Functional Family Therapy (FFT) Defined

What is FFT? Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is an intervention designed to motivate family members to make positive change, learn new skills for communication, solve problems, and manage conflict and to understand the influence behaviors have on each member of the family. The intervention progresses through three phases: 1) engagement and motivation; 2) behavior change and 3) generalization. Each phase has defined rationales, goals and techniques designed to achieve positive outcomes.

Who is it for? This intervention targets youth aged 13-15 at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system or first time offenders with the goal to reduce and/or prevent these youth from either entering or progressing through the juvenile justice system living in Jackson County, Missouri. The youth often present with risk factors related to school problems (e.g. truancy, poor grades, and behavior problems), poor self-control, impulsivity, and inadequate social skill development. Within the family, risk factors include lack of parental supervision, significant patterns of family conflict and history of problem behaviors. When families begin their participation in FFT they often have a feeling of hopelessness and are overwhelmed with the challenges of daily living.

How does it help? Families are able to make positive change. For example, one young client was able to return to a traditional school setting after participating in Functional Family Therapy. She had been completing her education online at home as her level of anger made it impossible for her to be successful in the classroom. During the intervention, the mother and daughter learned effective communication skills making it possible to manage conflicts in a constructive manner, practice effective skills for listening and discussing difficult topics and identify coping skills to regulate and manage emotions. Those skills were generalized to the school setting making it possible for her to return to school.

Submitted by Alana Titus, Gillis Clinical Director