Researchers from Child Trends using the Social Genome Model (SGM) explored how preventing births to teenagers would alter the lives of youth over time. The results show education, economic, and health benefits associated with preventing births to teens – findings that lead to an important question. How is childbearing among teenagers best prevented? Join Dr. Kristin Moore and Alison McClay as they share decades of experience with varied approaches and highlight how wisdom about preventing teen births has accumulated over time. Information is important, services are important, but motivation is important as well. The presentation will also describe how intervention approaches have evolved over time and outline considerations for future research and programs, including an overview of El Camino, a research-based sexual health promotion program developed by Child Trends. Objectives: Participants will be able to: Discuss the implications of teenage childbearing; Describe varied approaches used to discourage sexual activity and…
Healthy Relationships
From underperforming schools to unsafe neighborhoods, from institutional racism to other structural barriers, hindrances often stand in the way of financial success for young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds. Given these challenges, many young adults lose hope, thinking they have no way of changing their life trajectories. However, there is a path that frequently leads to the “American Dream” and away from poverty. This path is called the “Success Sequence.” The sequence entails three steps: (1) getting at least a high-school degree, (2) working full-time, and (3) marrying before having children. Young adults who manage to follow the sequence – even in the face of challenges – are much more likely to forge a path to a better economic life. Join Brad Wilcox and Wendy Wang as they discuss how poverty is basically nonexistent among young adults who followed all three steps according to their new analysis of data from the…
For the past 10 years, youth serving programs across the United States have been teaching healthy relationship skills to hundreds of thousands of young people using Relationship Smarts PLUS 4.0 and Love Notes 3.0. Now, The Dibble Institute is excited to announce that both of these evidence-based programs have been updated with brand new information crucial to supporting teens and young adults in today’s world! Both Relationship Smarts PLUS 5.0 and Love Notes 4.0 continue to use a strengths-based, asset building approach to help young people make wise choices about relationships, sex, and the timing of family formation plus setting a path towards achieving their goals. New and updated contents include: Navigating relationships in the digital age Sex trafficking prevention Consent and sexual assault prevention Unique approach to addressing internet porn Current research, music, videos, images Improved activities for greater engagement and easier facilitation Medical accuracy updates on contraceptive and STI information Objectives:…
Beginning in the mid-2000s, the federal government authorized funding to support healthy relationship education (HRE) for youth. These programs aim to improve young people’s relationship skills, knowledge, and behaviors and prepare them to build healthy romantic relationships in adulthood. In 2020, the federal government awarded more than $24 million to 25 programs serving high-school-age youth and young adults. In a project supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mathematica has summarized the existing research on the effectiveness of HRE programs for youth. The research team identified and reviewed 15 impact studies of HRE programs for youth and summarized the findings using an evidence and gaps map. Join us as we discuss what we know and what we don’t know about the effectiveness of HRE programs for youth and promising future directions for continuing to build the evidence base for these programs. Objectives: Participants will learn: What an…
The “Success Sequence” refers to the concept of milestones a young person should complete in their life that are associated with greater economic self-sufficiency and family stability. These steps are most commonly understood as 1) finishing high school, 2) having a full-time job, and 3) waiting for marriage to have children. Up until now, a key part of the Success Sequence has been the order in which a young person achieves these milestones. With funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mathematica conducted an economic analysis of the Success Sequence steps to assess their actual benefits for young people. Join us to discuss Mathematica’s findings about the Success Sequence including new thinking about the order of the milestones, what some alternative pathways may be for young people, and the significance of their order in creating economic self-sufficiency and family stability. Objectives: Participants will be able to explain:…
Join Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and of Public Affairs at University of Wisconsin-Madison, to learn about the concept of on-again and off-again relationships known as “Relationship Churning.” Join her as she discusses the frequency of relationship churning among young adults and parents, explains the associated predictors, and reflects on how practitioners can recognize them, including implications for their work. Webinar Participants will be able to: Explain what a churning relationship is Explain the frequency of and factors associated with churning relationships Reflect on the implications of churning relationships for practice Presenters: Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin – Madison Resources: Relationship Churning Slide Deck + Research The book referenced during the webinar is: Dailey, R. M. (2019). On-again, off-again relationships: Navigating (in) stability in romantic relationships. Cambridge University Press.
In today’s uncertain times, many youth experience housing insecurity, unstable or unsafe relationships, and toxic stress. Social and emotional wellbeing can help these young people overcome adversity, heal from trauma, and build resilience, thereby increasing their hopes for the future. Learning and practicing mindfulness skills can be the pathway to increasing self-regulation, building healthy relationships, and increasing resilience. The question is how can youth move towards social and emotional wellbeing? During this webinar, we will explore some of the social-emotional needs of youth and how the Milestone Transitional Living Program in Utah utilizes mindfulness skills and the Mind Matters program in group sessions and in group homes. Join Mina Koplin, Lorri Lake, and Maygan Martinez as they share how they utilize the ACEs questionnaire, how they present Mind Matters content, and how they implement mindfulness skills in sessions with disconnected youth. Objectives: Participants will be able to: Identify the Social-Emotional needs…
Americans today are increasingly waiting longer to marry, if they marry at all. Are today’s young people no longer interested in forming families? What types of relationships they are experiencing? Explore research on young people’s attitudes toward relationship formation, their dating and romantic relationships, and the quality of their relationships in this webinar. Program providers will better meet the needs of the youth they serve by placing their participants’ experiences within broader U.S. trends. In this webinar, Drs. Karen Benjamin Guzzo and Wendy D. Manning will discuss preliminary findings of new work from the Marriage Strengthening and Research Dissemination (MAST) Center on adolescents’ and young adults’ relationship expectations and experiences, drawing on a review of recent research as well as new analyses of the National Survey of Family Growth. Objectives: Webinar participants will understand: Teens’ and young adults’ expectations of cohabitation and marriage. Recent trends in dating and other romantic…
From hooking up, to living together, to bearing children prior to clarity about having a future together, relationship and family development has changed. New paradigms have important implications for how we understand the romantic and sexual relationships of young adults. Ambiguity is a preferred condition of relationships for many, which makes it easier to finesse intentions and hide asymmetrical commitment. However, this new relationship paradigm can lead to a person losing life options before making a clear choice about what they want the most. In this webinar, Scott Stanley, Ph.D. will explain the ways motivated ambiguity intersects with types of commitment (e.g., constraint and dedication) to impact mate selection and lasting love. Some themes include the role of commitment in securing attachment, asymmetrical commitment, and research on how common types of relationship transitions can impact long-term outcomes. Objectives: Webinar participants will be able to: Understand how teen and early adulthood…
With the highest teen pregnancy rates in the United States, Arkansas has a great need for health education centering around pregnancy prevention and healthy relationships. After utilizing Love Notes 3.0 and Love Notes SRA for the last three years, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Outreach Specialists, Sarah Harlan and Charles Maxwell, have encountered barriers common to a rural, conservative environment. But despite those barriers, they have seen growth. Join them during this webinar to hear their experiences and lessons learned in bringing relationship education to teens across their state. Objectives: Webinar participants will be able to: Understand how Love Notes aligns with the mission of Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Understand Arkansas Children’s Love Notes implementation strategies. Gain insights into increasing community partnerships and reaching rural areas with health education. Presenters: Sarah Harlan and Charles Maxwell, Outreach Specialists, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Who should attend: Program managers, educators, practitioners, community workers, and anyone interested in working with youth. When: Wednesday,…
Highlights from the Marriage Strengthening Research and Dissemination Center Relationship education programs geared towards adolescents and young adults attempt to shape goals and behaviors in current and future relationships. To maximize the effectiveness of these programs, youth-focused relationship education programs need to be implemented in a way that considers the age and developmental stage of participants and draws on the strengths that youth bring to programming. Further, as marriage and family formation shifts toward older ages, more research is needed on how youth are thinking about and engaging in relationships. This webinar will highlight work conducted by the Marriage Strengthening Research and Dissemination Center that explores youth relationship attitudes, expectations, and experiences and how relationship education programs can tailor programming for youth, based on a positive youth development framework. A specific application of integrating positive youth development with youth relationship education programming will be discussed with a presentation from Desiree…
WEBINAR: Co-Regulation Strategies: Practical Tools for Program Staff to Foster Youth Self-Regulation
What is co-regulation? Why does it matter? How can I integrate co-regulation into my program or practice? Join interventionist and nurse-educator Aly Frei to explore co-regulation, its importance for youth development, and its potential to improve program outcomes. Co-regulation is a term that helps describe the important interactions between adults and young people that foster youth self-regulation. Self-Regulation is a central ingredient in lifelong success, predicting healthy relationships, economic self-sufficiency, and physical and emotional well-being. Because of rapid change in youths’ brains and bodies, adolescence is an important time for adults to promote self-regulation development. Through co-regulation, adults form relationships where youth feel cared for and known; co-create safe and nurturing environments; and give youth opportunities to practice self-regulation skills and reflect on how to apply them in their lives. Integrating co-regulation strategies into youth service delivery is a promising approach for improving program implementation and youth outcomes. Objectives: Webinar…
The prevention educators of Women In Need, Inc., based in north Texas, will share with participants their experiences in developing curriculum to help high school students choose healthy relationships. They will also share with participants their experiences in developing curriculum to help middle school students develop healthy social and emotional skills. In addition, participants will hear how Women In Need’s prevention educators utilize Love Notes 3.0 to serve at-risk teens. Finally, participants will be reminded of the significance of ongoing curriculum evaluation and modification. Participants will be encouraged to adopt a process of curriculum evaluation and modification that works best for their organizations and the students they serve. Objectives: Webinar participants will understand: The history, mission, and services of Women In Need, Inc. (WIN). WIN’s Teen Dating Violence Prevention curriculum for high school students designed to help them choose healthy relationships. WIN’s prevention education curriculum for middle school students designed to…
Does marriage still perform a valuable role in today’s society? Or, is it just another quaint tradition or something only a privileged few seek and attain? Join Kay Reed, Executive Director of The Dibble Institute, as she shares recent trends in family formation; explores the most recent data on marriage, cohabitation, and single parenting; and brings it back to what matters to children. Explore ways to integrate these skills and concepts about building healthy relationships into your programs, sometimes in unexpected ways. Objectives: Webinar participants will be able to: Describe current marriage trends and adolescents’ views of marriage. Identify current research questions in the field. Communicate why family form matters to adults, youth, and children. Presenters: Kay Reed, President and Executive Director, The Dibble Institute Who should attend: Healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood grantees, healthy relationship program staff, child abuse prevention advocates, mental health practitioners, family stabilization coaches, and employability specialists. When: Wednesday,…
Despite your best efforts, you’ve just learned that your federal grant proposal was not funded or your grant non-continued. Bummer. We’ve been there too. After an appropriate amount of time to grieve, time to roll up your sleeves and get back to it! The youth you serve need relationship education. But how? Join Kay Reed and Aaron Larson in this webinar just for Dibble clients to explore alternative funding possibilities. Objectives: Webinar attendees will learn: What grants the feds have forecast for the remainder of 2020 and early 2021. Outcomes of relationship education that justify the intervention with a variety of funding streams. Alternative, ongoing local, state, and federal flow-through funding. Presenters: Kay Reed, Executive Director, The Dibble Institute Aaron Larson, Director of Programs, The Dibble Institute Duration: 60 minutes Cost: Free! Resources: Creative Sustainability Links Sustainability PowerPoint Slides Sustainability Tip Sheet Sustainability Worksheet Department of Justice Funding Opportunities
The impact of financial poverty has been a focus of researchers for decades. In this webinar Dr. Sarah Halpern-Meekin, author of “Social Poverty: Low-income Parents and the Struggle for Family and Community Ties,” examines another dimension of poverty that has been considerably understudied: social poverty. Social poverty, or lacking adequate of close, dependable, and trusting relationships, is an often-ignored form of hardship that is separate from financial poverty. Developing healthy relationship skills and coping mechanisms through relationship education may help address social poverty. Join us as Dr. Halpern-Meekin discusses the relational and emotional dimensions of poverty and the benefits relationship education has to offer. Specifically, webinar attendees will learn: To identify what social poverty is, and how it may motivate participation in relationship education How programs can purposefully try to build participants’ social resources Presenter: Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison….
Join the staff from Project Rise as they share with you how they are successfully engaging the Latino community including youth and their parents in healthy relationship skills programming. Project Rise is utilizing Relationship Smarts PLUS (Sexual Risk Avoidance Adaptation) to prevent teen pregnancy, reduce associated risk behaviors, and promote healthy adolescent development among Latino teens aged 12-18. They are working in four neighborhoods of Los Angeles County where measures of sexual risk are significantly higher than the national average. In focus groups the young people reported learning: Communication and relationships skills including ways to speak with family and friends as well as controlling their anger How to be self-reflective including understanding infatuation vs true love and effective decision making skills Ways to talk with their parents or a trusted adult about sex and healthy relationships. Presenters: John Lewis, Southern California Director, Urban Strategies Guillermo Pichardo, Youth Advocate, Catalyst SGV Who Should Attend:…
Recruiting and appealing to young adults ages 18-24 can be challenging for a multitude of reasons. In this webinar, Vanessa Logan describes her unique “boots on the ground” approach for how to build trust with marginalized young adults and consequently is able to provide them with tools to develop self-sufficiency. Integrated into her approach is the essential building of healthy relationship skills with pregnant and parenting youth, empowering them to successfully parent or even co-parent when no longer together. With a heart for people, Vanessa identifies critical needs of the underserved and builds bridges by partnering with organizations and community initiatives to uncover resources and move others toward economic mobility and self-sufficiency. Vanessa has a voice in the community for what makes a community thrive: it’s people. Objectives: Through the example of Vanessa Logan webinar attendees will learn to: Recruit young adults 18-24 years old into Healthy Relationship programming; Build…
Young people who have experienced trauma and toxic stress, such as child abuse and neglect, often have difficulty regulating their emotional responses when facing challenges in school, life, and relationships. Thus, Dr. Carolyn Curtis developed Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience, a research-based curriculum effective in helping youth overcome adverse and traumatic childhood experiences. In this webinar, Dr. Carolyn Curtis, will discuss her new addendum to the Mind Matters curriculum. In this guidance, the content of Mind Mattersis divided into 15- to 20-minute segments that can now be taught in one-on-one settings. With these adjustments, the Mind Matters curriculum can now be used for home visitors, mentors, and case workers, as well as anyone who works with young people in a one-on-one setting. Join us in this informative and interactive webinar as we learn about the new, additional approach at implementing the Mind Matters program! Presenter: Carolyn Rich Curtis, Ph.D., Developer of Mind Matters, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Founder of the…
Hear how three agencies that use different funding streams utilize relationship education to meet youth where they are in order to help them to prepare for healthy lives and futures. These organizations use Dibble’s programs to build protective factors so the youth can communicate effectively in jobs, set safe boundaries in relationships, make healthy decisions about their love lives. These agencies serve young people in schools, transitional living homes, and community-based settings. Attendees will: Understand the needs of vulnerable youth Demonstrate how relationship education meets vulnerable youth where they are Learn about best practices used in diverse settings Presenters Panel: Mina Koplin – Salt Lake County, SLC, UT (SLC) – TLP Funded Emily Spruill – Advocates for Children/Flowering Branch, Cartersville, GA – ILP through VOCA funding Reta Johnson – Family Center, Little Rock, AR – PREP Funded Resources: September 2019 Webinar PPT