UNODC Travel to Iran with Strong Families Program

Empowering families: UNODC’s journey in Iran with the Strong Families Program

To strengthen family structures and enhance community resilience, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Iran, in collaboration with the Drug Control Headquarters and the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Sciences, recently conducted “Training of Assessors at the International Conference on Kish Center on Kish Island October 15–17, 2024

UNODC Iran, in an effort to expand the program throughout the country, conducted this training for evaluators from various regions, including Tehran, Kerman, Lorestan, Khuzestan, Khorasan Razavi, Hormozgan, Sistan and Baluchistan. This initiative builds on a successful pilot phase launched in winter 2019 in Tehran and Karaj.

The Strong Families program has been carefully tailored to fit Iranian culture, ensuring relevance and effectiveness. Through collaboration with local agencies and NGOs, UNODC facilitated the implementation of the program in a variety of settings such as schools, community centers and health facilities. Follow-up evaluations demonstrated marked improvements in parenting practices, youth mental health, and resilience.

Building on the success of the pilot phase, UNODC Iran continued the program from 2020, moving to a second phase focusing on seven provinces. Through cascading training of trainers and strategic partnerships with medical universities, the program’s impact has spread to regions such as Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, Lorestan, Ahvaz, Sistan-Baluchestan, Hormozgan and Kerman.

At a recent training, implementation teams from various medical universities shared their achievements, innovative strategies and obstacles faced during the implementation of the program. The presentations noted the high recognition of the program and government support, which paves the way for sustainable scaling. Notably, the expert presenters, namely Dr. Ghonche Raheb and Dr. Omid Massa from the Drug Abuse Research Institute of the University of Rehabilitation and Social Health Sciences, shared the necessary skills and knowledge with the participants, promoting a deeper understanding of methods and tools assessments.

As UNODC Iran continues its mission to strengthen families and communities, the strong success of the Strong Families program highlights its potential for long-term impact. With a foundation based on collaboration, adaptation and evaluation, UNODC Iran is poised to expand the program throughout Iran.

This training was made possible thanks to funding received from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.