This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cebc4cw.org/
This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cebc4cw.org/
Child Welfare Outcomes: Child/family well-being
Type of Maltreatment: Not specified
Target Population: 12 to 18-year olds and their families.
Brief Description:(The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff.)
Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) has been rated by the CEBC in the area of Substance Abuse Treatment (Adolescent). BSFT is a structured, problem-focused, and direct approach for the treatment and prevention of children & youth behavior problems, such as drug use, delinquency, other youth risk factors, as well as accompanying maladaptive family interactions. This is a short-term, family-focused intervention aimed at reducing problems in adolescents and strengthening their families. BSFT operates according to the assumption that transforming family functioning will improve the youth's presenting problem. It bolsters family communication; problem solving; the setting of clear rules and consequences; nurturance; and shared responsibility for problems the family confronts. The therapeutic process uses techniques of: 1) Joining: Forming a therapeutic alliance with the family, 2) Diagnosis: Identifying patterns of interaction that enable problematic youth behavior, 3) Restructuring: Changing the family interactions that are directly related to problem behavior.
The model is currently utilized in a variety of geographical settings and with foster, as well as intact, families of varied ethnic backgrounds.
Contact name: Kathleen A. Shea, PhD
Affiliation/Agency: The Family Therapy Training Institute of Miami
Email: kshea@bsft-av.com
Phone: 888-527-3828
Fax: 786-953-8404
Website: http://www.bsft-av.com
Click here for a detailed report which includes Essential Components, Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research, Education and Training Resources, etc.