Micah Projects is a community based not-for-profit organisation that aims to build community and break social isolation through the provision of services in the community. This practice guide aims to enhance the capacity of Micah Projects adult services to identify and incorporate the needs of children and engage adult clients on parenting issues.

This research study compares two models of service delivery for vulnerable families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness - crisis intervention and outreach planned family support. Clients from three service providers in Queensland - Micah Projects, Brisbane Youth Service, and the Domestic Violence Resource Centre - were recruited, with 88 families participating in the first round of interviews. Focus groups with stakeholders, and case file audits, were also conducted. The study investigates whether family demographic characteristics, housing, income and employment experiences differ between the two models; families' goals for housing, employment, health, and family life; and differences in outcomes over a twelve month period. Note, some clients were also affected by the 2011 floods in Queensland.

Psychological Crisis Intervention: The SAFER-R Model is designed to provide the reader with a simple set of guidelines for the provision of psychological first aid (PFA). The model of psychological first aid (PFA) for individuals presented in this volume is the SAFER-R model developed by the authors. Arguably it is the most widely used tactical model of crisis intervention in the world with roughly 1 million individuals trained in its operational and derivative guidelines. This model of PFA is not a therapy model nor a substitute for therapy. Rather it is designed to help crisis interventionists stabile and mitigate acute crisis reactions in individuals, as opposed to groups. Guidelines for triage and referrals are also provided. Before plunging into the step-by-step guidelines, a brief history and terminological framework is provided. Lastly, recommendations for addressing specific psychological challenges (suicidal ideation, resistance to seeking professional psychological support, and depression) are provided.

The first comprehensive text on stress and crisis management specifically tailored to courses focusing on the family Organized by stress model, this book helps readers understand the relationships among models, research, crisis prevention, and crisis management with individuals and families. Providing a balance of theory, research, hands-on applications, and intervention strategies, this innovative text presents a comprehensive overview of the field. Intended Audience Individual and Family Stress and Crises is ideal as a core text for upper division undergraduate and graduate students in courses such as Family Crisis, Family Stress & Coping, and Dysfunctions in Marriage & Family.

This set of fact sheets addresses the key issues coming out of 'A study of crisis intervention and planned family support with vulnerable families', a research report exploring the experiences of 88 families and their children who were homeless or at risk of homelessness. The fact sheets provide information on the key challenges for the families, and strategies for service providers to meet these challenges.

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.