Evaluation of Culturally Informed and Flexible Family‐Based Treatment for Adolescents (CIFFTA) implemented in community‐based settings

Bibliographic Data

ID11042409
AuthorsMaite P Mena (0000-0003-4097-4486, School of Education and Human Development University of Miami Coral Gables Florida USA, corresponding author), Rebecca A Lazarus (School of Education and Human Development University of Miami Coral Gables Florida USA), Kristal A Otero (School of Education and Human Development University of Miami Coral Gables Florida USA), Daniel A Santisteban (Training and Implementation Associates (TIA) Miami Florida USA)
Year2024
Volume52
Issue2
Pages363-381
Publication date2024-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Community Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-4392 • E-ISSN: 1520-6629
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/jcop.23099
PMID38093644
OpenAlexW4389736706
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited51

Effective family‐based interventions are needed for youth who are experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties and who are impacted by powerful environmental stressors. Culturally Informed and Flexible Family‐Based Treatment for Adolescents (CIFFTA) is a manualized and evidence‐based, multicomponent family‐based treatment that has been shown to be efficacious in research settings. The purpose of this paper is to report on the effectiveness of implementing CIFFTA for the treatment of Latino and Black youth and families in community settings. Utilization of services offered and changes in youth presenting problems and family functioning were used to evaluate the program. Two hundred thirty‐two youth (11–18 years of age) and their caregivers were recruited over 2 years and CIFFTA was delivered by experienced masters‐level family therapists over a 12–16‐week period. Seventy‐six percent met the 8‐session criteria for retention in treatment and 71% completed treatment. Results showed significant improvements in youth behavioral and emotional presenting problems, reduction in family conflict and improvement in family cohesion and communication. Caregiver well‐being such as reductions in parental stress, relational frustration, and improvement in parental confidence also showed significant improvement. Analyses of reliable change indices showed a substantial improvement in youth who entered the program in the clinical range of presenting problems. The findings point to CIFFTA's ability to retain youth and families who tend to underutilize needed services, to significant reductions in presenting problems, and to improvements in family functioning when implemented in a community setting

Culturally appropriate · Family medicine · Medical education · Psychotherapist · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Early Childhood Education and Development · Family and Disability Support Research · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology