FOCUS On the Go!

Name: FOCUS On the Go!
Author: University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Los Angeles

DOCUMENTED

Published in academic literature

For:General Public & EnthusiastsPatients & Caregivers

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App Summary

FOCUS On the Go! provides families with games and resources to help young children practice emotional sharing and regulation, supporting the Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS) resilience training model. The associated research describes the adaptation of the FOCUS model for early childhood, which is grounded in family resilience theory and aims to enhance parenting strategies and parent-child relationships. The authors note that pilot work on the associated telehealth program suggests it is an acceptable and feasible resilience-building approach for military and veteran families with preschoolers.

App Screenshots

Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism Developed at UCLA's Nathanson Family Resilience Center, FOCUS On the Go! is an application supporting the Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS) training model. The system delivers psychoeducational content through a suite of gamified modules featuring an animated character. Core modules are designed to facilitate emotional vocabulary development, coping skill acquisition, and narrative emotional expression. A dedicated parent portal provides supplementary videos and downloadable activities to reinforce skill-building within the family unit.

Evidence & Research Context

The application is a digital component of the Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS) model, a preventive intervention grounded in family resilience theory.
Associated research describes the adaptation of the FOCUS model for early childhood (FOCUS-EC) for delivery via a telehealth platform to military and veteran families.
A preliminary evaluation of the FOCUS-EC program indicated that the intervention is acceptable and feasible for military and veteran families with preschool-aged children.
The underlying intervention aims to provide developmental guidance, facilitate the construction of family narratives, and enhance parenting strategies to mitigate stress.

Intended Use & Scope This application is designed as a psychoeducational tool for families, particularly those engaged with the FOCUS program. Its primary utility is as an adjunct resource for reinforcing emotional regulation and communication skills. The tool does not provide clinical diagnosis or treatment and is not a substitute for professional mental health services.

Studies & Publications

1 publication

Peer-reviewed research associated with this app.

Development/Design Paper

FOCUS for Early Childhood: A Virtual Home Visiting Program for Military Families with Young Children

Mogil et al. (2015) · Contemporary Family Therapy

Describes the research-driven development of this app

The risk for mental health problems and relational difficulties in military service members, spouses, and children is well-established. Yet, few services are available for families, particularly during the formative preschool years, when healthy parent–child relationships are crucial to the attainment of major socio-emotional milestones that form the foundation for later development. This paper describes the adaptation of a previously established military and trauma-informed preventive intervention, Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS) for use with families with a preschool-aged child (FOCUS for Early Childhood; FOCUS-EC). Grounded in theory and research on family resilience, FOCUS-EC aims to support parents as leaders of the family by providing developmental guidance and psychoeducation on deployment and reintegration, facilitate the construction of a family narrative, and enhance parenting strategies and the parent–child relationship. Furthermore, FOCUS-EC was adapted for use in a telehealth platform, enabling clinicians to reach military and veteran families in their homes, which is particularly useful for high-risk civilian-dwelling military families (including Reserve and National Guard). Pilot work and ongoing data collection as part of a randomized control trial suggest that FOCUS-EC is acceptable and feasible for military and veteran families with preschoolers.

In the Media

UCLA Nathanson Family Resilience Center Announces NEW Version of FOCUS On The Go!

The UCLA Nathanson Family Resilience Center developed FOCUS On the Go! to help families build resilience skills during times of transition, using four interactive games that reinforce problem-solving, emotional regulation, and family communication. "This mobile app is a fun and engaging tool for busy families and their children," says Patricia Lester, M.D., Director of the UCLA Nathanson Family Resilience Center. The updated version launched with improved compatibility for iOS and Android devices and includes family surveys that provide real-time resilience assessments with personalized feedback reports.

UCLARead article