Marriage Enrichment - Alabama Community Healthy Marriage Initiative (ACHMI)
ACHMI provides 6 different marriage enrichment classes that meet the needs of youth, singles, non-married parents, premarital couples, and married couples. Marriage education courses are free of charge, last for six (6) sessions, and are open to anyone in the Tuscaloosa community. You do NOT have to be married to attend a class.
Healthy Relationship education courses include:
- Relationship Smarts - For teens in grades 7 – 12, this curriculum offers practical guidance for building relationships that are not based on physicality. Covers topics such as attraction, infatuation, rejection, falling in love, and breaking up. Students also learn dating skills; what to say in the early stages, how to get to know someone, how to assess a relationship, and how to avoid attachment to problem people.
- Mastering the Magic of Love - Designed for couples, this class teaches couples how to establish a cooperative atmosphere for resolving difficult relationship issues; fosters openness and trust; reduces defensiveness, anger, and withdrawal; express emotions; increase love and affection; and successfully implement agreed-to solutions.
- Basic Training: Black Marriage Education - Designed for African-American pre-marital couples thinking about marriage, or those already married, this curriculum begins by teaching pre-marital couples about the pros of marriage and how to move from the “I” mindset to the “we”. Basic Training teaches couples communication skills, conflict management skills, how to address sexuality and intimacy issues, and how to maintain a relationship over the long term.
- Together We Can - Designed for non-married parents, this class includes activities for stress management, identifying family strengths, family rituals, and how to spend time together. Includes basic communication skills, listening skills, conflict management and anger management, as well as tips for co-parenting and balancing work and home life.
- Smart Steps for Stepfamilies - Designed for stepfamily couples and their children, this class will help adults expand their knowledge about family types, the myths about stepfamilies, realistic expectations for stepfamily members, stages of development, legal issues for stepfamilies, finances, defining roles and rules, using empathy, parenting practices, step-parent step-child relationships, and building respectful and caring relationships in stepfamilies.
- How to Avoid Marrying a JERK(ette) - Designed for singles, pre-marital couples, or newly singles, this class is for anyone who wants to deepen their confidence in dating; individuals who have experienced a divorce or a negative relationship and want to avoid making poor dating choices in the future; and anyone who wants to know how to find a mate who is compatible.
Classes are scheduled through interested community partners. If you are associated with a church group, PTA, sports team, office lunch group, etc., we will come to you! Call D'Undray Peterson or Wanda Martin at 205-462-1000 to schedule. If you are an individual or couple not associated with a pre-existing group, and interested in attending a class please call for a current class schedule.
