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Creating Lasting Family Connections
Program
Ted N. Strader
1,2
, Christopher Kokoski
1
,
David Collins
3
, Steven Shamblen
3
and
Patrick McKiernan
4
1
Council on Prevention and Education:
Substances (COPES), Louisville, KY, USA
2
CLFC National Training Center, Resilient
Futures Network, LLC Louisville, KY, USA
3
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
(PIRE), Beltsville, MD, USA
4
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
Name of Model
The Creating Lasting Family Connections
®
(CLFC) Program
Introduction
Creating Lasting Family Connections (CLFC) is a
manualized, family focused program to increase
parenting skills and family-relationship skills to
build the resiliency of youths aged 9–17 years, to
increase alcohol and drug knowledge and atti-
tudes, to reduce the frequency of alcohol and
other drug (AOD) use, and to increase family
use of needed community services. CLFC is
designed to be implemented through community
systems such as mental health centers, churches,
schools, recreation centers, and court-referred set-
tings. There are three modules for parents and
three separate modules for their children.
CLFC Program Modules for Adults
Raising Resilient Youth. Participants learn and
practice effective communication skills with
their families, friends, and coworkers, including
listening to and validating others’thoughts and
feelings. Participants also enhance their ability to
develop and implement expectations and conse-
quences with others, including children, spouses,
coworkers, and friends. This training enhances a
sense of competence, connectedness, and bonding
between parent and children and other meaningful
relationships (Strader and Noe 1998a).
Developing Positive Parental Influences. This
CLFC training component helps participants
develop a greater awareness of facts and feelings
about substance use, abuse, and dependency;
review effective approaches to prevention; and
develop a practical understanding of intervention,
referral procedures, and treatment options. This
module includes an examination of childhood and
family experiences involving AOD, personal and
group feelings and attitudes toward AOD issues,
as well as an in-depth look at the dynamics of
chemical dependency and its impact on relation-
ships and families (Strader and Noe 1998b).
Getting Real (Same content for both Adult and
Youth Modules). The Getting Real training is pro-
vided separately to groups of adults and youth.
Participants examine their responses to the verbal
#Springer International Publishing AG 2018
J. L. Lebow et al. (eds.), Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_365-1
and nonverbal communication they experience
with others. Participants receive personalized
coaching on effective communication skills,
including speaking with confidence and sensitiv-
ity, listening to and validating others, sharing feel-
ings, and matching body language with verbal
messages. This promotes the skills of self-
awareness and mutual respect while focusing on
helping participants combine thoughts, feelings,
and behavior in a way that leads them to generate
powerful, meaningful, and palatable messages to
others (Strader et al. 1998).
CLFC Program Modules for Youth
Developing Independence and Responsibility. In
this component, youth are asked to examine their
current level of personal responsibility in their
family life, with an eye toward developing per-
sonal independence and responsibility for adult-
hood. Youth are asked to visualize themselves in
the future role of parents, coworkers, supervisors,
or other adults responsible for setting appropriate
expectations and consequences for their children
or others they may need to supervise in areas of
responsibility (Strader and Noe 1998c).
Developing A Positive Response. This module
helps young people to become aware of their
deepest wishes for their own personal health,
their relationships with their peers and family
members, and their yearning for success. With
exercises designed and facilitated with sensitivity
to remain inclusive and nonjudgmental, partici-
pants examine information, facts, and feelings
about alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drug
exposure (and possible use) in family, peer groups,
community, and media. This module also helps
youth develop an appropriate “worldview”of alco-
hol and other drug issues with a focus on personal
and family health (Strader and Noe 1998d).
The six modules of the CLFC curriculum are
administered to groups of parents/guardians and
their children in 18–20 weekly training sessions.
While the sessions are typically provided in the
same facility at the same time, the parents and
youth meet in separate training rooms with differ-
ent group facilitators. Youth sessions last 1.5 h
and parent sessions last 1.5–2.5 h. The curriculum
focuses on (1) imparting knowledge about AOD
use; (2) improving communication and conflict
resolution skills; (3) building coping mechanisms
to resist negative social influences; (4) encourag-
ing the use of community services when personal
or family problems arise; (5) engendering self-
knowledge, personal responsibility, and respect
for others; and (6) delaying the onset and reducing
the frequency of AOD use among participating
parents and youths. The program includes optional
individual, couple, and family case management
sessions to identify any need for specifictherapeu-
tic interventions and specialized referrals to other
community services. A 6–9-day CLFC Certifica-
tion Training for therapists (and other providers)
along with all materials necessary for implementa-
tion are available from the program developer.
The CLFC Program is one of three programs
comprising the Creating Lasting Family Connec-
tions (CLFC) Curriculum Series. The Series also
includes the CLFC Fatherhood Program and
the CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program.
The CLFC Curriculum Series addresses the
intergenerational and chronic nature of addiction
and the family’s role in both recovery and preven-
tion. The CLFC Series represents the intersection
of treatment and prevention services for families
(Straderet al. 2013). Each of the three CLFC pro-
grams is separately listed on the SAMHSA’s
National Registry of Evidence-based Programs
and Practices (NREPP).
Prominent Associated Figures
The Original CLFC Program was developed in
the late 1980s by Ted N. Strader, M.S., a Certified
Chemical Dependency Counselor, a Certified Pre-
vention Specialist, and Executive Director of the
Council on Prevention and Education: Sub-
stances, Inc. Dr. Tim Noe and Warrenetta
Crawford Mann provided notable assistance in
program development. Teresa Strader, L.C.S.W,
and Christopher Kokoski assisted with the devel-
opment of support materials. The CLFC curricu-
lum has been recognized on the National Registry
of Evidence-based Programs and Practices
(NREPP) as an Exemplary Program by Healthy
Canada’s Compendium of Best Practices, and a
2 Creating Lasting Family Connections Program
four-time winner of the Exemplary Program
Award provided by the National Association of
State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors,
SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Preven-
tion, and the National Prevention Network. The
John C. Maxwell Leadership Team named
Mr. Strader one of the top 10 leaders in the USA
serving youth and families.
Theoretical Framework
The Creating Lasting Family Connections
®
(CLFC) integrates an eclectic combination of per-
sonal, couple, family, and community strengthen-
ing theoretical frameworks. These frameworks are
translated into a structured series of sequential,
developmental, and experiential activities for par-
ticipating families (youth and adult modules) and
community members. CLFC incorporates Experi-
ential Learning Theory (Kolb 1975) by providing
an interactive program with a strategic mix of
role plays, games, brainstorms, guided imagery,
reflective exercises, demonstrations, and group
discussions. Participants are invited to involve
themselves in practicing or “experiencing”the
ideas, concepts, and skills shared in the sessions
and to engage in reflective thought and group
discussion (Johnson 1997; Satir 1983).
Risk and Resiliency Theory (Hawkins et al.
1992) serves as a major underpinning of the pro-
gram. Specific exercises are designed to build
resiliency across the domains of self, family,
school, and community (Benard 1991). Building
from strengths, the program focuses on both intra-
and inter-personal skill development including
verbal and nonverbal communication (with an
emphasis on listening and validation), how to
say no (refusal skills), and family management
practices to help prevent negative outcomes and
mitigate known risk factors.
Further, CLFC combines Social Learning The-
ory (Bandura 1977) and Therapeutic Alliance
(Bordin 1979) through the positive rapport
established between staff and participants, and
through staff modeling of appropriate relationship
behaviors. Developing respected interpersonal
connections is key in promoting growth in both
personal and family behavioral dynamics.
For example, in the group “educational sessions”
two program staff served in roles often perceived
more as facilitators of information and role
models of new possibilities rather than as “thera-
pists.”A range of nonjudgmental, inclusive, and
positive facilitation skills (Strader and Stuecker
2012) result in a Therapeutic Alliance between
the CLFC trained facilitators and participants.
This alliance can be carried into private case man-
agement sessions that, when needed, can lead to
deeper personal work or other necessary referrals
for more specific therapeutic interventions.
Key elements of Cognitive Behavioral Ther-
apy (Beck 1993) are incorporated into group exer-
cises. Participants are invited to participate in a
process of individualized coaching and personal
reflection in order to self-correct unhelpful think-
ing and behaviors. CLFC integrates this system of
established theories which are expressed in the
program design, exercises, activities, and imple-
mentation protocols. Each of these theories relates
to the central belief described in Building Healthy
Individuals, Families and Communities that
“deep healthy connections build strong protective
shields to prevent harm and to provide both nur-
turing and healing support”(Strader et al. 2000,
p. 17). The book refers to this concept as
“connect-immunity.”
Populations in Focus
The Creating Lasting Family Connections
®
(CLFC) Program was designed for at-risk Cauca-
sian, African American, and Hispanic/Latino fam-
ilies (parents and youth) from urban, suburban,
and rural areas in the USA. The program is
implemented with universal, selective, and indi-
cated populations as designated by the Institute of
Medicine (IOM) Classification System.
Strategies and Techniques Used in
Model
The Creating Lasting Family Connections
®
(CLFC) Program incorporates a rich variety of
Creating Lasting Family Connections Program 3
strategies and techniques to appeal to the full
range of adult and youth learning styles,
cultural differences, personalities, and prefer-
ences. Learning strategies and techniques include
brief lectures, role plays, guided imagery, reflec-
tions, discussions, brainstorms, facilitator demon-
strations, storytelling, and interactive games.
CLFC facilitators are trained and certified to
implement the program. CLFC provides facilita-
tors of differing gender, age, race, and experience
to relate to the largest number of participants.
CLFC facilitators role model the skills of the
CLFC Program, therefore providing information
within a relational and nonjudgmental context.
Facilitators listen and validate participant thoughts
and feelings, provide clear and sensitive feedback,
and express their own emotions as a means
to manage group participation and interaction
throughout the program sessions. The concept of
“influence versus control”is threaded throughout
the entire CLFC Program. Facilitators both role
model and manage the program under the belief
that participants learn best when they can volun-
tarily choose their own preferred level of partici-
pation (i.e., active discussion, interactive practice,
quiet listening, etc.) for each activity in each pro-
gram session. Throughout the CLFC Program,
facilitators incorporate motivational interviewing
and trauma-informed care techniques into interac-
tions with participants (Strader and Stuecker
2012). Culturally sensitive case management and
ongoing support supplements the program con-
tent. Facilitators refer participants to appropriate
service providers, as needed.
Research About the Model
In a large-scale study, the Creating Lasting
Family Connections
®
(CLFC) Program was
implemented in five communities in the
Louisville, KY, area (Johnson et al. 1998).
A community was defined as a group of people
who form a support system based on shared activ-
ities and interests. Families were randomly
assigned to the intervention group or control
group. Participants were 183 high-risk youths,
aged 12 through 14, and their families (95 in the
intervention group and 88 in the control group).
Over half (58%) of the youths were female, with
16% of families identifying as African American.
Almost half (47%) had five or more family mem-
bers, and 30% were in low-to-medium-income
groups. There were no statistically significant
between-group baseline differences on key family
and environmental characteristics (e.g., age, gen-
der, youth access to marijuana, parent smoking
behavior, and family participation in other alcohol
and other drug programs).
Data on youth and family resilience and AOD
use outcomes were collected before program ini-
tiation, after program services, and 1 year after
program initiation. Parents in the intervention
group reported statistically significant gains in
knowledge about AOD and enhanced beliefs
against using these substances, compared with
parents in the control group (Johnson et al. 1995,
1998). Both parents and youths in the intervention
group reported a statistically significant increase
in use of community services to help deal with
personal or family problems, compared with par-
ents and youths in the control group (Johnson
et al. 1995,1998). The evaluation also found
positive moderating effects on delayed onset and
frequency of AOD use among youth.
Case Example
Doris (fictitious name used to protect her true
identity), a single mother with five children, par-
ticipated in the CLFC Program. During the initial
Screening and Program Placement Survey meet-
ing, she reported that she engaged in the program
because the children’s fathers were “alcoholics
and drug addicts”who had abandoned her and
the children. She was frustrated with her constant
need to “threaten, spank, and argue with her chil-
dren.”She particularly wanted to “prevent her
male children from turning out like their fathers.”
She and three of her children participated in the
program.
Early in the Raising Resilient Youth module,
Doris participated in an exercise to reflect on how
her own upbringing might have affected her
approach to childrearing. Along with discovering
4 Creating Lasting Family Connections Program
that her parents were not able to meet all of her
needs as a child, she further became aware of how
she was relying heavily on a series of “power and
threat”techniques that were unintentionally trig-
gering defensiveness and rebellion in her children.
In another training room, her children were mak-
ing their own discoveries about kind and compas-
sionate relationships and developing empathy for
their mother in the corresponding Developing
Independence and Responsibility module. Next,
Doris learned and practiced skills of listening
and validating her children’s feelings, while
establishing clear, fair, and consistent expecta-
tions and consequences. While she struggled
with expectations and consequences, she also
responded to the interactive experience of the
Getting Real module. Doris volunteered to receive
personal coaching during role plays on integrating
her thoughts, feelings, and verbal and nonverbal
language. With a little practice, Doris began pro-
viding more clear and compassionate messages to
others, including her children. Her children were
practicing similar communication skills of trust,
empathy, and saying “no”to others regarding
negative behaviors like alcohol and drug use
while learning to show respect for the other person
in the role play. In the alcohol and other drugs
module, Doris realized how deeply and perva-
sively her father’s alcoholism had affected her
and her family. As Doris recognized alcoholism
as a disease (rather than her father’s choice to
abandon her), she expressed feelings of under-
standing and forgiveness toward her father. She
also recognized how her relationship with her
father affected the choices she made for romantic
partners. She expressed openness and excitement
for the possibility of bringing healing to herself
and her children. As her children participated in
the youth version of the alcohol and drug module,
two of her children expressed recognition of how
they played certain roles in the family. The oldest
child recognized that he alternated between
playing a “hero”role when he did well and a
“scapegoat”role when he made mistakes.
A second child recognized how she played the
“mascot”role by using humor to deflect attention
from the family pain. Both of these children
seemed to particularly benefit from learning to
express their emotions and from the closeness
they felt with their mother when she could vali-
date them. The children made a connection that
not all hurtful situations needed to turn into angry
interactions. This reduced blame and fighting in
the family.
A year after participating in the program and
several case management sessions, she and her
children reported less angry and disrespectful
behavior in the family and more communication
and support. Both Doris and her children were
beginning to listen and validate each other more
and argue less. Doris stated with pride and satis-
faction that her children really improved atten-
dance at school and she reported less family
conflict, less school problems, and greater success
in schoolwork. She said that her children appeared
to have less interest in alcohol and other drugs.
She reported that she thought the entire program
was very interesting and very helpful. She added
that it was really hard to be good at everything she
learned in the classes. Because of the family’s new
way of thinking and talking about alcohol, other
drugs, and emotions, Doris said she could see
her children doing better and that is what
mattered most.
Cross-References
▶Creating Lasting Family Connections Father-
hood Program: Family Reintegration
(CLFCFP)
▶Creating Lasting Family Connections Marriage
Enhancement Program (CLFCMEP)
References
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Creating Lasting Family Connections Program 5
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6 Creating Lasting Family Connections Program
