Free To Grow
Mailman School
of Public Health
Columbia University
722 West 168th Street,
8th Floor
New York, NY 10032
Mailman School
of Public Health
Columbia University
722 West 168th Street,
8th Floor
New York, NY 10032
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The Cards
The Cards - More Information Because they are easy to adapt to a variety of settings, The Cards have been used in many programs around the country, and not just for in-home family counseling. They have been used in substance abuse treatment programs, parenting classes, hospice programs and corrections settings. Families who have used the cards say The Cards are empowering, and enable them to look at both the good, and not-so-good, aspects of their lives. Families report that using The Cards motivates them to begin working on their problems. There is evidence that people are more likely to work on a plan if they have participated in developing it. This is particularly true if the plan includes items they want to work on, and not just the ones the program requires them to. With a family or group, sufficient sets of cards are necessary so that each person has his or her own set. When using the cards with a family, each member—except young children—begins with a set with which to determine his or her own values. Family members then discuss their values with each other to see where they match and where they do not. Next, family members utilize the "values" cards to identify the strengths in the family. The third set of cards helps each family member to name and prioritize goals, with the entire family cooperating to develop a set of family goals. One family that used this process found that the adolescent daughter's values were almost opposite those of her parents and younger brother. Family members then understood why they constantly disagreed and argued with each other. From that time forward, they became more respectful of each other, and the level of family conflict diminished as they worked on mutual goals. A team of individuals has used the tool nationally and is competent to train others to use it. The training takes about three to four hours. By following the steps in the Instruction Manual, many individuals have been able to use the tool with no training. |
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Disclaimer Free To Grow is a national program supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with direction and technical assistance provided by the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University. |