Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT)
Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) is a short-term, family-based therapeutic intervention model that targets children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years. BSFT was designed to eliminate or reduce drug use and associated behavior problems and to restructure problematic family interactions. The approach is based on the assumption that family-based interactions strongly influence how children behave and that targeting and improving maladaptive family interactions would reduce the likelihood of behavioral problems. BSFT was originally developed at the University of Miami.
Training and technical assistance are currently provided by the Family Therapy Training Institute of Miami (FTTIM), founded and directed by BSFT
The target population for BSFT is children and adolescents aged six to 18, who are experiencing family problems, involved with substances, presenting behavioral difficulties and associating with antisocial peers. The program utilizes a family systems approach and consequently involves all members of the family. It seeks to change the way family members act toward each other in order to maximize their mastery over the kind of interactions that are required to achieve competence and impede undesired behaviors.
BSFT was originally developed with Hispanic/Latino families but was subsequently tested with African American and white families as well. More recently it was selected by NIDA to be the adolescent treatment model to be tested as part of the National Clinical Trials Network. It was tested in 8 sites throughout the country with populations of all ethnic groups. The model is currently utilized in a wide variety of geographical settings and has proven to be successful with foster, as well as intact, families of varied ethnic backgrounds.
It has also been implemented in the service delivery field with several language and cultural minority groups, including Native Americans. BSFT was also successfully tested in the treatment of children ages 6 thru 12 who presented with internalizing symptomatology. That study was awarded the Outstanding Research Award by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy in 1989.
BSFT and its adaptations have been implemented in more than 20 states in the USA and in a variety of clinical formats, including home and center-based programs. Note: Adaptations, according to Wayne Harding, leader of the National Center
BSFT is delivered in 8 to 17 weekly, one to one and a half hour sessions in which the family and BSFT counselor meet either in the family
The Family Therapy Training Institute of Miami (FTTIM) provides training and technical assistance in BSFT. Training is generally delivered on-site, at the agency location, in order to maximize adaptability and reduce costs. Agencies considering BSFT should determine whether 3 BSFT is the best fit to local needs and conditions, as well as whether there is the necessary administrative and financial support to make the model sustainable over a period of years.
Kathleen A. Shea, Ph.D.
Administrator
Family Therapy Training Institute of Miami
1221 Brickell Avenue, 9th Floor
Miami, FL 33131
Phone: (305) 668-0850 direct
Fax: (786) 953-8404 fax
kshea@nsft-av.com
http://www.bsft-av.com
Lisa Bokalders
Associate for Instructional Resources and Planning
Family Therapy Training Institute of Miami
1221 Brickell Avenue, 9th Floor
Miami, Fl 33131
Cell: (561) 312-6850
lbokalders@bsft-av.com
http://www.bsft-av.com
Model Co-developer
Olga E. Hervis, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.
Executive Director
Family Therapy Training Institute of Miami
1221 Brickell Ave, 9th Floor
Miami, FL 33131
Phone: (888) 527-3828
E-mail: info@bsft-av.com or ohervis@bsft-av.com
Web site: www.bsft-av.com
The Family Therapy Training Institute of Miami can customize training packages that address the specific needs of an organization depending on staff experience, treatment population, and training cohort size. For a personalized proposal useful for planning purposes, please email us at info@BSFT-av.com.
This certification-level training is delivered in a series of four, three-day workshops over a period of several months. A period of weekly clinical supervision lasts from three to six months, depending on trainee advancement. BSFT certification is granted by the BSFT Competency Board. In general terms, the recommended budget for an agency implementing BSFT to certify a team of 4 to 6 clinicians is approximately between $65,000 - $80,000 for Year One, which includes travel, education material and resources, the BSFT manual, and consultation.
For more information about the program, see the Family Therapy Training Institute of Miami
A large body of research provides evidence of BSFT's efficacy.
4 Relative to comparisons, participating children/adolescents and their families showed:
- 75% reduction in drug use
- 75% of families remained in the program for the full dosage
- 58% reduction in association with antisocial peers
- 42% improvement in conduct disorder
In addition, Families showed statistically significant:
- Increase in family participation in therapy (92% of referred/non mandated families)
- Improvements in maladaptive patterns of family interactions (family functioning)
- Improvements in family communication, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving skills
- Improvements in family cohesiveness, collaboration, and child/family bonding
Studies have also shown that BSFT is able to engage and retain a significantly larger number of cases than other forms of treatment and demonstrated that the utilization of the BSFT model is associated with improvement in self-concept, parental involvement, conduct and family functioning and with a reduction in substance abuse, emotional problems and association with antisocial peers.
Organizations implementing BSFT are encouraged to gather common outcome measures as well as any locally-relevant or required data. Three, easy-to-use measures include:
- McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD)
- Youth Self Report (Achenbach)
- Parenting Practices Questionnaire. Lamborn, S.D., Mounts, N.S., Steinberg, L. & Dornbusch, S.M (1991). published in Child Development, 62, 1049-1065.]
There are a number of instruments which can be recommended, but they should be considered in light of an agency
- 2009 SAMHSA Science & Service Award
Szapocznik, J., Hervis, O.E., & Schwartz, S. 2003. Brief strategic family therapy for adolescent drug abuse (NIH Publication No. 03-4751). NIDA Therapy Manuals for Drug Addiction. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Hervis, O.E., Szapocznik, J., Mitrani, V., Rio, A. & Kurtines, W. (1998). Structural family systems ratings scale. In J. Touliatos (Ed.) Handbook of family measurement techniques (2nd edition), New York: Microfiche Publications.
Robbins, M.S., & Szapocznik, J. (2000, April). Brief Strategic Family Therapy. (NCJ 179825). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Robbins, M.S., Hervis, O.E., Mitrani, V., & Szapocznik, J. (2001). Assessing changes in family interaction: The structural family systems ratings. In P.K. Kerig & K.M. Lindahl (Eds.), Family observational coding systems: Resources for systemic research. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum.
Robbins, M.S., Szapocznik, J., Santisteban, D.A., Hervis, O.E., Mitrani, V.B., & Schwartz, S. (2002). Brief strategic family therapy for Hispanic youth. In A.E. Kazdin, & J.R. Weisz (Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents. New York: Guilford.
Santisteban, D.A. et al. (2003). The efficacy of brief strategic family therapy in modifying Hispanic adolescent behavior problems and substance use. Journal of Family Psychology,17(1), 121-13.
Hervis, O.E., Szapocznik, J., Foote, F., Perez-Vidal, A., & Kurtines, W.M. (1985). One-person family therapy. Miami, FL: Miami World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Dependence, Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami School of Medicine.
Hervis, O.E, Szapocznik, J., Perez Vidal, A.,., Brickman, A.L. & Kurtines, W.M. (1989). Innovations in family therapy: Strategies for overcoming resistance to treatment. In R.A. Wells & V.J. Giannetti (Eds.), Handbook of brief psychotherapies. New York: Plenum Publishing Company.
Szapocznik, J., Robbins, M.S., Mitrani, V.B., Santisteban, D., Hervis, O.E., & Williams, R.A. (2002). Brief Strategic Family therapy with behavior problem Hispanic youth. In F. Kaslow & J. Lebow (Eds.), Comprehensive handbook of psychotherapy: Volume 4. New York: Wiley.
Hervis, O.E.; Szapocznik, J.; Rio, A.T.; Mitrani, V.B.; Kurtines, W.M.; & Faraci, A.M. (1991). Assessing change in family functioning as a result of treatment: the Structural Family Systems Rating Scale (SFSR). Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 17(3): 295-310.
Szapocznik, Jos
