Implementing Familias Fuertes In Emerging Immigrant Contexts: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Program Feasibility and Acceptability

Background and Purpose: Latine families living in emerging immigrant destinations such as Tennessee encounter unique sociocultural stressors (e.g., immigrant-exclusionary climates, language barriers, and limited access to culturally responsive services) that heighten behavioral health risks among youth (Held et al., 2022). Culturally tailored, family-based prevention programs have demonstrated effectiveness in strengthening parent–child relationships and reducing youth behavioral risks (Parra-Cardona et al., 2021; Piñeros-Leaño et al., 2023). Familias Fuertes (FF), a seven-session adaptation of the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP 10-14), is designed for Spanish-speaking Latine families to prevent substance use and related outcomes. Although FF has shown promise in Latin America and select U.S. contexts (Orpinas et al., 2014; Pinheiro-Carozzo et al., 2021), limited research has examined its implementation in non-traditional immigration settings. This study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of FF among Latine families in Tennessee.

Methods: This mixed-methods study uses a single-arm, pre–post design across six FF cohorts implemented in partnership with two community-based organizations in Tennessee. Quantitative data include post-program surveys assessing satisfaction and likelihood of recommending the program (acceptability), and attendance records used to assess feasibility based on established benchmarks. Qualitative data are drawn from focus groups with caregivers, youth, and facilitators to further explore acceptability and implementation experiences. Descriptive statistics were used to test whether feasibility and acceptability benchmarks were met, while inductive thematic analysis guided qualitative data analysis.

Results: Findings indicate feasibility and acceptability of FF. 43 caregiver-youth dyads engaged in the program, with at least five dyads participating per cohort in majority of cohorts. 65.4% of dyads completed at least five of seven sessions, meeting feasibility benchmarks. More than 85% of caregivers and youth reported high satisfaction and willingness to recommend the program. Qualitative findings suggest participants perceived the program as valuable for improving family communication, perspective-taking, and boundary setting. Facilitators identified implementation challenges, including curriculum pacing and alignment, as well as linguistic and cultural complexities in bilingual, bicultural group settings, and described strategies used to address these barriers.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings have direct implications for advancing social work research, practice, and policy. For research, findings underscore the role of pilot studies in assessing feasibility and acceptability as key precursors to effectiveness trials, particularly for identifying adaptations that enhance cultural relevance, engagement, and participation in under-resourced settings. Future studies should incorporate community-based participatory approaches and longitudinal designs to examine sustained outcomes and contextual adaptation. For practice, results highlight the need for flexible, culturally and linguistically responsive implementation strategies, including bicultural facilitation and ongoing support for addressing structural barriers faced by families. For policy, findings highlight the viability of investing in community-based infrastructure, funding culturally grounded prevention programs, and expanding access to bilingual services in non-traditional immigration states. Together, these efforts are essential to advancing equitable behavioral health prevention for Latine youth and families.