Effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy for Mandated Versus Non‐Mandated Youth

• Published date: 01 September 2015
• Author: Katarzyna Celinska
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jfcj.12049
• Date: 01 September 2015

Effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy for

Mandated Versus Non-Mandated Youth

By Katarzyna Celinska, Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

This study compares the outcomes for youth mandated to participate in Func-

tional Family Therapy (FFT) to those whose participation was referred but voluntary.

FFT is a short-term intervention for delinquents and status offenders, along with

their parents. The study sample consists of 120 cases: 70 youth and parents who were

mandated by the Family Court to participate in FFT and 50 youth and their parents

who were referred to FFT by other agencies. The sample is diverse in terms of gender,

race and ethnicity. The outcome variables consist of a set of scales obtained from the

Strengths and Needs Assessment (SNA). Changes in life domain functioning, child

strengths, acculturation, caregivers’ strengths, caregivers’ needs, child behavioral

emotional needs, and child risk behaviors are assessed. The analysis indicates that

both groups improved across all domains. Overall, being mandated to participate in

FFT does not predict greater improvements in outcomes. The findings suggest that

status offenders and minor delinquents who participated in FFT could be processed

less formally without foregoing the therapy outcomes.

Keywords: Functional Family Therapy, family therapy, Family Court,

mandated youth, non-mandated youth, delinquency, delinquents, status offenders

INTRODUCTION

Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a short-term intervention for delinquents,

status offenders as well as youth at-risk for delinquency along with their parents or

guardians. Research presented in this article is a part of a larger quasi-experimental study

conducted by this author between 2005 and 2013 with youth and their parents residing

Katarzyna Celinska, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Law, Police Science, and

Criminal Justice Administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City, New York. Her

research interests include evaluation of violence prevention programs and women’s incarceration. Her

research was published in the Prison Journal, Journal of Juvenile Justice and Journal of Family Therapy. She

is currently writing a book on criminological theory,criminal justice policies and practice in corrections. She

teaches various courses including Women and Crime, Major Works in Criminal Justice and Policy Analysis.

Correspondence: kcelinska@jjay.cuny.edu

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Juvenile and Family Court Journal 66, No. 4 (Fall) 17

© 2015 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges