The aim of this project is to adapt and evaluate a pilot implementation of the FERYA programme in two European countries. FERYA is designed to empower parents’ organizations to prevent risks related to substance use that affect their children. The programme has had a trial implementation in three Spanish regions during the last three years with very promising results in terms of parents’ implication to undertake preventive actions at local level.

FERYA builds up from the project ‘European Family Empowerment–EFE’, an exhaustive study co-financed by the EU and carried out in six European countries. Results from EFE, published in several scientific papers, constitute the theoretical and methodological foundations of FERYA. Despite the different levels of parental organization found across countries, lessons were learned and the network between the scientific partners and the parents’ federations established and consolidated along FERYA development. Analysis also showed that parenting styles work similarly across studied countries opening the door for transnational implementation.

The elaboration of a prevention programme, with a contextual approach, including an evaluation model to examine empowerment of the organizations, assessment of their readiness to change, and strengthening their foundations to actively engage them in prevention will represent an important advance in the field of community-oriented capacity building for substance abuse prevention.

Co-funded by  the European Union’s Justice Programme – Drugs Policy Initiatives

EPOPS – Empowering parents organizations to prevent substance-use – 758400 – JUST-2016-AG-DRUG (2017-2019)