Multidisciplinary FACS team receives $6.1 million grant to aid Georgia families

A multidisciplinary team of University of Georgia faculty in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences has received a five-year, $6.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to deliver healthy relationship programming and financial literacy education to strengthen Georgia families.

Working in partnership with UGA Cooperative Extension and state and local partners, the Elevate Couples Georgia team aims to deliver the evidence-based Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) program to up to 1,300 couples by 2030.

The project builds on nearly a decade of federally-funded HMRE services, including the most recent five-year project that reached more than 1,600 couples from 120 Georgia counties, providing tools that helped them strengthen communication and navigate challenges together.

“We are thrilled to continue this important and impactful work,” said project director Ted Futris, professor in the FACS department of human development and family science and UGA Extension family life specialist. “Programs like this fill a critical gap, helping couples build resilience and stability that ripple out to benefit children and communities.”

The project will deliver the 12-hour ELEVATE: Taking Your Relationship to the Next Level program, developed by Futris, which includes virtual group-based workshops that build core relationship skills such as conflict management and emotional intimacy.

Participants will receive practical, research-based tools they can use every day to build trust, nurture emotional connection and manage stress together, Futris said.

“Each session is interactive, positive and fun, encouraging couples to learn from one another, celebrate their strengths and apply new skills immediately in their daily lives,” he said.

Couples also will have the opportunity to develop skills for managing finances and building wealth through the financial literacy education program, Discovering Money Solutions, led by Travis Mountain and Effie Antonoudi, both faculty members in the FACS department of financial planning, housing and consumer economics.

Of the couples who completed the Elevate program during its most recent cycle, 95 % rated the quality of the program as good or excellent and nearly 90 % reported that their relationship satisfaction increased.

“I learned how to control my emotions and value my partner as well as myself,” one participant said. “I'm going to use what I learned in this class to keep my relationship going and improving.”

The program will be offered online with a self-paced option guided by students in the new master’s in couple and family therapy program in FACS, led by program director Jennifer Gonyea in the FACS department of human development and family science.

“The next phase will build on what works while expanding access statewide through UGA Extension and our partner network,” Futris said. “We’ll continue delivering Elevate exclusively in a virtual format, using social media to reach and engage more couples across Georgia with relationship tips, success stories and upcoming workshop opportunities.”

The project is one of 32 across the country funded under the Helping Every Area of Relationships thrive – Adults (HEART) program.

Additional team members from FACS include Evin Richardson, co-director and lead evaluator, as well as Catherine O’Neal, who will support efforts to engage more military couples across Georgia.

Analisa Arroyo from the department of communication studies will work with Gonyea to promote participants’ mental health. Kristi Carpenter from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will support UGA Extension engagement.

“The heart of our success lies in our people,” Futris said. “It stems from the dedication of our compassionate facilitators, the strong partnerships we’ve built with community organizations and the trusted presence of our UGA Extension network across the state. That sense of shared purpose and connection is what truly sustains the work.”

To enhance community engagement across the state, the team will continue its partnership with Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Resilient Georgia and Positive Childhood Alliance Georgia.

Project Safe, a non-profit organization in Clarke County, will also continue to serve as the lead consultant and trainer on domestic violence to help support the safety of all couples served.

“I’m most proud of how many couples we’ve reached and how deeply the program has resonated with them,” Futris said. “Seeing those changes happen in real time, especially through testimonials from families who found renewed hope, has been tremendously gratifying.”

For more information or to participate, visit at ElevateCouplesGeorgia.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.