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The Hexagon: An Exploration Tool
The Hexagon can be used as a planning tool to guide selection and evaluate potential programs and practice for use.
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Core Components
The three-tiered programme is designed to enhance the schools existing multi-tiered systems of support such as Positive Behaviour Interventions and Support (PBIS) and Response to Interventions (RtI) with a family component in each tier. The programme starts at a universal whole school programme and links this with selected and targeted intervention for the individual young person and their family. The intermediate goal is to improve family communication and engagement with school, the long-term goal is to improve child mental health and reduce adolescent anti-social behaviour and drug experimentation. The programme is delivered to the parents and children in a middle school setting.
Tier 1 (universal) is directed at all parents of the school. This level’s goals include engaging parents to create a reciprocal partnership between school and family. Teachers and families complete a universal screener, the Strengths and Needs Assessment, to gain information about the students at home and to identify areas of potential difficulty. The children undertake a 6-week class programme, SHAPe (Success, Health, and Peace). The topics include success at school, making health decisions, building positive peer groups, the cycle of respect, coping with stress and anger and solving problems peacefully. There is a family homework activity to complement each topic to support the learning and promote positive student behaviours. The universal intervention is designed to support positive parenting practices and engage parents of high-risk youths in the selected intervention.
At this level the school is encouraged to create a Family Resource Centre to provide a dedicated space for family-based work. Family events are arranged within the school and parents are provided with information about a range of topics such as transitioning between grades, establishing norms for parenting practices, using rewards and setting boundaries. There is also information given to parents identifying risks for problem behaviours and substance use.
Tier 2 (for selected students) is directed at those students who require early, brief intervention for concerns such as educational attainment, attendance or behaviour. The aim is to promote caregiver involvement in making positive changes in the young person. The individual needs of the young person are identified, and the intervention is planned by school support staff who are trained to make early contact with the family, using a check in/ check out model to increase family participation. Other supports include attendance and homework support and alerting parents to difficulties via text messaging.
Tier 3 is targeted at students who require more intense support. Using the School Based Family Check Up, families undertake a getting to know you interview to establish rapport and provide information about the process. This is followed by an assessment to explore concerns and complete a family questionnaire to monitor the students’ strengths and needs. A motivational feedback session is arranged to discuss the assessment results and develop an agreed individualised treatment programme using existing school supports and adding a family component at each level of support.
Fidelity
There are no formal fidelity measures, however, there are pre and post self-evaluation checklists provided. Progress is also measured by consultation with teachers and parent’s/caregiver’s.
Modifiable Components
There are no specific population adaptations as the Tier 2 and 3 programmes are tailored to the individual needs of the family.
Positive Family Support was developed by the team behind the Family Check Up® (Dishion and Stormshak), further details of which can be found in this resource. Implementation support and advice about Positive family Support can be obtained from Arizona State University.
Support for Organisation / Practice
Implementation Support
The programme providers carry out a readiness assessment with prospective sites to determine the best training model for them and will provide a report for considerations prior to training.
Consultation services are included in the first-year implementation costs. These services include 15 hours virtual consultation (via webinar or telephone conference) and technical assistance. There is an opportunity for schools to purchase additional support thereafter.
Licence Requirements
There is no license requirement.
Start-up Costs
The training costs $15,000 for the comprehensive programme which includes all 3 levels of training, consultation and technical assistance for the first year. Travel expenses for trainers are billed at actual cost.
The typical resources required for implementing the programme are:
Building Staff Competency
Qualifications Required
No professional qualifications are needed for Tier 1 training. This is available for any staff member at school who has contact with the young person.
There is no recommended level of qualification required for Tier 2. Intervention is carried out in collaboration with the student support team. The support team consists of the school professionals required to meet the young person's needs e.g., literacy specialists, educational psychologists and therefore, likely to have a professional qualification.
Tier 3 intervention is delivered by staff that will be delivering targeted interventions, including the School Based Family Check-Up and may consist of some of the same professionals identified in Tier 2.
Training Requirements
The Training package includes:
o worksheets for school staff and families, tools that can be used for repeated measurement, parenting videos, parenting brochures, family questionnaire and feedback forms
Tier 3 – Individualized Level PFS Support Training:
Additional Services Available:
Supervision Requirements
There is no supervision or coaching model available.
Theory of Change
The Positive Family Support (PFS) programme is based on social learning theory and the social interactional model. It proposes that evidence-based parent training and academic support strategies positively impact on the student’s social, emotional behaviour and school engagement.
Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4
Research Design & Number of Studies
The best evidence for children aged 6-12 years comes from 3 internally conducted randomized controlled trials (RCT’s). The first was conducted with 106 high risk youths recruited in 6th grade (approximately age 11 years) through to 9th grade (Connell & Dishion; 2008). The second included 593 middle school participants over 3 years from 6th grade to 9th grade and looked at the efficacy of the model in preventing antisocial behaviour and substance misuse (Stormshak et al. 2011). The last study identified included 12912 participating students with an average age of 11.9, from 41 American public schools (Smolkowski et al. 2017). There are also a number of high-quality studies that have been conducted on the Tier 3 section of the programme (Family Check Up), outcomes can be found in the Family Check Up pages here.
Outcomes Achieved
Child Outcomes
• Significant reduction in self and mother reported depressive symptoms among the high-risk group by 9th grade (Connell & Dishion; 2008).
Key References
Connell, A.M. and Dishion, T.J. (2008). Reducing Depression Among At-Risk Early Adolescents: Three-Year Effects of a Family-Centered Intervention Embedded Within Schools. Journal of Family Psychology, 22 (4), 574.
Smolkowski, K., Seeley, J. R., Gau, J. M., Dishion, T. J., Stormshak, E. A., Moore, K. J., Falkenstein, C.A., Fosco, G.M. & Garbacz, S. A. (2017). Effectiveness evaluation of the Positive Family Support intervention: A three-tiered public health delivery model for middle schools. Journal of School Psychology, 62, 103-125.
Stormshak, E. A., Connell, A. M., Véronneau, M.-H., Myers, M. W., Dishion, T. J., Kavanagh, K., & Caruthers, A. S. (2011). An Ecological Approach to Promoting Early Adolescent Mental Health and Social Adaptation: Family-Centered Intervention in Public Middle Schools. Child Development, 82(1), 209–225.
Adolescents: 13 to 18 years - Rating:
Need
Comparable Population
Positive Family Support is a universal and targeted programme typically delivered to young people (12-14 years) within a school setting. The programme seeks to reduce mental health difficulties and substance misuse by engaging families and improving family relationships.
Is this comparable to the population your organisation would like to serve? Has your organisation identified families who may benefit from this programme?
Desired Outcome
Positive Family Support is associated with improvement in youth self-regulation, school attendance and grades. Programme outcomes also include a reduction in depression, substance misuse, anti-social behaviour and bullying.
Are the above outcomes priorities for your organisation? Does your organisation have other systems in place that effectively and efficiency address the above outcomes?
Need Score
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Fit
Values
The Positive Family Support programme is a three-tiered preventive programme delivered to adolescents (12-14 years) and their families, to improve family and school engagement and reduce the risk of adolescent anti- social behaviour, depressive symptoms and drug misuse. It is typically delivered within in a school setting.
Is your organisation looking to provide an intervention that aims to reduce adolescent susceptibility to substance misuse, depression and improves self-regulation? Is your organisation looking to provide an intervention that aims to increase family engagement with school?
Priorities
Positive Family Support is designed to increase school and family relationships by enhancing existing multi- tiered school supports such as Positive Behavioural Interventions and Support (PBIS), by adding a family component at each level of support.
Would an intervention that addresses a range of behavioural and emotional problems in young people suit your organisation? Would an intervention that can be delivered within the school setting be a priority for your organisation?
Existing Initiatives
Does your agency have existing programmes designed to engage with families and promote positive behavioural change in students? Do existing initiatives focus specifically on encouraging prosocial parenting and family support? Are the existing initiatives effective? Do they existing initiatives fit your current and anticipated future requirements? Are they delivered in the school setting or other settings?
Fit Score
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Capacity
Workforce
All school staff who have contact with students are encouraged to attend the 4-hour training workshop for Tier 1 of the programme. There is a 4-hour training workshop for Tier 2, which is aimed at selected staff who will be implementing brief interventions for young people, such as learning support and behaviour support. Tier 3 training is an 8- hour workshop aimed at staff who will be implementing the School Based Family Check- Up. These may be the same staff who are trained in Tier 2 of the programme.
Does your organisation have practitioners with who are interested in learning and delivering this programme at the different tiers? Does your organisation have the capacity to allow staff the time needed to attend the training? Will staff be given the time needed to do this work within their existing job plan?
Technology Support
Positive Family Support materials include DVD’s, electronic measures such as questionnaires and feedback forms.
Can your organisation provide the technology for practitioners to access and utilise the materials, such as computer/ television to view parenting DVD’s?
Administrative Support
Positive Family Support is typically accessed in the school setting.
Does your organisation have space for a dedicated family resource centre/ room to meet with families? Can your organisation make available all the administrative materials required to deliver the programme in the chosen setting? (e.g. photocopied materials).
Financial Support
The training costs $15,000 for the comprehensive programme which includes all 3 levels of training, consultation and technical assistance for the first year. This excludes trainer expenses.
How many practitioners will deliver this programme within your organisation? Can your organisation support the financial costs of implementing the programme?
Capacity Score
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