BRIDGES is a family-focused program for middle school students and their parents. It uses evidence-based strategies to increase school engagement and keep teens on a positive path in life to prevent common teen problems.
Long-term follow-up shows Bridges increases high school graduation rates and reduces drug and alcohol problems in high school.
Current Research
Funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (R01 DA045855), we are now partnering with Title 1 schools to redesign the original program so it can be implemented as a sustainable, cost-effective, technology-assisted program in Arizona and nationally.
Our ultimate aim is to increase the capacity of schools and agencies to work with parents toward the common goal of preparing youth to succeed in school and reach their full potential as adults.
Interested Schools and School Districts
Our ultimate aim is to increase the capacity of schools to work with parents toward the common goal of preparing youth to succeed in school and reach their full potential as adults.
Investigators: Nancy Gonzales, Larry Dumka, Nancy Eisenberg, Linda Luecken, Anne Mauricio, Jenn-Yun Tein, Emily Winslow and Roger Millsap.
Grants & Publications
NIDA Grant R01 DA035855-01A1. Optimizing a Drug Abuse Prevention Program for Dissemination.
Principal Investigators: N. Gonzales, L. Dumka, N. Eisenberg, L. Luecken, A. Mauricio, J.Y. Tein, & E Winslow. 2014-2019
NIMH Grant RO1 MH64707-01. Follow-up of a Preventive Intervention for Mexican American Adolescents.
Principal Investigators: N. Gonzales, L. Dumka & R. Millsap. 2008-2014
NICHD, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Fellowship, Parenting and Adolescent Risky Sexual Behavior.
Principal Investigator: M. Germn; Mentors, N. Gonzales & S. West. 2006-2008
NIMH Grant R01 MH64707-6-01. A Preventive Intervention for Mexican American Adolescents.
Principal Investigators: N. Gonzales, L. Dumka, & R. Millsap. 2001-2007
NIMH, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Service Award Fellowship, Investigating Adverse Effects of Adolescent Group Interventions.
Principal Investigator: J.J. Wong; Mentors N. Gonzales & S. West. 2014-2014
- Gonzales, N.A. (2017). Expanding the cultural adaptation framework for population-level impact. Prevention Science, 18, 689-693. doi: 10.1007/s11121-017-0808-y
- Mauricio, A.M., Tein, J.Y., Gonzales, N.A., Millsap, R.E.& Dumka, L.E. (2016). Attendance patterns and links to non-response on child report of internalizing among Mexican-Americans randomized to a universal preventive intervention. Prevention Science. Advance on-line publication doi: 10.1007/s11121-016-0632-9
- Gonzales, N.A., Lau, A., Murry, V.M., Pina, A., Barrera, M.Jr. (2016). Culturally Adapted Preventive Interventions for Children and Youth. Chapter to appear in D. Cicchetti (Ed.) Developmental Psychopathology, Third Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.Tyrell, F., Wheeler, L.A., Gonzales, N.A., Dumka, L.E., Millsap, R.E. (2016). Family influences on Mexican American adolescents’ romantic relationships: Moderation by gender and clulture. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 26, 142-158. doi: 10.1111/jora.12177
- Gonzales, N.A., Jensen, M., Montano, Z., *Wynne, H. (2015). The Cultural Adaptation and Mental Health of Mexican American Adolescents. Y.M. Caldera & E. Lindsey (Eds.), Handbook of Mexican American Children and Families: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Oxford, UK: Routledge.
- Jensen, M., *Wong, J.J., Gonzales, N.A., Dumka, L.E., Millsap, R., & Coxe, S. (2014). Long term effects of a universal family intervention: Mediation through parent adolescent conflict. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 43(3), 415-427. doi: 10.1080/15374416.2014.891228
- Gonzales, N.A., Wong, J.J., Toomey, R.B., Millsap, R., Dumka, L.E., Mauricio, A.M. (2014). School engagement mediates long term prevention effects for Mexican American adolescents. Prevention Science, 15, 929-939. doi: 10.1007/s11121-013-0454-y
- Mauricio, A.M., Tein, J.Y., Gonzales, N.A., Millsap, R.E., & Dumka, L.E., & Berkel, C. (2014). Participation patterns among Mexican-American parents enrolled in a universal intervention and their association with child externalizing outcomes. American Journal of Community Psychology, 54, 370-383. doi: 10.1007/s10464-014-9680-0
- Wong, J.J., Gonzales, N.A., Montano, Z., Dumka, L.E., & Millsap, R.E. (2014). Parenting intervention effects on parental depressive symptoms: Examining the role of parenting and child behavior. Journal of Family Psychology, 28, 267-277. doi: 10.1037/a0036622
- Brittain, A.S., Toomey, R.B., Gonzales, N.A., & Dumka, L.E. (2013). Perceived discrimination, coping strategies and Mexican origin adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors: Examining the moderating role of gender and cultural orientation. Applied Developmental Science, 17(1), 4-19. doi: 10.1080/10888691.2013.748417
- Germán, L., Gonzales, N.A., McClain, D.B., Dumka, L.E., & Millsap, R. (2013). Maternal warmth moderates the link between harsh discipline and later externalizing behaviors for Mexican-origin adolescents. Parenting: Science and Practice, 13(3), 169-177. doi: 10.1080/15295192.2013.756353
- Wong, J.J., Roubinov, D.S., Gonzales, N.A., Dumka, L.E., & Millsap, R. (2013). Father enrollment and participation in a parenting intervention: Personal and contextual predictors. Family Process, 52(3), 440-454. doi: 10.1111/famp.12024
- Dumka, L. E., Gonzales, N. A., Bonds McClain, D. D., & Millsap, R. (2013). Family, culture, gender and Mexican American adolescents’ academic success. In S. Chuang & C. Tamis-Lamonda (Eds.), Gender roles in immigrant families (pp. 155-175). New York: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-14614-6735-9
- Gonzales, N.A., Dumka, L.E., Millsap, R.E., Gottschall, A., McClain, D.B., Wong, J.J., Germán, M., Mauricio, A.M., Wheeler, L., Carpentier, F.D. & Kim, S.Y. (2012) Randomized trial of a broad preventive intervention for Mexican American adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(1), 1-16. doi: 10.1037/a0026063
- McClain, D.B., Wheeler, L.A., Wong, J.J., Mauricio, A.M., & Gonzales, N.A. (2012). The Role of Parents and Peers in the Psychological and Academic Adaptation of Youth in Urban Communities. In G. Creasey and P. Jarvis (Eds.), Adolescent Development and School Achievement in Urban Communities: Resilience in the Neighborhood. New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor and Francis.Liu, F. F., Gonzales, N. A., Fernandez, A.C., Millsap, R., & Dumka, L.E. (2011) Family Stress and Coping for Mexican Origin Adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 40, 385-397. doi: 10.1080/15374416.2011.563463
- Dumka, L.E., Gonzales, N.A., Wheeler, L.A., & Millsap, R.E. (2010). Parenting self-efficacy and parenting practices over time in Mexican American families. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 522-531. doi: 10.1037/a0020833
- Dumka, L.E. Gonzales, N.A., Bonds, D., & Millsap, R. (2009). Academic success in Mexican origin adolescent boys and girls: The role of mothers’ and fathers’ parenting and cultural orientation. Sex Roles, 60, 588-599. doi: 10.1007/s11199-008-9518-z
- Germán, M., Gonzales, N.A.,& Dumka, L.E. (2009). Familism Values as a Protective Factor for Mexican-origin Adolescents Exposed to Deviant Peers. Journal of Early Adolescence, 29, 16-42. doi: 10.1177/0272431608324475
- Gonzales, N.A., Germán, M., Kim, S.Y., George, P., & Fabrett, F., Millsap, R., & Dumka, L.E. (2008). Mexican American Adolescents’ Cultural Orientation, Externalizing Behavior and Academic Engagement: The Role of Traditional Cultural Values. American Journal of Community Psychology, 41,151-164. doi: 10.1007/s10464-007-9152-x
- Dillman Carpentier, F.R., Mauricio, A.M., & Gonzales, N. A., Millsap, R.E., Meza, C.M., Dumka, L.E., German, M., & Genalo, M.T. (2007) Engaging Mexican origin families in a school-based preventive intervention. Journal of Primary Prevention, 28, 521-546. doi:10.1007/s10935-007-0110-z
- Gonzales, N.A., Dumka, L.E., Mauricio, A.M., & Germán, M. (2007). Building Bridges: Strategies to Promote Academic and Psychological Resilience for Adolescents of Mexican Origin. In J.E. Lansford, K. Deater-Deckard, & M.H. Bornstein (Eds.) Immigrant Families in Contemporary Society. (pp. 268-286) New York, NY: Guilford Press.
- Dumka, L.E., Mauricio, A.M., & Gonzales, N.A. (2007). Research partnerships with schools to implement preventive interventions for Mexican origin families. Journal of Primary Prevention, 28, 408-420. doi:10.1007/s10935-007-0106-8.
- Formoso, D., Gonzales, N.A., & Barrera, M.,Jr., & Dumka, L.E. (2007). Marital Relations and Maternal Employment: Systemic Effects on Fathering and Child Outcome. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 69,26-39.(* Awarded “Best Research Paper on Men in Families in 2007”, National Council on Family Relations) doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2006.00341.x.
- Gonzales, N.A., George, P.E., Fernandez, A.C., & Huerta, V. (2005). Minority adolescent stress and coping. Prevention Researcher, 12, 7-9.
- Gonzales, N.A., Dumka, L., Deardorff, J., Jacobs-Carter, S., & McCray, A. (2004). Preventing poor mental health and school dropout of Mexican American adolescents following the transition to junior high school. Journal of Adolescent Research, 113-131. doi: 10.1177/0743558403258124
- Deardorff, J., Gonzales, N.A., & Sandler, I.N. (2002). Control beliefs as a mediator of the relation between stress and depressive symptoms among inner-city adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 205-217. doi: 10.1023/A:1022582410183
- Gonzales, N.A., Tein, J, Sandler, I.N. & Friedman, R.J. (2001). On the limits of coping: Interactions between stress and coping for inner-city adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 16, 372-395. doi: 10.1177/0743558401164005
- Formoso, D., Gonzales, N.A., Aiken, L. (2000). Family conflict and children’s internalizing and externalizing: Protective factors. American Journal of Community Psychology, 28, 175-199. doi: 10.1023/A:1005135217449
- Dumka, L.E., Gonzales, N.A., Woods, J., & Formoso, D. (1998). Using qualitative methods to develop contextually relevant measures and preventive interventions: An illustration. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 605-637. doi: 10.1023/A:1022145022830