Empowering vulnerable parents through a family mentoring program
1Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 6 Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
Australian Journal of Primary Health
|August 14, 2015
Summary
The Creating Opportunities and Casting Hope (COACH) family mentoring program improved vulnerable parents' housing, employment, and mental health. This program addresses social determinants of health to break generational poverty cycles.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Work
- Family Studies
Background:
- Mentoring programs offer role modeling and social support.
- Home visiting programs assist at-risk families but often overlook broader social determinants of health.
- Vulnerable families require comprehensive support addressing factors beyond immediate parenting needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the Creating Opportunities and Casting Hope (COACH) family mentoring program.
- To assess the program's impact on vulnerable parents and their families.
- To understand how the COACH program addresses social determinants of health.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach was employed for evaluation.
- Semistructured interviews were conducted with parents (n=12).
- Surveys with mentors (n=27) and client case report reviews (n=27) were also performed.
Main Results:
- Parents reported improvements in housing, employment, family dynamics, social support, and mental health.
- Participants showed decreased drug and alcohol use.
- Mentors provided guidance on parenting, financial management, and domestic skills, facilitated by community partnerships.
Conclusions:
- The COACH program effectively addresses social determinants of health for vulnerable families.
- Mentoring can improve family well-being by tackling housing, employment, health, finances, and social support.
- Flexible, long-standing family mentoring programs are beneficial for child health outcomes.
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