Supporting Healthy Relationships (SHR) Program

Our workshops provide an opportunity to develop and practice relationship skills through discussion, teaching, and peer-to-peer learning with the help of clinically trained psychologists and mental health counselors.

Our workshops are like a DATE NIGHT! When in-person, we serve a catered meal (dinner is on us!), and it’s a great opportunity for couples to spend quality time together, away from their children, and focus on their relationship. Couples especially enjoy meeting and learning from other couples in the community in a relaxed environment. We assist with childcare reimbursement, and provide round-trip Metrocards to help with transportation.

Workshops are facilitated by 2 relationship coaches, and are delivered once a week for 10 weeks, in a group format to 4-15 couples. Daytime, evening, and weekend workshops available. Our curricula are based on 20+ years of research by relationship and parenting experts, such as psychologists John Gottman and Sue Johnson. Our workshops are delivered either in-person or virtually via Zoom. When in-person, our workshops are usually delivered at our South Bronx headquarters, but we also provide our services at other locations throughout New York.

Our core workshops are supplemented by additional workshops (on topics such as stress management, anger management, budgeting, and infidelity) and social events (such as game nights, karaoke nights, paint nights, and family holiday parties) that we host about once a month. We also provide support groups on a regular basis.

We work with you to find community resources and services to address any family stressors. We are partnered with many community-based organizations who assist our families in obtaining legal support, health care, food pantries, mental health services, and more.

Our employment team helps your family gain financial stability with the goal to achieve financial mobility. Through individual career counseling, weekly English and Spanish skills-building workshops, job search strategies, resume building, networking, and interviewing, we can help you take the next steps toward finding and maintaining employment. We can also help you obtain the training, certification, or degree that you need to further your career goals. In addition, clients who find new employment, or who receive a promotion, while enrolled in our program, will receive transportation assistance and financial incentives after 30, 60, and 90 days of maintaining their new job.

The Couples Ambassador Program (CAP) aims to streamline the process in which graduated SHR couples refer new couples and provide mentorship/support to reinforce engagement in the program. Mentoring is a structured and trusted relationship that matches new couples seeking to improve their relationship with couples who have found success within Supporting Healthy Relationships and are committed to encourage and support the growth of the mentees and their relationships. This is done through mentors' avid participation in workshop mentorship, hosting of support groups, and coordination of family events.

CAP couples are passionate about providing support for new couples, while strengthening their relationship and refreshing their communication skills.

SHR is a FREE, federally funded program that offers couples in a committed relationship a combination of relationship/parenting workshops, financial empowerment, and family support services.

SHR’s relationship and parenting curriculum is based on 30+ years of research by relationship experts. Some of the topics discussed during the workshops are healthy communication skills (speaking, listening, initiating difficult topics), parenting skills, sore spots/hidden issues, managing stress and other emotions, and relationship repair.

The relationships/parenting workshops are usually 2.5-hours, once a week in the evenings (6pm-8:30pm), for 12 consecutive weeks. 1st week orientation, 10 weeks of CORE workshops, 12th week graduation. We also offer weekend intensive versions of the workshop over 3 consecutive Saturdays, 9am-5pm.SHR encourages workshops in group settings with other couples as it makes the experience more relatable. Couples are offered least 1 private booster session to discuss issues they may prefer not to speak about in the workshop, and/or practice the skills they have been learning privately.

Workshops are facilitated by 2 relationship educators (licensed mental health counselors and/or psychologists). SHR is now providing its services both virtually AND in-person. Couples are randomly assigned to either a virtual workshop series or an in-person workshop series.

1. Speak with a SHR Recruiter to confirm eligibility
2. Schedule In-person Clinical and Financial Intakes
3. Complete Clinical and Financial Intakes (approximately 1.5 hours)
4. Complete Pre-Workshop Surveys (approximately 30-45 minutes)

No. SHR doesn’t provide childcare services. Incentives provided by SHR (up to $450, distributed in electronic gift cards) can be utilized to support payment of independent childcare services.

Yes. SHR provides meals for couples participating in in-person workshops. For workshops taking place on weeknights, dinner will be provided. In the event the workshops take place on a weekend, both breakfast and lunch are served.

Yes. SHR provides a round-trip metrocard for each person attending in-person workshops every week for 12 weeks.

Both partners are expected to attend all workshops while participating in SHR. If one partner misses a workshop, but the other attends, both partners still need to make up the workshop to receive their full incentives.

Yes. SHR workshops are facilitated in both English and Spanish. SHR strives to provide at least 1 English, 1 Spanish workshop starting every month.

SHR encourages couples to be receptive to participate in our program in a group setting. SHR understands that couples may feel uncomfortable discussing some intimate concerns in the group; therefore, couples are provided with at least one private booster session with a relationship coach while participating in the program. Unfortunately, couples are not able to receive the material individually.