Topic: Behavioral Problems, Parenting, Relationships
Target Population: Parents
Sector: Community-Based
This program is delivered to parents who are divorced or separated and have children who are 3 to 18 years old and is intended to impact parents and their children.
New Beginnings Program for Divorcing and Separating Parents (NBP), a family- and community-based preventive intervention program, is designed to strengthen parenting skills, improve parent-child relationships, and decrease children’s exposure to interparental conflict.
Randomized controlled trials (RCT) by program developers have been conducted on NBP. Initial positive outcomes were found on child's externalizing behaviors, mother-child relationship quality, and maternal effective discipline compared to a control group; however, there was no significant effect on child's internalizing behaviors. In a 6-year follow-up, positive program effects were found for those who were at greater risk for developing later problems at baseline on the following: adolescent's externalizing behaviors; symptoms of mental disorder; alcohol, marijuana, and other drug use; educational expectations; and job aspirations as compared to a control group. In a 15-year follow-up, NBP had significant effects on young adult's internalizing disorders; painful feelings about divorce; and, in males only, on less favorable attitudes toward divorce and on substance-related disorders and drug use. Results indicated positive moderated effects of the program to strengthen parenting at posttest and to reduce child mental health problems at posttest and at the 10-month follow-up. Parent ethnicity and age of child were primary moderators as non-Hispanic White families benefited to a greater degree than Hispanic families. Finally, posttest results from an RCT of an electronic version of the program indicated significantly higher parent-child relationship quality, more effective discipline, lower interparental conflict, and lower child mental health problems in the intervention group compared to those in a wait-list control condition.
NBP intends to give parents the skills and tools they need to help their children adjust following separation or divorce. The program is delivered in weekly group and individual sessions. Parents and therapists work on skill acquisition in the following areas:
Separate groups are offered for mothers and fathers. Sessions include a brief lecture, skill demonstration, skill practice, and homework assignments. In addition, participants discuss challenges and successes they experienced while trying to implement the skills at home.
NBP was created in 1988 and has been delivered at eight sites, including organizations in Arizona and Indiana and in the Netherlands.
Sessions are facilitated by mental health professionals with at least a master's degree. A 3-day, in-person training is available for approximately $2,000 per person. Following this training, participants receive in-depth training and supervision while they deliver the program. Training is also offered to groups of providers who are affiliated with an agency or court system that would like to train multiple providers. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.
Considerations for implementing this program include obtaining funds for training costs, licensing, and program materials; acquiring parent buy-in; obtaining group leaders with adequate education/experience and ensuring they receive training; and providing child care, if needed, to allow parents to attend all sessions.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
If you are interested in implementing NBP, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
The program consists of 10-weekly, 2-hour group sessions and two individual 1-hour phone sessions.
Required implementation materials cost $900 and include a leader manual, DVDs for group sessions, and a set of 10 parent workbooks. Licensing costs for leaders ranges from $1,425 to $1,825 per leader. Please visit https://familytransitions-ptw.com/new-beginnings-program/info-for-professionals/program-costs/ for more information on implementation costs.
To move NBP to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence at least one external evaluation must be conducted that demonstrates sustained, positive outcomes. This study must be conducted independently of the program developer.
The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu
You may also contact Family Transitions by mail 2249 S Faith, Mesa, AZ 85209, phone 1-888-329-1328, email support@familytransitions-ptw.com, or visit https://familytransitions-ptw.com/contact-us/
Christopher, C., Wolchik, S., Tein, J., Carr, C., Mahrer, N. E., & Sandler, I. (2017). Long-term effects of a parenting preventive intervention on young adults’ painful feelings about divorce. Journal of Family Psychology, 31(7), 799-809. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000325
Sandler, I., Wolchik, S., Mazza, G., Gunn, H., Tein, J., Berkel, C., … Porter, M. (2020). Randomized effectiveness trial of the New Beginnings Program for divorced families with children and adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 49(1), 60-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1540008
Sigal, A. B., Wolchik, S. A., Tein, J., & Sandler, I. N. (2012). Enhancing youth outcomes following parental divorce: A longitudinal study of the effects of the New Beginnings Program on educational and occupational goals. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 41(2), 150-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2012.651992
Wolchik, S., Christopher, C., Tein, J., Rhodes, C. A., & Sandler, I. N. (2019). Long-term effects of a parenting preventive intervention on young adults’ attitudes toward divorce and marriage. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 60(4), 283-300. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2018.1528530
Wolchik, S. A., Sandler, I. N., Millsap, R. E., Plummer, B. A., Greene, S. M., Anderson, E. R., … Haine, R. A. (2002). Six-year follow-up of preventive interventions for children of divorce. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 288(15), 1874-1881. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.288.15.
Wolchik, S. A., Sandler, I. N., Tein, J., Mahrer, N. E., Millsap, R. E., Winslow, E., … Reed, A. (2013). Fifteen-year follow-up of a randomized trial of a preventive intervention for divorced families: Effects on mental health and substance use outcomes in young adulthood. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(4), 660-673. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033235
Wolchik, S. A., Sandler, I. N., Winslow, E. B., Porter, M. M., & Yun‐Tein, J. (2022). Effects of an asynchronous, fully web‐based parenting‐after‐divorce program to reduce interparental conflict, increase quality of parenting and reduce children's post‐divorce behavior problems. Family Court Review. https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.
Wolchik, S. A., Tein, J., Winslow, E., Minney, J., Sandler, I. N., & Masten, A. S. (2020). Developmental cascade effects of a parenting-focused program for divorced families on competence in emerging adulthood. Development and Psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.1017/
Wolchik, S. A., West, S. G., Sandler, I. N., Tein, J., Coatsworth, D., Lengua, L., … Griffin, W. A. (2000). An experimental evaluation of theory-based mother and mother–child programs for children of divorce. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(5), 843-856. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.68.5.
Wolchik, S. A., West, S. G., Westover, S., & Sandler, I. N. (1993). The children of divorce parenting intervention: Outcome evaluation of an empirically based program. American Journal of Community Psychology, 21(3), 293-331. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00941505
