Colorado Circle of Parents Expansion (COPE)
What Is COPE?
The Circle of Parents Expansion (COPE) is a Federal grant that will be implementing Circle of Parents in Recovery peer support groups across the State. Circle of Parents is a nationally recognized, evidence-supported program that seeks to improve the well-being, permanency, and safety of children who are at risk of being removed from their homes because of their parents’ substance use.
Currently being implemented in selected counties across the state, COPE combines peer support groups with an existing program known as DANSR (Dependency and Neglect System Reform), which makes it easier for families to receive critical program supports.
COPE strives to increase all five protective factors associated with improved child welfare outcomes:
Concrete supports
Knowledge of parenting and child development
Social emotional competence of children
Social connections
Parental resilience
COPE offers participants free access to weekly support groups that are led by parents but include professional supports. These groups take a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach in a welcoming, nonjudgmental environment.
To promote a family experience, in-person groups provide dinner and childcare. Children will also receive psychoeducational content delivered by a trained professional.
The Children’s Bureau Regional Partnership Grant
Since 2007, Children’s Bureau has awarded six rounds of RPG funding to 109 grant projects across 38 states, including tribal communities. In round 6 (2019), Colorado was one of 8 grantees this round.
RPG is one of 3 Substance Use Provisions as a part of the Family First Prevention Service Act.
Circle of Parents and The COPE Project were listed in Colorado’s Family First Prevention Plan.
Click here to view and download a PDF version of the REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP GRANT ROUND 6 GRANTEE poster for distribution
Evaluating COPE
COPE involves a evaluation design using a Quasi Experimental Design.
The evaluation team from the Kempe Center and RTI will combine an outcome and process evaluation to achieve the following objectives:
What can we learn about the efficacy of the COPE Model?
One major goal of this study to build critical evidence for the model.
What can we learn about outcomes for families in Colorado who attend COPE and receive the DANSR approach?
In addition to understanding what happens to the families who receive the COPE intervention, the evaluation team will work to understand how the intervention influences child and family outcomes.
What can we learn about the impact of the DANSR approach on Colorado families?
This research will provide participating counties with a detailed understanding of clients participating in the outcome evaluation and the impacts of the COPE intervention and DANSR on parental substance abuse recovery, the permanency and safety of children and youth, and family functioning and child well-being.
COPE Related Podcasts and Videos
Peer Support Groups
Read more about this podcast at https://www.grayspeakstrategies.com/articles-archive/2020/4/17/podcast-episode-peer-support-groups
Peer Support Groups From The Frontline Perspective
Judge Ann Meinster from Jefferson County, CO discusses her interactions with the COPE project
COPE has been offering a series of trainings to professionals working in our field.
Here are the recordings:Shari Simmons’ Which Way?
Dr. Pollock’s Barriers and Supports: A Structural Approach to Serving Client Goals
Liz Bullard’s Four Steps to Decrease Pressure in Disruptive Times
Claudia Alvarez-Valber’s Family Centered Treatment
Statewide and County Flyers
The following are links to the statewide and county specific flyers. These will open in a separate window and can be downloaded and shared.
Statewide Flyer
ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Denver County
Larimer County
Jefferson County
Montezuma County
Prowers County
COPE Documentation and Partnership Links
ILLUMINATE COLORADO
Runs the Peer Recovery Group Circle of Parents
DANSR
The court program cases are referred from
RTI International
Evaluation Partner
KEMPE CENTER
Research Partner
OTHER LINKS
CDHS
Office of Respondent Counsel
Contact Information
For questions about the COPE Project, please contact
Maureen Leif, Project Strategist