crisisresponse.promoteprevent.org
Skip to main content

Functional Family Therapy (FFT)

Date Published: 
0

Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is an empirically grounded, well-documented and highly successful family intervention that focuses on children and teens who are at-risk or already involved with juvenile justice. Through clinical sessions with a trained FFT therapist, FFT works to develop family members

Target Audience: 

Youth ages 10

Special Populations/Available Adaptations: 

FFT can be provided in a variety of contexts, including schools, child welfare, probation, parole/aftercare, mental health, and as an alternative to incarceration or out-of-home placement. The FFT model allows for successful intervention in complex and multidimensional problems through clinical practice that is flexibly structured and culturally sensitive.

Program Components: 

FFT is a short-term intervention

Training and Technical Assistance: 

FFT has a systematic training and implementation model for community agencies hoping to implement FFT as a clinical model. The training and implementation model is based upon clinical training for all staff, advanced clinical training of team leaders, follow-up visits, and ongoing supervision. It is a three phase process with each phase lasting approximately one year. Training is suitable for a wide range of interventionists, including para-professionals under supervision, trained probation officers, mental health technicians, and degreed mental health professionals (e.g., M.S.W., Ph.D., M.D., R.N., M.F.T.).

The training components involve:

  • Two two-day clinical training for all FFT therapists in a working group (one on site and one off site)
  • An externship training for one working group member, who will become the clinical lead for the working group
  • Three follow-up visits/year (two days each, on-site)
  • Supervision consultations (four hours of monthly phone consultation)
  • Supervision training for the site supervisor
Contact Information: 

Holly DeMaranville, Communications Coordinator
Functional Family Therapy, LLC
2538 57th Avenue, SW
Seattle, WA 98116
Phone: (206) 369-5894
Fax: (206) 664-6230
Email: hollyfft@comcast.net
Web site: www.fftinc.com

Program and Training Costs: 

Implementation costs for Functional Family Therapy in one working group are approximately $29,500 for phase one and start-up costs (not including travel). The project cost, including training and implementation, is approximately $2,000 per family. Phase two training fees are $12,000 and Phase 3 training fees are $5,000 (not including travel).

Evaluation Results: 

Both randomized trials and non-randomized comparison group studies show that FFT significantly reduces recidivism for a wide range of juvenile offense patterns. Studies show that when compared with no treatment, other family therapy interventions, and traditional juvenile court services (e.g., probation), FFT can reduce adolescent re-arrests by 20

Evaluation Components: 

FFT is supported by a systematic assessment, tracking and outcome assessment system. During the course of FFT, therapists administer a number of different assessments both preand post-therapy to various family members. While many of the assessments have been developed by FFT, therapists also utilize four specific instruments that sites must purchase and have on-site prior to the beginning of site certification training. Assessments are: The FAMIII General Scale, the POSIT, the OQ-45.2, and the Y-OQ2.0. FFT therapists will administer these assessments to all families as described during on-site CSS training and in the FFT/CSS Manual.

Agency/Institution Recognition: 
  • Blueprints Model Program
  • American Youth Policy Forum Effective Program
  • Communities That Care- Developmental Research and Programs Effective Program
  • Strengthening America's Families Exemplary 1
  • Surgeon General's Report (2001) Model 1
  • Title V (OJJDP) Exemplary Program
  • This program was part of a cost-benefit analysis completed by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy on several violence prevention and reduction programs, including six Blueprints programs: Watching the Bottom Line: Cost-Effective Interventions for Reducing Crime in Washington.
References: 

D.S. Elliott. (Ed.) Blueprints for Violence Prevention (Book 3), 2d ed., Boulder, CO: Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado.

Alexander, J. F., & Sexton, T. L. (2002). Functional family therapy: A model for treating highrisk, acting-out youth. In F. W. Kaslow (Ed.) Comprehensive handbook of psychotherapy: Integrative/eclectic, Vol. 4. (pp. 111

Keywords