Summary
Delivery of the intervention: Group
Aim of the intervention: The VOIKUKKIA peer group strengthens the parenthood in families, whose children are in custody or placement.
Aim of the intervention: The VOIKUKKIA is a structured, peer group-based intervention, which is targeted at parents of children in custody or placement. The objective is to strengthen and empower the parenthood through peer support (Kivinen et al. 2012). Peer groups are steered by a peer instructor who has attained VOIKUKKIA-training. The instructors interview parents who are interested in the peer groups and evaluate the suitability of the parents in the group. Usually a social worker attends the group as well. The VOIKUKKIA-peer groups gather ten times. The VOIKUKKIA guidebook structures the meetings, but topics brought up by the parents are dealt with in the groups too. The parents, who have participated in the VOIKUKKIA-intervention, have the possibility to become trained peer instructors as experts by experience.
Availability of the intervention in Finland: Social and healthcare professionals working with child families can attain a training as a VOIKUKKIA-instructor and parents who have participated in the VOIKUKKIA-intervention can attain a training as a peer instructor. Instructor training is organized by Suomen Kasvatus- ja perheneuvontaliitto (Suomen Kasper Ry) together with Sininauhaliitto. There is no accurate information of the regional availability of this peer group intervention that has been developed in Finland.
Research- and evidence-based efficacy of intervention: There is neither research-based evidence of the efficacy of the intervention nor peer reviewed research on it.
Literature:
- Kivinen, S., Hägglund, H. & Söderholm, P. (2012). VOIKUKKIA-vertaistukiryhmän perustaminen. Teoksessa: Kivinen, S., Hägglund, H., Söderholm, P. & Kujala, V. (toim.): VOIKUKKIA-vertaistukiryhmät. Opas sijoitettujen lasten vanhempien vertaistukiryhmien perustamiseen ja ohjaamiseen. Helsinki: Painotalo Repe Oy, 19–48.