This event will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish.
Familia Adelante (FA) is a culturally informed prevention and early intervention program designed specifically for at-risk Latino youth aged 10-14 and their families. The 12-week program focuses on mitigating risk factors for substance use in Latino youths through family engagement and education. By addressing relocation-related stress, substance use prevention, sex education, HIV risk, and other relevant topics through a cultural lens, the program aims to strengthen familial bonds and reinforce cultural protective factors. The program has shown effectiveness in preventing substance use as well as reduced behavioral and emotional challenges among Latino youth. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of leveraging and strengthening extended family support systems, cultural traditions, and values to build family resilience and foster a strong sense of ethnic identity and belonging (Cervantes et al., 2011).
This “Cafecito Entre Nos...” provides a unique opportunity to meet the developer of this Evidence Based Program and discuss elements of the program. The dialogue will provide insights into the impact of FA as a culturally informed interventions on substance use prevention and to promote effective strategies for engaging Hispanic families in these efforts.
Throughout the conversation participants will learn about
The implementation of FA in preventing substance use among Hispanic youth by addressing cultural stress and fostering protective factors.
Nationally applied FA practices that enhance youth communication with family and peers, improve psychosocial coping and life skills for Hispanic youth and parents, increase knowledge and perception of the harms associated with substance use, and decrease substance use.
Lessons learned from implementing FA, including strategies for balancing the program's framework with the unique cultural needs of the communities served.
GUEST SPEAKER:
Dr. Richard Cervantes
Dr. Cervantes is the Research Director at Behavioral Assessment, Inc. and is Senior Research fellow at Long Beach Center for Behavioral Research and Services Department of Psychology. At California State University. Dr. Cervantes has published numerous scientific journal articles as well over a dozen book chapters relevant to Hispanic/Latino youth, family, mental health, and health issues. He is the developer of the Hispanic Stress Inventory, a self-report instrument designed to assess culture-specific life-event stress experienced by Hispanic/Latino individuals in the U.S. and Familia Adelante, a family focused prevention and Intervention program. Dr. Cervantes has years of experience in the conduct of community-based research and evaluation and is familiar with necessary multi-dimensional evaluation methodologies needed in community and applied settings. He has served as Principal Investigator on numerous NIH and Foundation funded studies over a 20-year career span.