“This training helped fulfill an extraordinary need in our communities,” said Leslie Bloom, Director of the TASC Community Grant Initiative. “Every day more and more parents are seeking help and being able to connect them with a parent coach, in addition to professional counseling, is a welcome and ideal support system for families.”
Parents and guardians receive free, specialized training using the evidence-based approaches of CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training), MI (Motivational Interviewing) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). They are conducted by expert, PhD-level clinical staff from our clinical partner, the Center for Motivation and Change, an experienced parent coach ‘mentor’ and professional staff members from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.
Once trained, parent coaches commit to volunteer for at least six months, providing one-on-one support to other parents through personalized guidance over the phone. Parent coaches also participate in bi-weekly training and support calls to discuss current cases, challenges and review key points from the weekend-long training.