Functional Family Therapy (FFT)

This strength-based model built on a foundation of acceptance and trust, works primarily with youth between 11 and 18 who have been referred for behavioral or emotional problems by the juvenile justice, mental health, school or child welfare systems. At its core, FFT focuses on assessment and intervention to address risk and protective factors within and outside of the family that impact the adolescent and his or her adaptive development. This therapy consists of five major components: engagement, motivation, relational assessment, behavior change and generalization. Each of these components has its own goals, focus and intervention strategies and techniques.