The Functional Family Therapy Program

The Functional Family Therapy Program is a well-researched and effective practice used to treat youth struggling with emotional and behavioral health issues. The program is provided by Bay Area Youth Services, Inc. d/b/a BAYS Florida, and is funded by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. The program aims to foster resilience and decrease incidents of disruptive behavior for youth, and to reduce intense/negative behavioral patterns, improve family communication, parenting practices, and problem-solving skills. The program will serve youth and families who reside in Orange County, Florida, and will prioritize Functional Family Therapy placement for youth who are participating in the Youth Mental Health Consortium's Breakthrough Project, or who live in high-acuity zip codes. The program will provide two therapeutic interventions: Functional Family Therapy (FFT) and BAYS Community Cares (BCC). Key features of the program include: • FFT is an evidenced-based family approach to providing treatment to youth who are between the ages of 11 and 18 and are exhibiting significant externalizing behaviors. • BCC services will prioritize assessing for and addressing any issues that may be preventing FFT service provision. • The program will maintain treatment integrity and meet fidelity criteria developed by FFT LLC. • The program will provide staff training, including FFT model and fidelity training, as well as training in crisis intervention strategies and behavior management techniques. • The program will monitor and assess service delivery, including assessments of risk and protective factors, relationship assessments, and individual functioning. The program's goals and objectives include: • To foster resilience and decrease incidents of disruptive behavior for youth. • To reduce intense/negative behavioral patterns, improve family communication, parenting practices, and problem-solving skills. • To assess and evaluate to address risk and protective factors within and outside of the family that impact the adolescent and his or her adaptive development. • To increase access to services by youth and families who need it the most.