An FFT treatment must be documented and evaluated every week to ensure that the treatment that therapists and counselors perform is actually Functional Family Therapy. This helps to ensure that therapists and counselors continuously assess their efforts in the families, and thereby improve and fine-tune the efforts along the way. In addition to the quality assurance of the method itself, FFT Denmark continuously examines the results of the FFT effort. This is done by having therapists or counselors fill out written questionnaires when enrolling and discharging the young person. FFT implementation occurs through a three-phase process:

The clinical training of therapists helps to ensure the fidelity of the FFT method, and to ensure that FFT programs everywhere they are implemented deliver the same service to families. The goal of the clinical training is to educate local therapists to become competent within the FFT model. The assessment of the therapists is based on data collected online, through registrations, in the FFT Clinical Service System (CSS), which forms the basis for weekly consultation with the individual therapist.

Phase 2 is a year-long process. The goal is for local organizations that use FFT to be assisted in achieving a greater degree of security in the FFT model. This is done by training a competent FFT supervisor. The person who is selected as a future FFT supervisor must participate in a 3 X 3 day Externship. That is, live therapy sessions with FFT families, where direct guidance is provided. As well as 2 X 2 day training courses and have monthly telephone consultations with LLC. FFT offers a local one-day training for the team, or joint regional training for several teams, during phase 2. In addition, FFT provides ongoing consultation as needed, and collects data from the CSS database to continuously measure the organization’s/therapist’s method stringency, service, trends and results.

The goal of the third phase is to ensure continued model rigor, ensure professional development of therapists and counselors, inter-institutional relationships and program development. LLC FFT continues to assess the CSS database to ensure therapists’ method rigor, trends in service delivery and results with families. In addition, a one-day training is offered for further education in the FFT model. Phase 3 is extended on an annual basis. In short, model rigor and quality assurance are ensured through:

• A well-described method
• Thoroughly described and delimited target group with inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Structured training through clinical training, counselor training and follow-up training
• Weekly reviews of families and supervision
• Routine progress and relapse tracking in the families

In Washington State, the ‘Washington State Project’ shows in a cost-benefit analysis that for every dollar spent on an FFT course, the state saves $18.98 in reduced costs for court cases and juvenile detention related to recidivism among young offenders.

See the report here.

In Washington State, the ‘Washington State Project’ shows in a cost-benefit analysis that for every dollar spent on an FFT course, the state saves $18.98 in reduced costs for court cases and juvenile detention related to recidivism among young offenders.

Read more here and here.

In the state of Pennsylvania, a cost-benefit analysis found that the FFT LLC program saved the state $14.56 for every dollar spent on the program. The prevention effort could result in a national economic savings of $136 million. In 2010, 1,642 youth were enrolled in the FFT program, resulting in a savings to the state of $67 million.

Read more here and here.

In Norway, FFT LLC has been collaborating with the Norwegian ‘Behavior Center’ for the past five years. Since the beginning of the collaboration, the completion rate for enrolled families has increased by 22 percent, and since 2011 there has been a reduction in ‘risk level’ from 13.0 (moderate level) to 5.8 (low ranking) measured on the ‘Youth Level of Services’ (YLS).

Read more here.

FFT news from around the world