Helping Families Pilot of a Family Resilience Program for Families Experiencing Homelessness

Strengthening Homeless Families

The goal of this study is to pilot an adapted family resilience program among families with a recent history of homelessness in Los Angeles County and to assess for feasibility and acceptability. The investigators have adapted a family resilience program called Families Overcoming Under Stress (FOCUS), a trauma-informed intervention designed for families experiencing trauma, parental substance use, and homelessness. Our primary hypothesis is that the adapted family resilience program will be feasible and acceptable to families with a recent history of homelessness. Families that are eligible to participate in the study will be assigned to the adapted family resilience intervention. The intervention program consists of around 8-10 modules lasting up to one hour each. The program provides psychoeducation and teaches resilience skills including communication, problem solving, goal setting, and how to deal with stress. Families will be asked to fill out 3 surveys (one at the beginning of the program, one at the end of the program, and at 6 months follow-up). Some families may also be asked to participate in a hour long interview after the completion of the program for feedback on the program.

At this time, all assessments and intervention are being conducted remotely due to the pandemic.

Inclusion Criteria:

• English speaking
• Family has a history of homelessness within the past two years (homelessness defined by the Department of Health and Human Services definition)
• Parent/guardian/caregiver has custody of and cares for a youth between the ages of 8-17
• Both youth and parent/guardian/caregiver are able to take part in an 8 module session intervention

Exclusion Criteria:

• Does not meet inclusion criteria
• Has taken part in a Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS) intervention previously