Healing through Parenting: An Intervention Delivery and Process of Change Model Developed with Low‐Income Latina/o Immigrant Families

• Published date: 01 March 2019
• Date: 01 March 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12429
• Author: J. Ruben Parra‐Cardona

Healing through Parenting: An Intervention Delivery

and Process of Change Model Developed with

Low-Income Latina/o Immigrant Families

J. RUBEN PARRA-CARDONA*

Low-income Latinas/os are exposed to widespread mental health disparities in the United

States. Most recently, a resurgence of anti-immigration narratives has led vulnerable Latina/o

immigrants to experience considerable contextual stressors with multiple deleterious conse-

quences for their overall well-being, including significant disruptions to their parenting prac-

tices. Within this context of adversity and despite the multiple benefits associated with parent

training (PT) prevention interventions, the availability of contextually and culturally relevant

PT interventions remains limited in underserved Latina/o communities. This paper consti-

tutes a contribution to this gap in knowledge by presenting a model of intervention delivery

utilized in the dissemination of culturally adapted versions of the evidence-based intervention

known as GenerationPMTO.

©

The proposed model also describes a process of change that we

have documented in empirical research with low-income Latina/o immigrant parents who

have been exposed to the adapted interventions. The manuscript is organized in four sections.

First, an overview of the model is discussed, along with a brief summary of major theories.

Next, the core components of the model are described, complemented by the presentation of

a case study. Finally, implications for prevention and clinical intervention are discussed.

Keywords: Parenting;Parent Training;Cultural Adaptation; Process of Change; Social Justice

Fam Proc 58:34–52, 2019

Latinas/os

1

have become the largest ethnic minority population in the United States

(US), however, low-income Latinxs continue to be seriously impacted by widespread

*Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ruben Parra-Cardona, Steve Hicks

School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 1925 San Jacinto Blvd. Stop D3500, Austin, TX,

78712. E-mail: rparra@austin.utexas.edu.

Sincere thanks to Marion Forgatch, ISII Executive Director and Laura Rains, ISII Director of Imple-

mentation and Training. Their extraordinary support has been essential for the dissemination of Genera-

tion PMTO with underserved Latina/o populations. Deep gratitude to Karen S. and Richard S. Wampler,

as well as James C. Anthony, for their inspiring mentoring and unwavering support.

Iwouldliketoexpressmydeepgratitudetothecourageousparentswhohaveparticipatedinouradaptedinter-

ventions. This program of research would not be a reality without the strong commitment of our community part-

ners, interventionists, project managers, and members of the research team. My deep gratitude to the many

mentors who have supported this program of research,as well as to our committed Co-Investigators Cris Sullivan,

Deborah Bybee, Guillermo Bernal, Brian Dates, Lisa Tams, and Melanie Domenech Rodrı

´guez. The study was

supported by funds from the National Institute on Mental Health R34MH087678 and Nat ional Institute on Drug

Abuse (NIDA) K01DA036747 (to JRPC). In addition, NIDA grants K05DA015799 and T32DA021129 (to JCA).

The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the

National Institute of Mental Health, theNational Institute on Drug Abuse, or the National Institutes of Health.

1

Although I fully recognize the political importance of the term “Latinx,” I utilize the terms “Latinx” and

“Latina/o” interchangeably in this document, particularly because our research informs the implementa-

tion of parenting initiatives in Latin America. Thus, the use of both terms indicates the current contro-

versy of the term in Latin American countries by scholars and practitioners who caution about the

potential risks of imposing a US-based term across Latin American cultures.

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Family Process, Vol. 58, No. 1, 2019 ©2019 Family Process Institute

doi: 10.1111/famp.12429

mental health disparities (SAMHSA, 2015). For example, although meta-analytic data

indicate that parent training (PT) interventions constitute the gold standard for prevent-

ing child and youth externalizing behaviors, the availability of contextually and culturally

relevant PT prevention interventions continues to be scarce in underserved Latinx com-

munities (Gerdes, Kapke, Lawton, Grace, & Hurtado, 2015).

Most recently, researchers have documented the ways in which anti-immigration

narratives and policies have led to a variety of contextual stressors that negatively

impact vulnerable Latina/o popula tions (Hatzenbuehler et al., 2017; McHugh, 2018),

including detrimental effects on their daily parenting practices (Cardoso, Scott, Faul-

kner, & Lane, 2018). Thus, there is high need for theoretical models aimed at describ-

ing the most effective ways to deliver culturally relevant parenting interventions to

underserved Latina/o populations, particularly when considering the multiple contex-

tual and cultural challenges that these populations are currently experiencing through-

out the US.

Addressing existing gaps in parenting scholarship as it relates to underserved Latina/o

immigrants constitutes an urgent need because effective parenting constitutes a critical

protective factor in the lives of children and youth (Michelson, Davenport, Dretzke, Bar-

low, & Day, 2013). Similarly, there is a need to better understand the process of change

that Latinx parents experience as they are exposed to culturally adapted PT interventions

aimed at supporting their parenting efforts.

This paper constitutes a contribution to this gap in knowledge by presenting a model of

intervention delivery utilized in the dissemination of culturally adapted versions of the

evidence-based intervention known as GenerationPMTO.

©

The proposed model also

describes a process of change that we have documented in empirical research with low-

income Latina/o immigrant parents who have been exposed to the adapted interventions.

We consider this component of the model to be relevant as nurturing parenting can pro-

vide healing experiences for caregivers exposed to intense contextual adversity and

adverse childhood backgrounds (Wong, 2009). To clarify, the proposed model was devel-

oped based on lessons learned through the implementation of parenting prevention stud-

ies with underserved Latinx immigrant families, in an effort to maximize reach with a

population that experiences significant challenges to access high-quality mental hea lth

services.

HEALING THROUGH PARENTING: AN INTEGRATIVE AND APPLIED MODEL

Recognizing that the parenting literature is vast and comprehensive and that various

parenting models have already been developed and empirically tested (Johnson, Berdahl,

Horne, Richter, & Walters, 2014), the main goal of this paper is to offer a resource to fam-

ily therapists and other mental health practitioners directly involved in the delivery of

parenting interventions to underserved Latinx immigrant populations. Thus, the applica-

bility and relevance of the model for additional diverse populations remains to be demon-

strated in empirical research.

The manuscript is organized in four sections. First, an overview of the model is dis-

cussed, along with a brief summary of major theories. Next, the core components of the

model are described, complemented by the presentation of a case study. Finally, implica-

tions for prevention and clinical intervention are discussed.

Core and Informing Theories

The proposed model has been developed based on lessons from the cultural adaptation

of the efficacious parenting intervention known as GenerationPMTO. Specifically, an

Fam. Proc., Vol. 58, March, 2019

PARRA-CARDONA

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