Functional Family Therapy (FFT)

Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is for families with a young person (between 10 and 18 years) involved in serious delinquent behaviour and/or substance misuse. Its primary aims are to reduce youth offending, substance misuse and out-of-home placement. Young people are typically referred into FFT through the youth justice system. The young person and their parents then attend eight to 30 weekly sessions (depending on need), where they develop strategies for improving family functioning and addressing the young person’s behaviour.

FFT has strong evidence of improving family functioning and reducing young people’s involvement in crime and/or substance misuse.

About the ratings

Programmes are rated on meeting certain criteria – 4 stars meet all criteria and 0 none. The criteria for each programme covers target audience, programme content, training and implementation, and evaluation evidence. Parenting programmes need to score at least in all categories, however the most successful inventions score between and .