Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
Project Description: Valley Youth House will implement FFT-CW®, a home-based intensive therapeutic model for families with multiple risk factors, where there has been physical abuse and/or neglect of a child aged 0-18. It is an evidence-based, and highly successful family intervention for youth and families who are at risk of placement or where there are issues of child safety/neglect/family violence, meeting the requirements of the federal Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), that was signed into law in February 2018 with an implementation date of October 1, 2021, in Pennsylvania. The model is an adaptation of the successful FFT program that Valley Youth House has used throughout the Lehigh Valley for the past two decades. FFT-CW is a short-term (average of 3 months) intensive program focused on motivating for change, changing problem behavior, and embedding change. The model works with families who have been reluctant to engage with services, experience mental health concerns, abuse or neglect issues, and have a history of family violence, substance abuse, or engagement with the criminal justice system. Families will be referred by Lehigh and Northampton child welfare agencies with the goal of preventing the placement of their children in care, as mandated by the FFPSA. Through SAMHSA funding, 8 therapists will receive training over the course of the project period, including 6 months of intensive training by FFT LLC, after which they will have a full client caseload, and ongoing training thereafter. Working with the two County child welfare offices, the agency expects to serve approximately 300 families during this project, and even more in subsequent years, which will then be funded through annual County contracts that will be in place immediately upon the completion of the therapists’ 6-month training period, ensuring project sustainability. A family may average 2-4 individuals; thus, a conservative estimate is that 700 unduplicated individuals will benefit from this project.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
