OUR SERVICES
Train the Trainer Program
Build the capacity of your teams in providing culturally-tailored high quality education to Latinx family.
Our TtT Program offers frameworks and tools to prepare effective and confident facilitators by:
- Understanding Latinx socio-economical and cultural context
- Gaining facilitation skills tailored to adult and young learners
- Delivering impactful trainings in person and online
- Practicing different facilitation strategies
- Receiving mentorship from experienced facilitators
- Planning and administering training evaluations
In addition, we offer topic-specific tracks:
- Facilitating sexuality programs
- Facilitating programs for families
- Facilitating programs for youth
- Facilitating Programs for fathers
Client: HealthFinders Clinic
Challenge
The clinic hired new people to provide group trainings about sexuality and healthy relationships to the Latinx community they serve. They realized that reaching and educating the Latinx community is different than working with other communities that they already had experience with. They needed something:- In Spanish and English
- Culturally sensitive
- With practical tools to use with their families
Familia Solutions Approach
Assesment: Familia Solutions met with the clinic manager and discussed their needs and learned about the community they served (Latinx immigrants, many undocumented, mostly from rural areas of Mexico) Plan: 10 hour training for the new hires that included: 1.Cultural characteristics of Latinx families 2.Opportunities and Challenges working with Latinx families 3.Facilitation techniques 4.Logistics to implement a training online and in-person 5.Evaluation and reporting caseCurriculum Development /Cultural Adaptation and Program Implementation
Effective health promotion programs are developed considering the strengths and needs of communities. Many health promotion curriculums are successful with some communities but not with everyone.
We specialize in adapting curriculums and interventions to serve specific communities, taking into account their culture, language, traditions, and beliefs.
Case Study
Client: University of Maryland/University of Minnesota
Challenge
Adaptation of the Padres Preparados, Jóvenes Saludables in person curriculum to a mobile application format
They needed to:
- Deliver the content in an engaging way
- Have similar activities to the ones done in person
Familia Solutions Approach
Assesment: getting familiar with the in-person program, it’s strengths and weaknesses.
Plan: adaptation of the content of the in-person curriculum to a mobile app through:
1.Creation of short animated videos with the content to be delivered to participants.
2.Adaptation of in-person activities to a virtual format
3.Ongoing evaluation of the sessions created with a team of experts.
Testimonial
“Ms. Javiera Monardez Popelka is a highly talented professional focused on the development and implementation of prevention programs utilizing mHealth (mobile health) technologies. She worked with our team of University faculty and staff to adapt and deliver community-based programs. Her cultural understanding and strengths-based approach towards the audience is extremely valuable. We regularly look forward to consulting with her about program design and implementation”. (Dr. Ali Hurtado Faculty at University of Maryland – School of Public Health)
Community Outreach and Research Support
Do you need help reaching the Latinx community for your research or pilot intervention? Do you need community members for a focus group or interviews?
We have partner with many organizations and high ed institutions reaching out to communities. We can partner with your team to reach your goals faster and in a culturally sensitive manner.
Case Study
Client: Padres Informados, Jóvenes Preparados Collaborative.
Challenge
Developing and testing a mobile app to support Latinx parents of adolescent managing the stress of parenting.
They needed to:
Perform a needs assessment interviewing stakeholders and the community
Survey Latinx parents
Recruit participants to participate in the study
Train the participants in app and device use
Interview participants after using the app.
Testimonial
“My work with Javi as part of the Padres Informados Jovenes Preparados (PIJP) program has demonstrated her exceptional ability to conduct successful outreach. Javi is a passionate, innovative, warm, and hard-working individual with outstanding organizational and communication skills.The PIJP program is a parent-based prevention program, designed through community-based participatory research, to support parenting skills and thereby reduce Latinx youth substance use. Javi was responsible for implementing the development of the PIJP website and helped to design the train-the-trainer model of the program. In addition, she has been closely involved with the development of the PIJP app and the Padres Preparados Jóvenes Saludables app. In these efforts, Javi has gathered stakeholder feedback, organized material, and conducted user testing to ensure community feedback. More specifically, in the formative research we conducted to build the PIJP app, Javi worked with a number of community organizations, identified community events to reach community members, conducted over 30 interviews, and trained community members on how to use a wearable device. Her extensive networking and genuine care for the families in the community makes her an excellent example of family-based community practice”. (Dr. Jennifer Doty, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences University of Florida)
Workshops
At Familia Solutions we believe that each community has its own specific needs. We develop tailored training and workshops in Spanish and English to effectively reach your desired outcomes and advance the wellbeing of communities.
We base our workshops on Kolb’s experiential learning theory, which states that “learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience”.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Learning cycle stage | Example of activities for workshops |
Concrete Experience | Facilitators explain the content of the sessions using audiovisual materials |
Reflective Observation of the New Experience | While facilitators guide the sessions, they ask questions to make participants reflect and share their experiences to connect them to the content taught |
Abstract Conceptualization | Abstract Conceptualization |
Abstract Conceptualization | Participants have to set goals and get handouts to practice at home the content learned. Many times we create online platforms where they can share what they do after the sessions with what they learned. |
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Our workshop’s development and implementation include:
1. Needs Assessment of the community and the organization we will work with
2. Establishing the outcome the organization wants to achieve
3. Research to develop the workshop’s content based on the needs and characteristics of the community to be trained.
4. Delivery of the outline of the workshops including activities and handouts to be used to the organization for approval.
5. Creation and management of registration platform
6. Facilitation of the customized workshop
7. Evaluation of the workshop
8. Report of results of the evaluation
9. Follow up after the workshop with the organization.
We can create customized workshops based on your needs, or you can choose from one of our current workshops already developed.
PARENTING We focus on promoting positive parenting, and practical skills for parents to support their family interaction. Generally we offer a series of sessions where we talk about communication, discipline, conflict resolution, and cultural influence in parenting. During each session we use role-play, games, guided self-reflection, and goal setting activities to support participants in developing tools and effective strategies that help parents in raising confident, empathetic, and strong children, while understanding and welcoming each parent’ individual journey of parenthood. We divide parenting workshops by the age of their children: Parents of babies (0-2 yo) Parents of toddlers and preschoolers (2-5 yo) Parents of elementary school kids (6-9 yo) Parents of tweens (10-12) Parents of teens (13-18) Parents of young adults (19-24)
SEXUALITY The principles that guide our sexuality workshops are that sexuality is a natural part of human beings, that knowledge helps and does no harm, and that parents are the first and most important educators for their children. We center our workshops on family values and making right, informed, and independent decisions. We provide sexuality workshops for the following audiences: Some of the topics we discuss during our sexuality workshops are: The workshops include audiovisual materials, interactive activities, role-playing, case studies, and guided self-reflection.
HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT Each of these workshops is dedicated to one stage of development: Pregnancy Child development Adolescent development – Including puberty and adolescence developmental tasks
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND NUTRITION These workshops include: Nutrition Physical activity Disease prevention and treatment through lifestyle changes Sleep hygiene Children nutrition by age Healthy Pregnancy Healthy Aging Women’s Health Family Healthy Living
MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND WELLNESS These workshops are designed to help participants to understand the importance of mental health, what is normal and what is not, and when to ask for help. Some of the topics discussed during these workshops are: Anxiety Depression Mental Health red flags What to do in case of a mental health emergency How to stay mentally healthy Mindfulness techniques
CASE STUDY Need: Workshop for Latinx parents of 0-5 years old children about nutrition and healthy habits. They needed: An engaging workshop Practical and useful information Hands-on tips for parents Knowledgeable and engaging facilitators. CLUES’ feedback “Familia Solutions collaborated with CLUES in developing content about nutrition and wellbeing for Latino families, caregivers and their children. This was part of a pilot program aimed to support Latino children and their families to have a more successful transition to kindergarten and close the educational gap. The content that Familia Solutions developed was completely tailored to the needs and culture of the Latino families. Javi facilitation skills were amazing and the group was engaged throughout the session. 100% of the participants expressed that the information presented was “very useful””. (Andrea Martínez, Family Systems Project Manager) Participants feedback “I will change things so my children learn how to eat healthier with fruits and vegetables” “I learned how a good nutrition helps to maintain yourself healthy” “I liked to know that the portions for children are different from the portions for adults”Client: CLUES