School/Community Partnerships
Kern Parent Project
Parents: Do you feel your teenager is out of control, involved in drugs, alcohol or other self-destructive behaviors? The Parent Project may be a solution to your worry and frustration.
What is it?
- A 10 to16-week parent training program designed specifically for parents of strong-willed or out-of-control adolescent children.
- The curriculum teaches concrete identification, prevention, and intervention strategies for the most destructive of adolescent behaviors (poor school attendance and performance, alcohol and other drug use, gangs, runaways, and violent teens).
How does it work?
- Parents attend and learn, in a classroom setting, to manage teen behavior problems at home.
- An activity-based workbook, “A Parent’s Guide to Changing Destructive Adolescent Behavior,” is available only to program participants.
- Parents meet one time per week, two to three hours per session, for between 10 –16 weeks.
- Parent support groups are formed using the UCLA, Self-Help Support Group model.
- The focus of the program is to help parents learn specific ways to help change negative behavior.
Who sponsors and teaches the program?
- The Kern High School District and the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office sponsor the Parent Project program.
- The program is presented by schools, police and probation departments, mental health agencies, churches and other community-based organizations.
- There are over 3,500 trained facilitators in 36 states across the U.S., who have successfully completed the 40-hour Parent Project® Facilitator Training.
- There are over 120 trained Parent Project® Facilitators in Kern County.
- A registration fee may be required. A small fee for materials may also be required, and may be waived, depending upon the sponsoring district or agency.
Why the Parent Project®?
- Thirteen years in development, the Parent Project® is the only course of its kind. It was developed in direct response to the questions and challenges parents say they are facing with their strong-willed teenager.
- Over 150,000 families have attended Parent Project® classes, nationwide.
For more information: Sal Arias, Prevention Specialist (Project l80) Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office (661) 852-5661 or visit www.kernparentproject.org
Contact Us
Jeffrey Coggan, LCSW, PPSC
Program Supervisor-Prevention Services
School-Community Partnership, School Social Work
Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office
1300 17th Street- SCP Blanton
Bakersfield, Ca 93301-4533
Phone: (661) 852-5660
Email: jecoggan@kern.org
Agency Contact List
- ARVIN, LAMONT AND FRAZIER PARK:
Clinica Sierra Vista – Lamont, (661) 845-5100
Clinica Sierra Vista – Frazier Park, (661) 245-0250
Department of Human Servies, (661) 633-7270
Probation Department, (661) 868-5733
Public Health Department – Arvin, (661) 854-541
Public Health Department – Lamont, (661) 868-0502 - BAKERSFIELD:
Clinica Sierra Vista, (661) 397-8775
Department of Human Services, (661) 631-6398
Garden Pathways, (661) 633-9133
Mental Health, (661) 868-6754
Probation Department, (661) 852-5775
Public Health Department, (661) 868-0502
Centennial High School Parent Project Class of May 2007
- “I really feel like we’re learning methods that are effective and applicable if we are willing to try.”
- “The materials we are learning are things like real life experiences.”
- “The material is opening my eyes to ways I have been doing things wrong.”
- “These four people work well together to supply us parents with stuff we never thought of. It’s always a treat to come Thursday and see these smiling faces.”
Good morning,
I would like to share further the power of this class after attending Class 2 last night. First, we increased our attendance! And, the same parents came back. That alone was testimony of how they had felt helped and supported from the first class.
Next… who would think that you could teach a parent how they could not have any more arguments with their children!? Yet, those are the exact tools they were given last night. Once again, the “ah ha” moments filled the room. However, that ended up being the gravy.
Next topic was… the signs of suicide for parents to learn. One parent who had been actively participating in reading and discussion… grew silent. As her face was turned slightly away from me, facing toward the facilitating counselors up front, I couldn’t see what had happened. I did, however, observe the changed look on their faces. The parent then looked down and the next thing I saw was her wiping tears from her face. She looked up and said, Those signs are exactly what has been happening in our home for the last week or so. She also said that she had mentioned the strange behavior to her husband… but, they had no clue this could be a potential sign. We all felt her pain.
The response was excellent from the Staff. They all pulled together, gave her a plan and a promise of action for today to provide the family help.
While getting ready for work this morning, I couldn’t help but think how I had witnessed a perfect commercial that would so accurately apply to this program:
Price of the dinner? $2.00
Price of the manual? $22.00
Price of possibly saving a child’s life? Priceless.
I’m sure you can see just how valuable this class was… for everyone in that room.
Thank You for this wonderful and much needed class. I hope more teachers will get the opportunity to participate in this class in order to share heartfelt enthusiasm with the parents of their students.
Michelle Jaquette, Teen Advocate
K.C.S.O.S. – Career Plus! Center