T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Belmont County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division Judge Al Davies, left, and C-CAP Director Noah Atkinson hold the Parent Project Program curriculum in Davies’ chambers.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division Judge Al Davies announced completion of the fifth year of its Parent Project Program.

The initiative was designed to equip parents with effective techniques and skills for handling strong-willed children and is a nationally recognized, evidence-based program designed to help parents navigate challenges with strong-willed or at-risk children.

The program provides practical strategies for improving family dynamics, communication and overall child behavior.

“As the program enters its sixth year, a new group of parents will soon begin their journey toward stronger family relationships and improved communication,”a news release from the program states.

The InterCourt Conference, Ohio’s premier juvenile justice conference, has invited Belmont County Juvenile Court to speak about the program’s implementation and success on March 13-14 in Columbus.

Parent Project facilitators Noah Atkinson, Concentrated Conduct Adjustment Program director, and Chief Probation Officer Kelly Carter will present alongside representatives of Mahoning and Fairfield counties, highlighting how the initiative has positively influenced families in the community. This appearance will mark the second consecutive year that the Juvenile Court has been invited to the programs at the InterCourt Conference.

The conference gathers juvenile justice professionals from across the state, providing a platform to exchange best practices and innovative strategies that benefit youth and families.

Last year, Atkinson hosted a presentation at the InterCourt Conference, which he said was the most attended presentation throughout the entire conference.

“I think it shows how proactive we are as a court. If you look at the bigger counties, their kids come to them, where us, we go out to in the public, we’re in the schools, we’re offering programs for parents, for kids, so I think that’s part of it,” Atkinson said.

Davies said the Parent Project Program was created 10 years ago in California by a group of police, EMTs and firefighters who were arriving on scenes and noticing the conditions that the children on scene were living in and seeing the circumstances that those children were having to survive.

“They, along with other health care providers and behavioral specialists, developed a program for parents,” Davies said. “You have to be certified, and Noah (Atkins) and our chief probation officer, Kelly Carter, both have that certification from the Ohio Supreme Court and at Noah’s recommendation, we’re going to have all of our probation officers this year get that certification so they can also get more involved in delivering this because it’s one of our most successful programs.”

Davies added that to become certified, they are required to take a three-day seminar.

Atkins said that when Davies orders parents to the program, at first they’re resentful. But more times than not, they eventually understand that the class is needed.

The parents participate in a 10-week program with them attending one three-hour online class a week. Atkins said the class covers topics such as truancy, social media, and drugs and alcohol.

“When they first get into the program, they’re not the happiest with Judge. They’re kind of mad that they’ve been put in the program, but towards the end, they’re very appreciative,” he said.

He added that at the end of the program, he gives the parents a $50 gift card for an area restaurant because Atkins believes that the most important conversations a family has are usually at the dinner table.

The classes happen twice a year — once in the spring and once in the fall — and Davies said it usually has around 20 parents enrolled in each class. He added that he and Atkins are also beginning to work on a class similar to the Parents Project Program for children to help them better communicate with their parents.

Atkins said that although the children’s program doesn’t have a completion date, he is optimistic that he will be able to begin classes in the fall.