Harriet Tubman Shelter (initiated 2009)
This pilot project, an adaptation of Parenting through Change (PTC), was developed by Dr. Abigail Gewirtz in collaboration with Dr. Gerald August. The 14-week parent group was tailored for mothers temporarily housed in shelters due to homelessness or domestic violence in Minneapolis, Mn. Groups retained 90% of the mothers over the 14 weeks despite the fact that the number of mothers living at the shelter dropped from 80% to 30%. Mothers participating in the project expressed a high level of satisfaction. Gewirtz, A. H., & Taylor, T. (2009). Participation of homeless and abused women in a parent training program: science and practice converge in a battered women’s shelter. In M. F. Hindsworth & T. B. Lang (Eds.), Community participation and empowerment (pp. 97-114). Hauppage, NY: Nova Science Publishers.
Early Risers-Healthy Families Network (initiated 2013)
This program involved a partnership between the University of Minnesota and the Family Housing Fund and its partners in the Twin Cities Metro area. The pilot project provided PTC groups to families in family supportive housing sites as part of an empirically supported family-based prevention program. Outcomes from the randomized controlled trial showed significant decreases in children’s depression and externalizing behavior as well as maternal reports of increased confidence and improved parenting. Gewirtz, A. H., DeGarmo, D. S., Lee, S., Morrell, N., & August, G. (2015). Two-year outcomes of the Early Risers prevention trial with formerly homeless families residing in supportive housing. Journal of Family Psychology, 29, 242-252. doi:10.1037/fam0000066 Gewirtz, A. H., DeGarmo, D. S., Plowman, E. J., August, G., & Realmuto, G. (2009). Parenting, parental mental health, and child functioning in families residing in supportive housing. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 79(3), 336-347. doi:10.1037/a0016732