Triple P Greenville (Positive Parenting Program)

Triple P Greenville – a partnership between the Children’s Trust of SC, Greenville First Steps, Greenville County Schools, the Duke Endowment, and 20 community organizations- provides a universally available, multi-tiered system of supports for children age 0-12 and their parents and caregivers embedded within the work of existing counseling and parenting services throughout the community.

Triple P is a high quality universally available evidenced-based multi-tiered intervention with more than 20 years of peer reviewed research. Triple P Greenville, launched in Spring 1999, is a partnership between Greenville First Steps, the Children’s Trust of SC, the Greenville County Schools and 20 community partners. Triple P is delivered with fidelity to a national model, as a multi-tiered system of supports- providing the correct “dosage” of parenting supports for the family. Parents can participate in large group sessions, small groups, or one-on-one, in addition communities have access to print, online, and community awareness resources. All Triple P services are also available through calendar on www.GreenvilleParents.com and new for 2023, the site includes links to online FREE Triple P resources funded by the Children’s Trust of SC.

Triple P Greenville was built using implementation consultation guidance provided by the Impact Center at Frank Porter Graham Institute – located within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill- with funding provided by the Duke Endowment. This team guided the Triple P Greenville Leadership team through an Implementation framework that helped the local site develop and deliver Triple P with model fidelity to the national model- while also adapting service delivery to local community strengths and needs. The Triple P Greenville Leadership team worked with the Impact Center through online and onsite intensive consultation for the first 12 months of program design and implementation. (see attachment for summary documents developed during Implementation consultation work)

As a part of developing the Triple P Greenville service delivery plan, Greenville First Steps and Greenville County Schools leadership staff met with school counselors, social workers, Title 1 facilitators, and school based mental health counselors. This group of stakeholders embraced the opportunities that Triple P provided them. As one counselor explained in a follow-up survey: “these are all tools for our toolbox! Parents are hungry for resources, but also hesitant to be singled out for ‘parenting’ services”. Another noted that “Triple P helps normalize interventions. Through Triple P I can open a door with a family for additional school based supports”.

Since Spring 2019, Triple P Greenville (Positive Parenting Program) has served more than 3,250 parents and caregivers with parenting support sessions including large group sessions (e.g., PTA meetings), small group meetings (e.g., teen parent cohorts) and series of one-on-one sessions.

In a report released by Dr. Barron Holmes and Dr. Dan Wuori, 48% of SC 3rd graders who tested “not ready” on state administered standardized tests, came from homes where family violence, neglect or trauma were present. According to Annie E Casey data, incidences of family conflict have risen sharply during Covid pandemic- as parents and families adjust to new working and living conditions, and are forced to internalize the stressors of work and life into home life. Helping parents address and adapt to stressors in the home has a direct impact on the child’s ability to learn. Reducing and managing stressors was the primary objective of embedding Triple P resources within the homes of our families and caregivers.

One successful implementation was a partnership between Greenville County Schools 4K services offered at the Greenview, Dunbar, and Overbrook Child Development Centers. Parents were invited to attend a series of Level 2 sessions (focusing on topics such as “Power of Positive Parenting” and “Raising Resilient Children”). Parents and caregivers also were able to stay after session for lunch with their children. Over the Fall of 2022, 585 families participated in these 4K Triple P programs within the Greenville County Schools 4K Child Development Centers.

At conclusion of programming, parents and caregivers complete end of course post-surveys.

Commonly reported outcomes include:

• Reduction in caregiver stress or anxiety
• Caregiver recognition of additional conflict resolution and coping strategies
• Improved communication between caregivers, schools, and community partners

Another success story comes from Sara Collins elementary school- where Triple P is embedded into the school’s multi-tiered system of support. The School Counselor, Sarah Payne, offers large group sessions- and as parents request additional help she offers small group sessions. If additional supports are needed Ms. Payne can refer families to Tiffany Whitney, who serves the school as a School District social worker – and can provide referrals to Sarah Mendez who can offer intensive one-on-one sessions with parents and children as requested. This coordinated system of delivery ensures that each Sara Collins ES parent receives the appropriate level of Triple P support- with opportunities for additional supports as needs change. Teachers and Administrators have celebrated the opportunities Triple P has offered the school as outreach and as a resource. One administrator wrote: “Triple P is the connection piece we needed in our schools! Addressing home-life stressors in a positive and proactive way, ensured Parents and Teachers can better work together to support our students.” (see letter of support from Greenville County Schools Superintendent Dr. Burke Royster within accompanying attachment)

Counties Served

Greenville

Annual Cost

$322,771

Partner Organizations

To launch Triple P Greenville, we formed a Community Advisory Board. This CAB meets 6 times a year, reviews service delivery data and outputs as well as summary data from post-program surveys, reflects on service areas with unmet needs, explores opportunities for collaboration. The CAB includes representatives from: Childrens Trust of SC, Greenville County Schools, Greenville and SC First Steps, Greer Relief, Prisma Health System, Bon Secours Health System, United Way of Greenville County, SC Dept of Juvenile Justice, Communities in Schools, Phoenix Center, Bob Jones University, SHARE Head Start, Greenville Mental Health (SC Dept of Mental Health).

Additionally, Triple P Greenville has a Greenville County Schools support team- which meets quarterly with a focus on program alignment with District priorities, and to explore ways to integrate Triple P services within the areas of Greenville County Schools where parent supports are most needed. This support team includes representatives from Greenville First Steps, Greenville County Schools, Childrens Trust of SC, and Greenville Mental Health. Offices/Departments of Greenville County Schools that are represented on this School Leadership team include: District Title 1 Director (Randolyn Harmon) , School Counseling (Rob Rhodes) , School Social workers (Ken Arnold), Greenville Schools 4K (Amanda Lecaroz), Teen Pregnant and Parenting specialists (Stacey Scott), Greenville Mental Health (Chris Haines) (please note some members changed in middle of 2022-23 school year).

Triple P Greenville is delivered by 60 trained practitioners who embed Triple P within their existing organizations- practitioners include 35 Greenville County Schools Counselors, Greenville school based mental health counselors, Greenville County Schools social workers, Greenville County Schools Title 1 facilitators. Additionally, Triple P practitioners were certified within the following organizations: Upstate Fatherhood Coalition, Little Steps, the Parenting Place, Phoenix Center, Just Say Something, SHARE Head Start, Greer Relief, Bloom Therapy, and The Zone. (See complete list of Leadership Team members and participating organizations within attachment)

One example of this successful partnership is the relationship between Triple P Greenville and the Upstate Fatherhood Coalition. The Upstate Fatherhood Coalition has a history of providing parenting support- typically delivered to fathers as a court mandate- generally as a condition of custody proceedings. Upstate Fatherhood Coalition has generally offered a home-grown parenting program developed by staff within the organization. Using Triple P Greenville funds, Upstate Fatherhood Coalition staff were trained in multiple levels of Triple P – not to offer as an additional service but as an enhancement of these existing parenting services- ensuring that evidenced based curriculum and best practices are provided. Since trainings and certifications do not expire, Upstate Fatherhood Coalition is able to continue to offer these sessions at no additional cost to the organization for years to come.

The Upstate Fatherhood Coalition is an example of the more than 275 triple P sessions this broad coalition of practitioners offered, serving 3,250 Greenville County parents and caregivers.

Funding Sources

Cash:

• $276,215- Private Funding provided by Children’s Trust of SC (and The Duke Endowment)
• $46,556- State funding provided through Greenville First Steps (and SC First Steps)

In-Kind:

$132,391- Greenville First Steps funding for operational support (including $93,000 in Payroll/Benefits/FICA for 2.0 FTE Program Director and Data collection/data entry support team members and $39,391 for Rent/Professional Development/Office Equipment

Evidence

In Greenville, Triple P has assisted in reducing problematic behaviors in children, and improving wellbeing and parenting skills. Parents and caregivers utilizing Triple P coaching say they are also less stressed, less depressed and less likely to use harsh discipline within the household. The supportive parenting style promoted by Triple P helps families create structure and boundaries for their children, guiding their behavior.

Programmatic and implementation outcomes demonstrate the Triple P project is meeting expectations. 600 participating caregivers provided feedback on their experience in this program, and all outcomes showed positive trends:

– 98% agreed that the facilitator was knowledgeable
– 98% agreed that they planned to use the parenting advice they received
– 97% agreed that they feel comfortable asking for parenting help
– 97% agreed that the Triple P services met their needs

All outcome data from caregivers participating in Triple P Level 4 also showed positive trends. More than half of participants showed improvement in the following indices: Family Functioning and Resiliency, Family Nurturing and Attachment, Family Social Support, Positive Parenting, and Inconsistent Discipline. The greatest improvement shown was in Family Functioning and Resiliency.

On-site coaching is an additional value-add provided by Triple P Greenville for practitioners. Using resources developed by the Impact Center at Frank Porter Graham, Triple P Greenville leadership team members provide quarterly coaching sessions for practitioners- where survey and service delivery data is reviewed. Additionally, each provider receives a bi-annual capacity assessments- allowing practitioners and their supervisors the opportunity to reflect on the Triple P services provided, including review of data, goal setting, and adaptations of implementation and delivery plans developed at the practitioner and partner agency level. (See Triple P South Carolina annual report- developed by the Childrens Trust of SC- that reflects the incredible outcomes of Triple P Greenville along with services offered in Georgetown and Spartanburg- included in attachment)

Sustainability

In the development of Triple P Greenville, the Children’s Trust and Greenville First Steps were intentional that we wanted to develop a framework of Triple P services embedded within the existing network of parenting and child serving agencies. The goal is to ensure parents received appropriate, evidenced-based, parenting supports from people they already have built a relationship with. Also, by embedding this Triple P practitioner framework within an existing network of providers, services can continue far beyond the conclusion of Duke Endowment funding. As a result, with more than 5 dozen practitioners equipped to serve clients, Triple P services are well-positioned to be offered within schools, non-profits, and counseling centers for years to come at relatively no cost.

Through ongoing coaching and supports- Triple P Greenville Leadership team members have been able to work alongside community partners- ensuring their adoption of Triple P practices and embedding of Triple P services within their existing scope of work. This embedding of work will ensure that Triple P will be continued beyond Duke Endowment funding.

Additionally, Greenville First Steps has committed to providing an internal position to assist the Childrens Trust of SC in supporting Triple P practitioners, continuing the school and community leadership teams, and providing books, training resources, and support materials as requested.

Grades Served

• Early Childhood (Pre-K – 2)
• Elementary (3-5)

Related Subjects

• Family Engagement

Contact Information

Derek Lewis, derek@greenvillefirststeps.org