Family Centered Treatment®
Family Centered Treatment® is an evidenced community-based
service that takes a collaborative approach in helping families.
ABOUT
FCT
Family Centered Treatment® addresses the needs of a family as a whole, recognizing that what affects one family member affects all family members. The program is home- and community-based, providing a more intensive multiple hours per week-and collaborative approach to addressing family system needs.
The frequency and nature of visits strengthen the rapport with the family and contributes to the effectiveness with the family. FCT also includes the ability to address trauma while being broad enough to be able to serve families and youth with a mental or behavioral health diagnosis.
These factors match up well with the varying needs of many moderate to high-risk family preservation cases. In addition, the FCT model has extensive experience with children, youth, and families involved with or at risk of involvement with child welfare systems, allowing us to work effectively with youth and families from DCFS and DYS.
Phases of Treatment
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FCT clinicians respond quickly to referrals, engaging the family when they are more likely to be highly motivated to examine and change behaviors.
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Goals determined during the initial phase guide the family to negotiate tasks associated with daily living, eventually becoming regular rules of interacting.
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Sustainable change in a family system occurs when the behavioral changes made during restructuring are valued and seen as necessary by the family.
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Family progression determines the timing of closure, using a detailed process that evaluates changes made and the family’s ability to use strategies independently.
WHY
FCT?
It is a researched, viable alternative to residential, hospitalization, and other community-based programs.
FCT is based on the belief that family members are independent parts of a larger system, each with their own view of the situation.
FCT believes sustainable change is achieved when people accept the value of the improvements they have made in their lives.
It gets to the functions of behaviors rather than simply treating the symptoms
FCT study results have shown lower rates of out-of-home placements.