New Beginnings for Children of Divorce

The New Beginnings program is a group-based intervention for divorced mothers and their children that consists of 10 two-hour group sessions held either for mothers or concurrently for mothers and their children. Groups are led by two master's level clinicians. The intervention focuses on changing aspects of the child's environment that directly involve the child, including increasing effective discipline strategies, increasing mother-child relationship quality and decreasing exposure to interparental conflict. There are two individual phone sessions that are structured, but also allow for tailoring the program to specific needs. Program skills are taught through presentations, role-playing, and videotapes.

The dual-component intervention (for mothers and their children), consists of group sessions focused on changing behaviors that have been found to predict postdivorce adjustment problems, including coping strategies, mother-child relationship quality and interparental conflict. The mother-only program is certified as Model by Blueprints, as this program has been replicated. The dual-component (for both mothers and children) is certified as Promising only, as this program has no replication.

A 10-session group program, with two individual sessions, for divorced mothers and their children to promote resilience in children after parental divorce.

At the fifteen-year followup, NBP reduced the incidence of internalizing disorders for females and males and substance-related disorders and substance use for males.

Participants in NBP, have shown improvements and active use of appropriate coping mechanisms, communication, and lower risk behaviors towards sexual conduct and substance abuse.