The Young Parenthood Program: A Guide to Helping Young Mothers and Fathers Become Effective Co-Parents.

This clinical guidebook highlights the Young Parenthood Program (YPP), a brief research-based intervention designed to help young expectant couples learn to co-parent. The goal of the program is to support the development of interpersonal skills needed to maintain a constructive co-parenting relationships and diminish the risk of problems such as intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, or father disengagement. Following an explanation of the challenges faced by teenage parents, research findings on the effectiveness of YPP, and components and principles of the program, the role of the counselor and of the care coordinator are described. Chapters then explain the following six phases of YPP: engagement and assessment, setting program goals, interpersonal skill building, role transitions, looking forward, and follow-up on co-parenting support. Chapter 11 discusses common therapeutic issues and strategies for helping couples define their relationships or cope with their uncertainty and cope with infidelity and distrust, parenthood and the challenge of identity development, intimate partner violence, and prenatal loss. Final chapter address clinical assessment and program evaluation and cultural adaptation of the YPP. Appendices include the YPP toolbox and the YPP tracking and fidelity worksheet. Numerous references.