Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies Program (BPSS): ‘Real World’ Implementation and Evaluation

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Topic - Prevention and Interventions

Abstract

Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies; BPSS (2003) is an evidence-based parenting program designed to promote positive and culturally relevant parenting practices for fostering cultural, social and behavioral competence in Black children. BPSS purposefully and strategically combines universal parenting practices with inherent strengths and processes of Black families (e.g., racial socialization) and attends to the unique challenges that Black parents face (e.g., racism, discrimination). Feasibility and efficacy (highly controlled setting) has been established via a randomized controlled trial (pre-intervention and immediate-post intervention) (Coard, 2005). Findings revealed significant positive parent and child outcomes (as well as overall engagement) when participating in this culturally- and strengths-based intervention approach and thus proved promising particularly for Black families with multiple risk factors. While this program was developed with Black parents in mind, it has typically been implemented with families in a more controlled research setting. Thus, it is unknown to what outcomes ‘real-world’ or ‘service as usual’ environments may yield.
This presentation represents an extension of that earlier work by focusing on the evaluation of the effectiveness of BPSS when implemented in community centers located in low income, under-resourced neighborhoods in central North Carolina. The implementation of BPSS in this manner will allow for continued evaluation of BPSS under circumstances that more closely approach ‘real-world’ practice (e.g., delivery in routine less controlled community-based setting). Importantly, this approach responds to an expressed need in the community and that requested by area community centers.
The implementation of BPSS has concluded, as data collection is complete. With these data, it is hypothesized that parents/caregivers who participated in BPSS (N=60) will display significantly greater improvements in aspects of parenting associated with the early development of conduct problems and the promotion of social and cultural competence (via pre-post assessment). Parenting variables include monitoring, positive parenting, harsh discipline, attitudes about parenting and parent-child relationship, as well as the use of proactive racial socialization. Child variables include parent report of conduct problems and social competence. In addition, given the ‘real-world’ approach to implementation, authors will also address how in addition to standard determinations of program success (i.e., improved parent and/or child outcomes), the BPSS program influences program engagement (e.g., attendance, satisfaction)---known to be challenging when administering parent training programs with low-income and/or Black families. Attendance and satisfaction (i.e., perceptions of the program) will be considered important levels of evaluation, and if positively impacted, then important results would be obtained.

Authors

• Keadija C. Wiley, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Presenting Author

• Ashley Gabrielle Evans, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  Non-Presenting Author

• Stephanie Irby Coard, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  Non-Presenting Author