FERYA [Active and Networked Families] – A Program to Empower Family Organizations for Environmental Prevention and the Promotion of Preventive Rights

Family involvement has proven to be a protective factor in childhood and adolescence, acting as a preventive barrier against risky behaviours, such as substance abuse and addiction, among minors and youth. Family- and community-based intervention strategies for environmental prevention have been deemed effective; however, empirical data is scarce. The study aims to provide a conceptualised framework for the FERYA program (Networked and Active Families), a bottom-up environmental prevention program running in Spain since 2012 (known as EPOPS — Empowering Parents Organizations to Prevent Substance use at EU level). FERYA integrates community- and family based approaches to prevent risk behaviours among youth by changing intervention paradigms from individual to community and environmental perspectives, especially aimed at leisure. For this purpose, the program focuses on the empowerment of Family Organisations (FOs) as leaders in prevention efforts within a larger community based stakeholder system. This study provides an overview of FERYA’s conceptual framework and outlines its development in Spain. It addresses the risk and protective factors identified during the intervention and its scope, the difficulties encountered during implementation, and the role of families in advocating for evidence-based prevention and promotion of their preventive rights. A Logic Model framework highlights the main variables in the planning process (i.e. resources, activities, products, results, and other related variables). Finally, this study addresses the importance of measuring the long-term outcomes of the program while considering contemporary socialisation modes, such as digital technologies, when planning environmental prevention strategies targeting the youth.