Effectiveness of a family skills training program for substance use prevention with inner city African-American families

Abstract

The effectiveness of the Safe Haven Program for the prevention of substance use, a family skills training program for African-American families, was evaluated through a nonequivalent comparison, repeated measures, quasi-experimental design which included pre- and posttest parent and child interviews, including the Moos Family Environment Scale and the Achenbock and Edelbrock Child Behavior Checklist. The results indicate that the Safe Haven Program is effective in increasing parenting efficacy and behaviors toward children, improving the childrens' risk and protective factors and behaviors, and supporting treatment reductions in the parent and family illegal substance use.