AVANCE-Houston FRAMEWorks Program Evaluation

AVANCE-Houston seeks to understand whether a standard or compressed schedule format for delivering the Survival Skills for Healthy Families curriculum better meets the needs of low-income adults to improve skill retention and, ultimately, to promote better outcomes for healthy family relationships and economic stability.

AVANCE-Houston's FRAMEWorks (Family, Relationship, and Marriage Education Works) Project seeks to promote healthy family relationships and economic stability by providing the Survival Skills for Healthy Families (SSHF) curriculum to cohorts of low-income adults. Developed by Family Wellness Associates, SSHF is an evidence-based curriculum delivered through a series of workshops that focus on communication skills, conflict resolution, knowledge of the benefits of marriage, stress and anger management, parenting skills, financial literacy, job and career advancement, and relationship skills to improve family and economic stability. In the past, AVANCE has offered two curriculum delivery models: recurring weekly workshops (standard schedule format) and intensive weekend retreats (compressed schedule format). Each model meets the needs of the target population in different ways, and participants consider factors such as childcare, work/school schedules, weekend availability, and geographic location when choosing their preferred model. Though each service delivery model has potential advantages, research does not indicate which program model is better for improving outcomes overall, or for which type of participant. The recurring, weekly workshop classes allow for participants to practice what they have learned between sessions but could be less effective if participants drop out of the program before completing the curriculum. Weekend retreats reduce the risk of program attrition but could be less effective if participants do not retain the information or practice learned skills over time. Which type of model is more effective also likely depends on the interaction between the participant (e.g., learning style, existing commitments) and the delivery format. AVANCE-Houston seeks to understand whether a standard or compressed schedule format for SSHF curriculum delivered as a primary service in the A-HFP better meets the needs of low-income adults to improve skill retention and, ultimately, to promote better outcomes for healthy family relationships and economic stability. Primary outcome measures will indicate whether behavior improved for healthy family relationships (parent and partner) and financial readiness. Secondary outcome measures will indicate whether improvements were made for the attitudes and expectations that facilitate and reflect behavior for healthy family relationships and economic stability.

Participants in arm 1 receive 14 hours of Survival Skills for Healthy Families curricula over 7 weeks. Participants also receive employment supports and case management services. Participants in arm 2 receive 14 hours of Survival Skills for Healthy Families in a compressed format during a 16-hour weekend retreat, followed by a 2-hour reflections workshop two weeks later. Participants also receive employment supports and case management services.

Participants in this arm receive 14 hours of Survival Skills for Healthy Families curricula over 7 weeks. Participants also receive employment supports and case management services.

Participants in this arm receive 14 hours of Survival Skills for Healthy Families in a compressed format during a 16-hour weekend retreat, followed by a 2-hour reflections workshop two weeks later. Participants also receive employment supports and case management services.

Intervention 1: AVANCE-Houston FRAMEWorks Program Weekly Workshops Spread Across 7 Weeks (spaced out format)

Participants in this arm receive 14 hours of Survival Skills for Healthy Families curricula over 7 weeks. Participants also receive employment supports and case management services.

Intervention #2: AVANCE-Houston FRAMEWorks Program Weekend Workshops in 16-Hour Retreat (compressed format)

Participants in this arm receive 14 hours of Survival Skills for Healthy Families in a compressed format during a 16-hour weekend retreat, followed by a 2-hour reflections workshop two weeks later. Participants also receive employment supports and case management services.

Will participants report significantly healthier parenting behavior after completing primary educational services and support services? Items measured include: Parenting behavior measured with: 2 items - frequency of support for child (4-point scale) Measured on the parenting behavior scale #1 as: 1 = Never, 2 = Hardly ever, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often The higher the rating, the better the score.

Change from baseline in parenting behavior (frequency of support for child) at 12 months from enrollment.

Will participants report significantly healthier partner relationship behavior after completing primary educational services and support services? Items measured include: Partner relationship behavior measured with: 7 items - frequency of key relationship behaviors (4-point scale) Measured on the partner relationship behavior scale #1 as: 1 = Never, 2 = Hardly ever, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often Some items in this scale are reverse-coded. For 6 items, the higher the rating, the better the score. For 1 item, the lower the rating, the better the score.

Change from baseline in partner relationship behavior (frequency of key relationship behaviors) at 12 months from enrollment.

Will participants report significantly improved financial readiness after completing primary educational services and support services? Items measured include: Financial readiness measured with: 2 items - presence of a savings account and checking account (dichotomous) 1 = Yes, 0 = No, so the higher the rating, the better the score.

Change from baseline in financial readiness (presence of savings and checking accounts) at 12 months from enrollment.

4A) Will participants report significantly healthier parenting attitudes after completing primary educational services and support services? Items measured include: Parenting attitudes measured with: 2 items - frequency of supportive feelings toward child (4-point scale) Measured on the parenting attitudes scale #1 as: 1 = Never, 2 = Hardly ever, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often The higher the rating, the better the score.

Change from baseline in parenting attitudes (frequency of supportive feelings toward child) at 12 months from enrollment.

Will participants report significantly healthier parenting attitudes after completing primary educational services and support services? Items measured include: Parenting attitudes measured with: 1 item - level of agreement with statement about parenting (4-point scale) Measured on the parenting attitudes scale #2 as: 1 = Strongly agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Disagree, 4 = Strongly disagree The lower the rating, the better the score.

Change from baseline in parenting attitudes (level of agreement with statement about parenting) at 12 months from enrollment.

5) Will participants report significantly healthier partner relationship attitudes after completing primary educational services and support services? Items measured include: Partner relationship attitudes measured with: 5 items - level of agreement with how supportive partner is (5-point scale) Measured on the partner relationship attitudes scale #1 as: 1 = Strongly agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Disagree, 4 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Not applicable The lower the rating, the better the score.

Change from baseline in parenting attitudes (level of agreement with how supportive partner is) at 12 months from enrollment.

Inclusion Criteria: Adult (age 18 and older) Reside in Harris County (Houston area), TX Exclusion Criteria: Minor (under the age of 18) Reside outside of Harris County (Houston area), TX

All participant data will be confidential and aggregated. No individual participant data will be released unless requested by the courts. This study looks at data as a whole.