Parenting Inside Out

Parenting Inside Out (PIO) is an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral parent management skills training program. The program was created for incarcerated parents through a six-year collaboration of scientists, policy makers, practitioners, and instructional designers. PIO is based on the best practices Parent Management Training program. PIO is an outcomes-based program focused on helping parents promote healthy child adjustment, preventing child problem behavior, and interrupting the cycle of inter-generational criminality. During PIO, parents develop and refine social interactional skills and citizenship behaviors they can use in all aspects of their lives and that will help them guide their children toward becoming positive, constructive adults. Key topics covered include communications skills and problem solving; emotion regulation; child development, brain development and bonding through reading and play; understanding each child’s individual temperament, love and learning language; positive reinforcement and non-violent discipline; supervision and monitoring; and family reunification and creating a family identity. PIO serves incarcerated women and offers similar classes to women in the community with criminal justice system involvement. The community-based program serves both women who have custody of their children and women who are seeking family reunification. The community-based program is certified by the Oregon Department of Human Services as fulfilling the court-mandated requirement to take parenting classes.