About Us

The ACT for Strong Families program is housed at and coordinated by the Violence Prevention Office (VPO) in the Public Interest Directorate at APA.

The ACT program mission is to mobilize communities and educate families to create safe, nurturing, healthy environments that protect children and youth from violence and its consequences. APA is committed to making psychological knowledge and findings on violence prevention available to mobilize communities, organizations, and professionals to help families apply them in their daily lives.  

The ACT program accomplishes its mission by a) establishing partnerships and agreements with local, regional, and international organizations and agencies; b) by training professionals and other adults to disseminate research-based violence prevention knowledge and skills to adults; and c) by educating parents and caregivers to change and/or improve parenting practices that prevent violence and abuse in children’s lives. It is implemented in communities in the US and in other countries.

ACT Program Coordination at APA

As the coordination point for the program, at the Violence Prevention Office we,

• Work to integrate different approaches on identifying and preventing violence in the family.
  
  
• Develop training and educational materials and provide information and resources to professionals, policy makers, and the general public on violence prevention and related issues.
  
  
• Provide technical assistance and materials to professionals and organizations to implement the ACT Program in communities in the US and foreign countries.
  
  
• Coordinate the design and provide technical assistance for implementation of the program’s overall evaluation.
  
  
• Establish partnerships and provide technical assistance to five program regional centers that coordinate the program implementation in their regions.

The VPO has created five Regional Centers to coordinate the expansion and replication of the program in the various regions of the country. Their mission includes:

• Promotion of the program through local media and networks
  
  
• Organization of training workshops for professionals
  
  
• Assistance to those implementing the parent program in community sites in their regions

The centers are:

• Midwest I Regional Center is located in Chicago, Illinois covering Illinois, Indiana, Missouri & Wisconsin;
  
  
• Great Lakes Regional Center is located in Toledo, Ohio covering Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania;
  
  
• Northeastern Regional Center is located in Waltham, MA covering Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut;
  
  
• Southeastern Regional Center is located in Miami, Florida covering Florida, Arkansas & Texas;
  
  
• Western Regional Center is located in Pleasant Hill, California covering California, Oregon, & Arizona

Contact the ACT Regional Center and/or a program site closest to you for information about their initiatives, training opportunities, and possible collaboration.

ACT Program Coordination Staff

Julia M. Silva
Director, Violence Prevention Office
National Director, ACT Program

Ayesha A. Gaston
Office Manager, Violence Prevention Office

American Psychological Association is located at
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
ACT website