Web-Based Program Planning for Healthy Marriages Grants
Listed below are the web sites of organizations that are active in promoting programs that strengthen the family
These programs explained below are active in the field of helping couples form and sustain healthy relationships. We present this for your use as a resource. The links with programs will help you to understand what strategies different organizations use to nurture relationships. Inclusion of this list does not imply ACF support or endorsement for any of these programs. The list is not exhaustive, and there are many other local programs that provide services in this area.
I. Introduction
II. Premarital and Marriage Education
A. Couple Communication (CC)
B. Relationship Enhancement (RE)
C. Practical Application of Relationship Skils (PAIRS)
D. The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement (PREP)
E. Association for Couple in Marriage Enrichment
(ACME)
F. Family Wellness
G. The Power of Two
III. Premarital and Marriage Interventions
A. PREPARE/ENRICH
B. Foccus
C. RELATE
IV. Church-based Marriage Mentoring
A. Marriage Savers
B. Catholic Engaged Encounter (CEE)
C. World-wide Marriage Encounter
(WWMW)
D. Retronvaille
V. Marriage Education for Adolscents
A. Practical Exercises Enriching Relationship
Skills (PEERS)
B. Connections
VI. Other Programs Building Healthy Families
A. Becoming Parents Program (BPP)
I. Introduction
To get started, click on http://www.smartmarriages.com.
This is a resource that provides links to many other programs.
For a short introduction to marital preparation and education
programs, start with “We finally Know What’s Different
About Couples that Stay Happily Married” and then click
on “What’s the Number One Predictor of Divorce?”
After that you can click on the Directory to find a listing of
organizations that provide such programs.
To find out more about courses that train layman (a local case
worker or community leader) to handle family problems in refugee
communities, click on “Directory of Programs and Resources”
and then “How to Become an Instructor . . .” on the
left side of the page.
II. Premarital and Marriage Education
Marriage education is comprised of a variety of publicly and privately
funded programs, services, curricula and publications based on
a common premise that couples can learn how to have successful
marriages and become fully functioning families. Structured programs
take various forms and range from one-day seminars to semester
long courses. These are not therapy sessions or encounter groups.
Instead, they approach marriage preparation or crisis intervention
by teaching practical skills that can assist couples to communicate
more effectively and work together to foster and improve their
family's ability to function productively.
Some programs are designed for particular populations such as
step-families or young adults contemplating marriage. Others are
designed more broadly and may be focused by individual trainers
and counselors for particular audiences.
The content of the programs and courses can vary widely to include
topics such as finances within a marriage, parenting issues, conflict
resolution, anger management, and sexual relations among others.
Services are delivered through a variety of arrangements including
classroom sessions, weekend retreats, on-line courses, publications
and community activities. Below are a few examples of programs
and organizations that illustrate the diversity of approaches
among marriage and family education services.
CC www.couplecommunication.com
Couple Communication teaches a practical set of talking and listening
skills through four sessions:
- Caring About Yourself uses the Awareness Wheel to help you better understand yourself and talk about issues efficiently
- Caring About Your Partner applies the Listening Cycle to assist you in connecting with and understanding your partner better,
- Resolving Conflicts: Mapping Issues guides you in resolving important and complicated issues collaboratively, and
- Choosing Communication Styles expands your awareness and choices for communicating effectively in a variety of situations.
RE www.nire.org
Relationship Enhancement sponsors the Couples' Relationship Enhancement Weekend (CREW) which teaches practical attitudes, skills, and strategies for improving communication, cooperatively resolving relationship issues, and proactively working to bring about and maintain increased intimacy and relationship satisfaction. This two-day program consists of lectures, demonstrations of relationship skills by program leaders, and the opportunity for participants to practice skills privately with supervision. Although taught in a group format, there is no requirement for couples to share any information with other couples, and all skill practice is conducted in private. This program has been widely used for the purpose of marriage and remarriage preparation for over 25 years.
RE also provides marriage preparation and marriage enhancement programs as well as a couple interview process designed to help couples identify important relationship issues and individual differences which should be explored prior to marriage. Once couples have obtained this important information about each other, they can then participate in either premarital/remarital counseling or other programs offered by NIRE to learn important communication and relationship skills for cooperatively exploring and reaching agreements in these relationship areas, as well as for resolving other future issues which arise throughout their married life together.
Contact: Robert F. Scuka, N.I.R.E, 4400 East-West Highway, Suite 28, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4501;
Phone Number:
(301) 986-1479; fax (301) 279-2079;
E-mail: ROBSCUKA@earthlink.net
PAIRS www.pairsfoundation.com
Practical Application of Relationship Skills (PAIRS) was developed and established in 1975. Program options range from a one-day workshop to a 16-week mastery course and may be focused on issues ranging from premarital preparation through the problems of deeply troubled marriages. The PAIRS courses aim to teach participant couples communication skills that can contribute to meeting the goals of their marriage.
For more information contact: PAIRS Foundation, Ltd., 1056 Creekford Drive, Weston, Florida 33326, Toll Free (888) PAIRS-4U, Fax (954) 389-9596,
E-mail PAIRSline@aol.com
PREP www.prepinc.com
The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) is a comprehensive program for married couples or unmarried couples contemplating marriage that teaches skills for maintaining a lasting relationship. Topics include:
- effective communication,
- teamwork for problem solving,
- managing conflicts, and
- preserving and enhancing commitment and friendship.
PREP's designers have trained mental health professionals and clergy in both civilian and military settings to conduct workshops and utilize PREP concepts in their practice. Freestanding PREP books and tapes are available and are entitled Fighting for Your Marriage.
For more information contact: PREP, Inc., P. O. Box 102530, Denver, CO 80250-2530, Toll Free: (800) 366-0166,
E-Mail: info@PREPinc.com
ACME www.bettermarriages.org
The Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment (ACME) is a marriage enrichment program in the form of a membership organization that sponsors activities designed to equip couples with skills and resources to develop more satisfying marriages. ACME is international with chapters in many cities. Couples participate in ongoing enrichment activities, workshops, retreats and community events that aim to promote family wellness.
For more information contact: The Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment, P.O. Box 10596, Winston-Salem, NC 27108, Toll Free (800) 634-8325,
Email: acme@bettermarriages.org
Family Wellness www.familywellness.com
Through a twelve-hour family education program presented in six two-hour sessions, couples learn practical, lifelong skills to strengthen, support and empower their families as well as the tools necessary to resolve conflict and solve problems. Sessions use role playing, coaching, and other activities to teach family conflict resolution and supply each family with the tools to manage disruptive issues in healthy ways.
The Power of Two www.poweroftwo.org
The Power of Two teaches the skills couples need to discuss sensitive issues, resolve differences, and enjoy a harmonious relationship. Teaching methods include participatory exercises, no lectures. The courses emphasize skill drills for solid learning that are engaging and fun, like parlor games. The method includes marriage education only, no therapy or personal self-revelations.
Contact: Susan Heitler, Ph.D.,
TL: (303) 388-4211
E-Mail: DRHEITLER@THERAPYHELP.COM
III. Premarital and Marriage Inventories
Premarital and marital inventories are instruments that aim to provide people with an objective assessment of their strengths and weaknesses as a couple. Premarital versions of these tools are designed to help couples address differences in backgrounds and individual personality traits or differences in expectations that may cause them to have problems after they marry. Many of these instruments are available in versions tailored for married couples and are used in similar ways to the premarital versions. Generally an inventory is administered to the individuals in a couple separately, and their results are compared and serve as the basis for premarital preparation or marital education by a therapist, educator, or clergy. Some inventories are designed to be self-administered.
The objective of the inventories is to focus the premarital counseling or marital intervention on the specific issues the couple is facing. The stated purpose of these tools is not to determine whether two people should get married but to frame issues for discussion. The following are examples of widely used premarital and marital inventories.
PREPARE/ENRICH www.lifeinnovations.com
Prepare asks the individuals in a couple who are planning to marry if they agree or disagree with 165 statements in areas such as communications, conflict resolution, finances, family of origin and sexuality; e.g., I am concerned that my future spouse sometimes spends money foolishly; I am concerned that I am marrying too soon; my family approves of my future spouse; my future spouse and I have discussed the number of children we want. The couple and counselor then review a fifteen page computer generated report comparing the individuals' answers.
For more information contact: Life Innovations, Inc., Box 190, Minneapolis, MN 55440-0190, Toll Free: 800-331-1661,
Email: cs@lifeinnovations.com
FOCCUS www.foccusinc.com
Facilitating Open Couple Communications, Understanding and Study was developed for use in Catholic premarital preparation courses but is now available in four editions: General, Christian Non-Denominational, Catholic and Alternate (for learning impaired). Comprised of 189 questions, FOCCUS is designed to cover issues of communication, finances, and sexuality as well as cohabitation, and interfaith differences. A three-hour set of training videos, PC scoring software, and facilitator handbook enable people who are not professional counselors, such as volunteer mentor couples, to administer the FOCCUS inventory and lead discussions with couples planning to marry. REFOCCUS is a version of the inventory for use by married couples seeking marriage enrichment.
For more information contact: FOCCUS, Inc, 3214 North 60th St., Omaha, NE 68104, Toll Free: 888-874-2684,
Email: omahaflo.creighton.edu
RELATE http://relate.byu.edu
The Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire is an assessment tool for both marriage preparation and marriage enrichment. The RELATE inventory is designed to be used privately by couples or individuals or with a counselor or marital educator. The inventory results in a prepared report that includes graphs and charts displaying information on several aspects of a couple's relationship. The report addresses issues of interpersonal communication; assesses a couple's level of skill at managing conflict and building consensus; and aims to determine how characteristics such as family-of-origin, childhood relationships, and personality traits affect marital relationships. The cost for the on-line assessment is $10 per couple.
For more information contact: Relate, Box 25391, Provo, UT 84602-5391, Toll Free: 801-378-4359, Fax: 801-378-4385,
Email: RELATEsurvey@byu.edu
Web: www.relate.byu.edu
IV. Church-based Marriage Mentoring Programs
Marriage Savers www.marriagesavers.org
Mentor couples are trained to provide premarital preparation, work with married couples to strengthen their marriages, and work with couples in crisis. Couples with strong marriages that were once on the brink of failure provide mentoring for those in crisis.
CEE www.engagedencounter.org
Catholic Engaged Encounter provides quality marriage preparation primarily for couples who are planning to marry in the Catholic Church. However, couples who are not Catholic are also welcome to attend one of our weekends. The program is available in most dioceses in the United States and in many locations internationally.
WWMW www.wwme.org
World-wide Marriage Encounter uses the Marriage Encounter weekend to improve communication between husbands and wives. The weekend provides a conducive environment for couples to spend time together, away from the distractions and tensions of everyday life, while encouraging them to focus on each other and their relationship. It's not a retreat, marriage clinic, group sensitivity, or a substitute for counseling. It's a unique approach aimed at revitalizing marriage.
Retrouvaille www.retrouvaille.org
Retrouvaille is a live-in weekend and post weekend program for married couples. The emphasis is on a new technique of communication between a husband and wife. During the weekend, a series of in-depth presentations are given to you and other couples like yourselves. Each presentation, given by one of three married couples and a priest, focuses on a specific area of a marriage relationship. After each presentation, individuals will have a chance to reflect on it by themselves, then discuss it with their spouses in complete privacy. The weekend is not a spiritual retreat, not a sensitivity group, not a seminar, nor is it a social gathering. A couple will, however be encouraged, to put the past behind them and start 'rediscovering' one another again. The weekend is not a 'miracle cure', therefore, post-weekend sessions have been designed to continue the marriage renewal begun on the weekend. These follow-ups review earlier concepts in greater depth, present new ones and help couples apply these concepts to their own marriages.
For more information contact: Retrouvaille, c/o Ted and Iris Bjorn, Toll Free: (800) 470-2230,
Email: Bjornit@aol.com
V. Marriage Education for Adolescents
An important category of marriage education includes various approaches and curricula designed especially for secondary school students. These courses are based on the idea that children and youth, just like adults, can learn skills that will help them have successful marriages and form functioning families. The focus on teenagers is based on the belief that teaching interpersonal skills before young adults marry could help them have satisfying marriages later on and thus decrease the chances that their marriages will end in divorce.
PEERS www.pairs.com
Practical Exercises Enriching Relationship Skills is a comprehensive, sequenced program developed for high school students to teach skills that can: enhance communication, help resolve conflicts fairly, enable youth to avoid misunderstandings and violence, and promote a respect for differences among individuals. The program is an adaptation of the PAIRS course for adults and is designed to be taught in a classroom setting using activities such as brief lectures, role play, peer coaching, guided imagery, journal writing and group discussion. There is also a middle school version of the course designed to introduce similar topics to younger students.
For more information contact: The PAIRS Foundation, Ltd, 1056 Creekford Drive Weston, FL 33326 Phone: 954-3898142, Fax: 954-389-9596,
Email: pairsline@aol.com
Connections buildingrelationshipskills.org
This course is comprised of two units: Dating and Emotions (for ages 13-17) and Relationships and Marriage (for ages 16-20). The course for the younger students uses exercises designed to teach teens how relationships develop, effective ways to communicate, how to spot destructive patterns, and how to deal with romantic emotions. The marriage unit emphasizes practical tools for managing and making wise decisions about serious relationships and covers topics like self awareness, communication, and conflict. The materials include an activity called the Marriage Game.
For more information contact: The Dibble Fund for Marriage Education, Box 7881, Berkeley, CA 94707-0881, Toll Free: (800) 695-7975, Fax (510) 528-1956,
Email:DibbleFund@aol.com
VI. Other Programs Building Healthy Families
BPP http://www.becomingparents.com
The Becoming Parents Program (BPP) is a 24-hour educational program designed for married and unmarried cohabitating couples who are becoming parents for the first time through birth, adoption, or foster parenting. For biological parents, twenty-one hours of classes are scheduled during pregnancy, with a 3-hour "booster" session to be taken when the baby is 6 to 8 weeks old. The scheduling of classes for adoptive or foster parents depends on individual couples' circumstances. The course consists of a series of brief lectures, videos, group discussions, and individual and couple homework exercises. BPP includes as its foundation the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) and uses aspects of the Stop Anger and Violence Escalation Program and Domestic Conflict Containment Program, both of which focus on managing stress and anger and preventing physical violence. The course material is divided into three sections: couple care, self care, and baby care. BPP offers a 3-day instructor training course for $450 ($350 for persons who have already completed the PREP instructor training).
For more information contact: Pamela Jordan, P.O. Box 55521, Seattle, WA 98155-0521, Phone: 877- 586- 2778.