The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) is expanding service availability to provide community rehabilitation options for youth who have been or are at risk of being charged in the juvenile justice system through Functional Family Therapy (FFT). As part of Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative, and in alignment with recommendations of the Intergovernmental Taskforce on Juvenile Justice, DHHR today announced a request for applications for behavioral health providers to facilitate the program across the state.
FFT is an evidenced-based, short-term, high-quality intervention provided in a setting comfortable and convenient for the family. FFT is designed to address risk and protective factors inside and outside the family that impact the youth and their development, providing the support they need be successful in their homes.
“We have worked hard to ensure all children in the Mountain State have the opportunity to be a part of our state’s bright future,” Gov. Tomblin said. “These new services will help put our kids who are struggling on the right track toward living a fulfilling and successful life right here at home, and I’m confident it will improve outcomes for many West Virginia youth and their families.”
West Virginia’s implementation of FFT will target youth ages 11-18 who are most at-risk of being placed outside of their home, and youth who are in need of an intense family intervention to bring them home from residential care.
“Functional Family Therapy will help West Virginia youth and families take a strengths-based approach to solving the problems that led, or could possibly lead, to involvement with the juvenile justice system,” said DHHR Cabinet Secretary Karen L. Bowling. “With initiatives like FFT and our recently launched Safe at Home project, we are working to not only keep West Virginia’s children in their home environments, but to improve their overall well-being and quality of life by providing the support they need to overcome challenges.”
Applicants interested in applying for this training initiative are limited to legal entities that are licensed behavioral health providers with the capacity to recruit and/or sustain and maintain therapists and supervisors to provide FFT. DHHR’s Bureau for Children and Families aims to provide FFT throughout the state and applicants may propose to serve one or more counties.
Visit
http://www.wvdhhr.org/bcf/ for more information and to apply by November 23, 2015.