THE ROLE OF FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN BUILDING DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS AMONG YOUNG ADOLESCENTS - A NATIONAL SURVEY OF SERVICES AND STAFF TRAINING NEEDS

A survey of 659 family support workers' regarding training and their p rovision of services for families with 10- to 15-year-olds showed that 30% to 50% rated their previous training as inadequate or poor, had i naccurate knowledge about young adolescent development, and felt they were doing an inadequate or poor job promoting developmental assets fo r youths. Higher quality training was significantly related to the pro grams' potential excellence. Implications for providing training for f amily support workers and promoting collaboration are discussed.