Adherence Monitoring Industry Leadership Needs Assessment Performance-Based Contracting Supervised Startup Washington, DC Turn-Key Program Conferences

Supervised Startup : Washington DC

The Evidence-Based Practices Implementation Project:
"Put Families First"
August 2009

Evidence-Based Associates (EBA) was engaged by the Justice Grants Administration (JGA) of Washington DC, an office of the Mayor, to assist with the implementation of evidence-based practices – specifically Functional Family Therapy (FFT) – in the district. While the implementation of the FFT teams in the district is scheduled to occur in January 2010, preparatory work is already underway behind the scenes.

The primary purpose of the “Put Families First” project is to expand the provision of evidence-based programs available to youth already in contact with police (and their families). A secondary purpose is to develop the capacity of the service provider organizations, Washington DC-based funding agencies, and the broader community in the District so that these agencies can, in the future, not only maintain quality EBP services with adherence to model standards but also, with minimal assistance, select and successfully implement other EBPs district-wide.

Over the course of this project, Washington, DC-area youth and families will gain access to FFT programs, one in each of two provider agencies, each serving approximately 100 youth and families per year. Referrals will come from the Department of Youth Rehabilitative Services (DYRS) and other child-serving agencies. "Successful outcomes" will include the reduction of rearrest/recidivism rates and reductions in placements, as well as improvements in family functioning for youth involved in the project.

To provide oversight and management of project startup and implementation, EBA will be engaged for this project. EBA is the only organization in existence that has over four years experience implementing a statewide project that includes multiple EBPs in a Juvenile Justice setting, and that has agreements to represent the four most well-known, research-proven, home-based programs (Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care, Functional family Therapy and Multisystemic Therapy).