriginal fathers in prison – challenges - I mentioned in my last post that, as part of shifting the focus of my work to parenting and families, I’ve been reflecting on some of the work I’ve done with families over the years. Yesterday I wrote about the … Continue reading →
Being an Aboriginal father in prison - As part of shifting the focus of my work to parenting and families, I’ve been reflecting on some of the work I’ve done with families over the years. One that had a particularly significant impact on me was helping to … Continue reading →
Creating positive images of Aboriginal fathers - We are surrounded by negative images of Aboriginal men and fathers. In the mainstream media, and even academic literature, they are mostly portrayed in a negative context: the focus is on crime, domestic violence, alcohol and other drugs, unemployment, and … Continue reading →
What are complex problems? - [Updated 23 February 2018] Working with families and communities is a very different process to solving a maths problem, diagnosing and treating a medical issue, designing and building a bridge, or testing a new medicine. In family and community work … Continue reading →
Playgroups as a foundation for working with hard to reach families - The Caravan Project at the Family Action Centre has been using playgroups for over 20 years as a foundation for working with families who are suspicious of, and reluctant to use, health and welfare services. Playgroups are valuable in promoting … Continue reading →
Supporting residents of caravan parks - Caravan parks play an important role in Australian housing, particular for those who have few or no other options. Marginalised residents of caravan parks often face significant disadvantage and it is therefore important that a range of health and … Continue reading →
“I try and make it feel more like a home” – families living in caravan parks - A paper I presented in 2008. In this presentation I want to compare two pictures of caravan parks and their residents (especially families). One picture is created by focusing on the deficits or problems we can find in caravan parks. … Continue reading →
Families with children living in caravan parks - An article originally published in Parity in 2008. People who live in caravan parks as a last resort are a significant and often vulnerable group in the community. Families with children, particularly young children, often struggle with life in a … Continue reading →
It beats living in a tent (a survey of caravan park residents in 2005) - An article originally published in Parity in 2005. The Caravan Project recently completed surveys with 142 residents on eight caravan parks in the Lower Hunter with the aim of providing a snapshot of the park residents we support. The study … Continue reading →
What is social capital? - At one level, social capital is a very easy concept to understand. Essentially it comes down to who you know, not what you know. It’s a bit like community. Everybody knows what we mean, but it might mean slightly different … Continue reading →