“Nourish and Flourish” Conversation Guides TEAM LEADS Kelly Kunkel, MS, MCHES Extension Educator University of Minnesota
“Caring for Our Kin”:
LONG-TERM GOAL To improve mental health among Minnesotans—especially in low- income populations and populations of color PROJECT CONTEXT One in five adults in the United States lives with a mental illness, and nearly half of all counties in Minnesota recently identified mental health and well-being as a top priority in their Community Health Improvement Plans, a recurring initiative by the Minnesota Depart- ment of Public Health. GOALS FOR NTAE GRANT PERIOD • Revise and distribute three conversation guides to help staff in four rural community support programs (CSPs) have conversa- tions with CSP clients about ways to improve their mental health and well-being. • Develop a protocol to train CSP staff to use the conversation guides.
LONG-TERM GOAL To create stability and reduce trauma for children whose parents are unable to care for them, by supporting and educating the family members who have stepped in as guardians and caregivers PROJECT CONTEXT Across the nation, approximately 3% of all children—more than 2 million—are in “kinship” care, meaning that they are being raised by relatives when their parents cannot care for them. Research shows that while kinship care can provide stability for children, kinship caregivers experience heightened psychological distress and poorer health compared to their peers. GOALS FOR NTAE GRANT PERIOD • Pilot a 12-session “Caring for Our Kin” curriculum with at least 10 kinship caregiver support groups across the country. • Provide training, technical assistance, guidance, and mentorship to facilitators. • Collect feedback from facilitators and participants that will in- form revisions to the curriculum. • Increase caregivers’ knowledge of topics important to their care- giving roles, help them build relevant skills, improve their confi- dence and outlooks, and enhance their social support networks.
A Curriculum for Kinship Caregiver Support Groups
TEAM LEAD Kristina Brant, PhD Assistant Professor Pennsylvania State University CATALYST Rick Klemme, PhD
Abby Gold, PhD Extension Specialist University of Minnesota CATALYST Dyremple Marsh, PhD
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2023-2024 YEARBOOK | EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE
EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE | 2023-2024 YEARBOOK
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