MP360 Parenting Sessions

NOTE: Anyone referred to our MP360 Program from Bexar County Court of Law 13 with Honorable Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez, please first contact John Vacca, Executive Director of MP360, via cell 210-519-1304.

Sessions Overview:

As part of the Healing Family Violence intervention program (about half), MP360 provides class sessions for parents based, in part, on some of the elements of the “Face and Heart – Cara y Corazon” program for adult parents developed by Jerry Tello. Face and Heart – Cara y Corazon is a family strengthening, leadership development program that maintains that at the base of every culture, community, family and parent are the resiliency factors that can be tapped to assist parents and family members to build positive, healthy relationships with their children and themselves. By building on positive cultural values and traditions the curriculum guides parents to reflect on how they can maintain this positive form of identity while integrating and adapting the positive elements to today’s contemporary society. Primary elements of Face and Heart include:

• Teaching parents realistic behavior expectations of children based on the stages and phases of development.
• Teaching parents appropriate, non-aggressive discipline and ways to manage and correct misbehavior. It is important to discuss specific examples of family rules and how firm rules can promote values of dignity, respect, trust, and love.
• Helping parents recognize their gifts (strengths). Family members must learn to recognize and celebrate each other’s gifts and use them when parenting.
• Connecting parents, if available, to Community Building Sacred Circles for continued care after they complete the parenting program: To create bonds and build relationships among parents for continued support and encouragement, leadership growth, continued healing, decision making, information exchange about local parenting resources.

In addition, the MP360 parenting sessions add or expand on certain topics or other elements for positive parenting including:

• Guidance toward positive or nurturing parenting (and away from negative or abusive parenting)
• Developing empathy toward a child’s needs
• Importance of good communication styles including the value of listening
• Appropriate parental expectations of the child
• Avoiding role reversal (where parents expect the child to be sensitive to the parent’s needs)
• Discipline and appropriate forms and levels of punishment
• Stopping inter-generational cycles of child abuse
• Parenting after violence

Under the current conditions and health-related restrictions, the sessions will be presented virtually through video conferencing using the Zoom online software. While the use of Zoom conferencing by MP360 is expected to be used for the foreseeable future, the program may be switched to live sessions (at a location to then be determined) if and when appropriate. Also:

• When permitted, the program is offered in a group setting as MP360 considers this approach to learning positive parenting behaviors and skills as the most effective format.
• MP360 program facilitators have extensive experience and/or training parenting issues, domestic violence, trauma healing and other related topics. They are and will continue to be violence-free, not abusing alcohol or drugs, and strive to be fair, unbiased, non-judgmental and not have sexist attitudes.
• Attendance at each and every session (if by the order of the court) is mandatory and parents missing any session without a clearly legitimate reason or extenuating circumstances will be reported to and dealt with by court officials. In addition, parents are also expected to actively participate in the session exercises and discussions, and not just be present.
• Upon meeting all of the requirements of the MP360 program and the Court (if court ordered), including successful completion of the program, the participant will receive a certificate of program completion from MP360 in a form prescribed by or otherwise acceptable to the Bexar County Court.