4. Increase use of evidence-based interventions, such as Multi Systemic Therapy (MST), Functional Family Therapy (FFT), Life Skills Training (LST), Multi Dimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) and Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT). Florida should:

Fund Evidence-Based Interventions
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  • Increase funding and use of evidence-based interventions (nationally recognized as Model or Blueprint programs) that reduce recidivism, improve educational competency and produce other positive outcomes.
  • Use evidence-based programming at all its residential programs.
  • Allow juvenile court judges to divert a child to evidence-based effective programs and interventions and defer the prosecution of the case until completion of the program, if the child and his parent or guardian consent.
Train Community-Based Providers on Evidence-Based Interventions
 
  • Establish a training and development fund to assist community-based providers to become certified and competent in providing evidence-based interventions and programs.
Encourage Ethical Practices in Programs
  • Encourage truthfulness in the therapeutic process by providing immunity for statements made by the child during the therapeutic process.
Reduce Police and Court Involvement in Child-Rearing
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  • Give parents the ability to refer a child for a face-to-face private assessment and access to scientifically-tested effective programs, interventions and home-based family therapy without police, dependency or delinquency court involvement.

5.  Develop alternatives to prosecution for young children and adolescents with disabilities.  Florida should: Click here for recommendations

 

 

 

 

Juvenile Justice CPR
Copyright © 2007,
Law Offices of the Public Defender
for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
1320 NW 14th St., Miami, FL 33125
Phone: (305) 545-1905