Josiah White’s is thrilled to announce that we recently became an accredited Teaching Family Association agency. 

Teaching Family Association is the accrediting agency of Teaching Family Model (TFM), a relational, evidenced-based, trauma-informed model of care focused on increasing life skill development in children and teens. Adopting this model ensures that we are able to provide the most effective training for our ministry staff and foster parents, and the best possible outcomes for the children, teens, and families we serve. 

“One of our core definitions of how we will succeed as an organization is to provide a superior model of care,” said Ron Evans, President and CEO. “This accreditation emphasizes our commitment to have the best people using the best practices for the best result. As a distinctively Christian mission organization, it is imperative that we do all things with excellence as a reflection of Christ’s love for all people.”  

The accreditation process has taken almost two and a half years. Josiah White’s is grateful to Methodist Home for Children (MHC) in North Carolina, who mentored us through the process of training and implementing the model. MHC staff visited our campus monthly and also helped our regional offices provide training to our foster parents.

“Becoming an accredited agency has probably been the most challenging project we have invested in during my nearly 30 years at Josiah White’s, and it has been the most transformational as well!” said Tracey Riggle, Program Director for Foster Care. “It is truly rewarding to see staff and foster parents who want to have tangible goals and skills to work on with their children ultimately see the positive behavior changes. When people truly invest in the Teaching Family Model, it works!”

When using the TFM, caregivers engage in daily teaching interactions to help children and teens learn social and relationship skills. Residential staff, now called Family Teachers, develop these skills using a motivation system that is positive and strengths-based, while still holding youth accountable for their choices. In addition, TFM equips foster parents with parenting skills and strategies aimed at quality care for children and teens. The skills children and youth learn through the model will then translate to better parent-child interaction, improved school behavior following placement, and increased work readiness.

“At some level, TFM should impact every area of our organization to some extent,” said Josh Bowyer, Vice President and Executive Director of Residential Services. “The spirit of the Teaching Family Model is that it becomes who we are, not what we do. In terms of direct impact, TFM probably has had the biggest impact on our Family Teachers and Residential Supervisors. For the Supervisors and the Family Teachers, we completely rewrote the script on what it meant to do that job with excellence, and the majority responded by exceeding the expectations.”

“Being accredited by TFA assures students, parents, referral sources, and other constituents that they can trust that our services for students and families are at the highest standard. Those who refer teens to Compass Rose can be assured that teens in our care will be in a trauma-informed environment that consistently provides emotional and physical safety, nurture, and structure,” said Mike Haarer, Vice President and Executive Director of Compass Rose Academy.

Official recognition of our accreditation will be taking place at the TFA Conference at the end of the month. 

Josiah White’s is honored to be an accredited TFA agency and is excited for what this accreditation will mean for our future as an organization.

By: Emily Graham | emily@mightymoms.net Mighty Moms

Photo via Pixabay

Few teens are overjoyed to hear this news – the parental announcement that they are moving. All at once, mixed emotions and anxiety can begin creeping in. They will be contending with a new town, a new school, and new friends to make. For teens still developing an identity among their peers, losing their network of friends and teachers may feel like the end of their world. These natural emotions can lead to outbursts, heated arguments, and slamming doors. Random utterances of, “I hate you” are likely to pepper a parent’s relationship with their teen during this challenging time.

As a result, many parents worry that teen anxiety, stirred up by the move and the change of school, will trigger a downward spiral that can lead to diminishing grades, self-esteem issues, dating problems, and even inflict long-term emotional damage.

It can’t be sugar coated: Changing schools is stressful for teens. As a parent, you may be at a loss with what to do. The Teaching-Family Association,  offers a number of tips for you and your teen that can help ease the transition process:

Tips for the Worrying Parent:

Manage guilt

Some teenagers may try and make you feel bad about the move and frame everything from a point of view that makes you feel guilty. Do what you can to not allow your teen to feed this draining emotion, or to try and manipulate you. This steals your energy from working toward and appreciating the positives of the decision to move: a new job, being near friends or relatives, upgrading to a better home and neighborhood, etc. Use self-care and practice strategies to help your family engage and communicate is positive ways. Encourage your teen to share their thoughts and emotions; do not minimize how they feel. Try and understand. Use empathy and compassion.

Forge a new relationship with your teen

Your teen is likely feeling especially vulnerable and is at a loss as to how to properly process all the changes. For a long time, a primary emotion they may express could be anger, which sometimes conceals what they’re feeling deep inside. At other times, however, they might be open to talking, which is when you should open up and express that the whole family will be transitioning together as a unit. Reassure your teen that they won’t be alone in the process and can use this new life stage to bond together more as a family instead. Talk about the things that they are envisioning will be hard - perhaps getting to know new people, and those things that might be exciting - like decorating a new room.

Explore your new home town

Invite your teen to go with you and check out your new neighborhood and city. Have coffee at a local café, have a picnic in the park, play Frisbee, or check out a local music event. Whatever you do, don’t let your teen hole themselves up in your home. Show what your new town has to offer --  this might significantly cheer them up. Listen to their thoughts and observations with an open mind and from a non-judgmental place. Remember that their perception is their reality.

To ease your teen’s anxiety over starting school, consider having them visit the new school before starting. Find out if you can book a school tour, or sign your teen up for an upcoming orientation, or any other school-sponsored activity. Getting to know people before officially starting can greatly help the overall transition. Offer your teen several options of ways to familiarize themselves with their new environment, ask them for other suggestions, and support their choices.

 Tips for the Anxious Teen:

●       With every big change, there is an opportunity for a fresh start. Maybe there were negative things about your old school that you were not happy about. Now might be the perfect time to discover aspects of yourself that you couldn’t before. Maybe your old clique of friends looked down on people who were in acting and drama, a secret passion of yours. Maybe your new school has more to offer in terms of classes, clubs, and activities. Remember, your new school - while unfamiliar and a bit daunting – can be the chance to do new things you previously thought you would never do before!

●       Plan a farewell event just for you and your friends before you move. Know that your friends will still be there for you via chat, text, phone, or Skype to give you the emotional support you need to get through this difficult time. Slowly but surely, as you focus on extracurricular activities and school events, you will make new friends. As in the outside world, you will find people who jive with your sense of humor, style, and personality. You can benefit from having old and new friends, and you can get to know yourself better at the same time.  

●       Use checklists. Following a checklist from an expert source can help reduce everyone’s anxiety. By doing so, you can keep everyone's stress and anxiety levels low, and the transition from an old home to a new one will be that much easier. Enlist your teen to help direct each stage of the move via helpful checklists. There are many great ones available online, from getting set up for the open house to getting settled in your new place. Planning and putting some structure in place gives you a sense of control, something you may feel you do not have with the move.

●       Be sure to communicate with your family. While friends are so important, your family can help you process your doubts and fears, work with you to help you identify what is important to you, and support and love you.

In Conclusion…

Time can heal the pain of major transitions in life. There is research that proves that grit – the ability to work through hard and challenging circumstances – is one of the most powerful character traits anyone can possess. As you move forward, work towards seeing this move and change of schools as one that will prepare you for other major life transitions. The coping skills you pick up as you adjust to a new town, a new workplace or school, whether you are the teen or the parent, are skills that will greatly help you in the future. Who knows? You may all find the move was ultimately for the better just as you might realize you have become a happier, stronger person because of it.

Above all, show genuine and unconditional love, respect, care, and support for one another.

If you’re currently living under special circumstances, your teen may need additional guidance during this time of transition. Learn more about the services provided by the Teaching-Family Association by calling 804.632.0155.

(In this podcast) Friends, friends, friends…Today I am going to be talking about the Teaching-Family Model. Over the last couple of weeks, we have been talking a lot about skills, parenting skills . All of those skills come from the Teaching-Family Model. The Teaching-Family Model is The Model that we use to work with children in helping to shape their behaviors. And I'm sure a lot of you have questions about what it is, how it came to be and where it's being implemented around the world and its effectiveness. Obviously, you want to know those things, right?

So, I'm going to be reading some of the information that I have here on the Teaching-Family

Model even though I've been a part of the Teaching-Family Model for a long time now. But I

want you to get and grasp the depth at which this model really has the chops to shape and

change behaviors with children of all different types of ages and different issues that they may

be facing. So, to begin, the Teaching-Family Model is a model of care for troubled youth, and it's used internationally, in group homes, foster care, schools, home-based treatments, and other youth, independent adult care programs. Really the breadth of where the Teaching-Family Model is being implemented, it is being implemented in a ton of places, in a lot of places and with a lot of different populations.

The Model itself, the Teaching-Family Model was developed in the 1960s through research at

the University of Kansas. And the researchers of two people who are actually well known in the

field of behavioral studies, Montrose Wolf and also Gary Timbers. Now you may not know this but Montrose Wolf, or Mont Wolf, was the inventor of time-out as a learning tool to shape behavior. Now time-out has evolved over time and people have put in different meanings in there. However, he was the creator of it in helping to shape behaviors. So, we're talking about two very accomplished professionals in the field of learning how to shape and adjust behaviors, specifically in children. The Teaching-Family Model has been modeled over 800 times since the 1960s until now, so it has actually been around for a long time being used by a lot of different groups of people and its foundations started with two researchers who are really, really well known in the field of behavioral sciences.

Now one of the things that makes this model really beautiful is that it actually focuses on humane and respectful practices and ensure the safety and wellbeing and the rights of the people who are being served or the child that's being served. It's effective treatment that has measurable outcomes and achieves child, youth, adult, and family goals. It can be individualized treatment that meets social, emotional, cognitive, and developmental needs. It's trauma-informed to understand and responding to the individual life experiences and also with the Teaching-Family Model, there is a component of quality assurance in the way that it's being delivered. And we'll talk a little bit about that. The 1960s. At that time there was a lot going on as far as trying to understand human behavior, how to shape it. I mean really there's a lot of information that has come out and studies that were done and performed during that time, during the 1960s for the Teaching-Family Model. They were studying how they could change the behavior of children who had been removed from their homes and placed in a group home. So, group home is where these children who were involved in the court system were placed because of behavioral issues that their parents couldn't manage them at home. And so, they studied, and they evaluated what worked well in changing the behaviors of children over time.

And what they were able to discover is there were certain approaches and certain things that

treatment parents would do that help to foster a relationship of trust, that helped to establish

communication and mutual respect. And then, in turn, had children responding in positive ways

to instruction and the structure that was in the home, in the group home. And they took all of

that data and they began to replicate it and see if it could be replicated in other areas.

And as they did this study, they started to notice patterns and these patterns evolved into skills.

And that's the skills that we use here in Smarter Parenting. And those are the skills that I have

been talking about in previous podcasts. Super amazing that this over time has evolved and

we've been able to gather information to see what works well, how do we communicate with

children effectively?

Well, there are steps that these parents did with these kids in order to shape their behaviors.

And so, we've taken those steps and we've made them very apparent and very applicable. So

you can use those steps in your own communications with your children. What are ways that we

can praise our children more effectively, okay? So there existed this idea that we just

communicate with our children. And then the Teaching-Family Model has this other side were

it's like, well, let's effectively communicate with our children and let's use what's worked best

 with the most difficult children in resolving their issues. And let's figure out what the components need to be there in order for this communication to happen.

Same thing happens with praise. Let's praise all our children, general praise. Yeah, that's great.

But the Teaching-Family Model teaches us how we can Effectively Praise children so they can

repeat positive behaviors. So, we want our children to Follow Instructions, okay, do what we say. Well, Teaching-Family Model has Following Instructions as a skill. These are the things you need to do as a parent and follow these steps in order to help your child Follow Instructions more effectively. And to do so in a humane and caring and loving way that focuses on building and strengthening relationships. Okay. So again, we have made very specific and given parents a guideline on what they can do in order to improve skills that they probably are already doing, but in a more conscious way. And in a more intentional way.

It's the difference between being a parent who is doing well an intentional parent who's actually

intentionally doing things in very specific ways to help their child. So, we want parents to be very

cognizant, very intentional, very specific in the way that they approach their children and teach

them.

Now I wanted to talk about the different programs or different groups that the Teaching-Family

Model is being used with. Initially, it started with group homes and group homes again or places

where children had to be removed from their families in order to be safe. And so, children going

into group homes would receive treatment and it continues to this day. There are group homes

that still use the Teaching-Family Model as the approach with the intention of having the

children returned back to their families so they can be managed and live with their families.

And so not a permanent setting that they're in a group home, but there are skills that they

needed to learn it in order to function well within their own families. Family homes,

Teaching-Family Model is being used in family homes, still happening today around the country

and around the world. So, it's being used there. It also has been translated to be used in foster care homes where a child is in the home temporarily with a foster parent and they're using these skills to help these children learn how to interact and how to behave in foster care with the intention of them being placed back with their parents or with adoptive parents. So fantastic application to what you're doing in a restrictive environment and then the less restrictive environments.

Another area where the Teaching-Family Model is being used is in home-based treatment. A

home-based treatment means that somebody actually goes into the home of a family and they

start teaching these skills to help the family stay together. That's where I come from. I come

from that area of home-based treatment. So, my job was to go into homes and work with parents

and children in their home teaching these skills from the Teaching-Family Model with the

intention of keeping them together and helping them get along better. Sometimes court-ordered, sometimes not, mostly court ordered in my case. But I would go in and actually work with parents and children in their homes to prevent them from moving into foster care or moving into even more restrictive group home. Now the Teaching-Family Model is also being used in schools. Yes. So, in educational settings, you'll have teachers using these skills with the kids that are in the school to students, and these skills again, are transferable to home life, to work-life to school, and so it really does cover such a broad range of helping children gather the skills they need to be successful wherever they may be.

The Teaching-Family Model is also being used in mental health programs. So, in psychiatric, in

inpatient settings, short-term crisis, emergency placements, outpatient clinics. This is being

used in multiple places. The Teaching-Family Model is an effective model that you can use to

teach very specific skills to these patients so they can use and implement in their lives, even in

crisis modes. It is also being used with adults with developmental disabilities. So interesting to see this realm of different populations actually using this model as a way to address behaviors.

So, the agency that I worked for, which is a Utah Youth Village , we use The Model, and we are

only one of a lot of different agencies that use the Teaching-Family Model. We refer to it as The

Model because it's shorter than saying the Teaching-Family Model, but it is the Teaching-Family

Model. But we're only one agency of many around the world that use the Teaching-Family

Model.

Definitely want to keep that in mind that this is being used by a lot of different people who are

working with children, shaping behaviors and families, but in a lot of different settings. So, you

have group homes, you have foster care, you have home-based placement, you have schools,

you have adults with disabilities, you have crisis centers, they're all using this model and it's

being used around the world. So here in the United States, Albania, Australia, different places. I taught these skills as well in Uganda, in Africa for a time. So, it's kind of amazing to see these skills being implemented and embraced in different places. There is an agency in New Zealand as well that is using this with the Maori people, the indigenous people of New Zealand. After doing a lot of research, this was the only model they found that was respectful of their culture that they could implement and place in their cultural consistency of what is culturally appropriate for the Maori people.

So, it's really interesting to kind of see how far this has reached since the 1960s and who is

using this? There's a quote that I want to share from Tom Bowerman. He's the director at Berry

Street in Australia and he talks about the Teaching-Family Model. He says, "The

Teaching-Family Model standards give us a great focus to achieve best quality of care, a

framework to work with, to set a high bar for what we want to achieve and holds us all to

account in every part of the agency." It's great. It's being used all over the place, right?

And that's fantastic, but how do we know it's being used to the utmost fidelity of what was intended initially? Well, in the 1970s an organization was created called The Teaching-Family Association . The job of The Teaching-Family Association is to accredit agencies who are using the Teaching-Family Model to be sure that they're using it correctly. This organization, that is their goal, is to be sure that it's being used effectively and to the utmost fidelity of the Teaching-Family Model standards. And it requires other people coming in looking and seeing what you're doing, how you're implementing things, offering feedback and suggestions. One of the things that I love about the Teaching-Family Model is that it creates this environment that is completely open for feedback. In fact, I receive feedback daily, weekly, monthly, all the time. And the way that it's created is that it allows us to continually grow because there is this idea that hey, I am working with people and people have feedback they want to give me, and I need to find ways to adjust and adapt to the feedback that I'm receiving in order to improve. Because we're all in it to improve ourselves and also the world and the children that we work with.

There are quality assurance systems that are in place in order to be sure an agency is using this

to the utmost fidelity. The Utah Youth Village, for example, receives reviews and they have

people coming in from The Teaching-Family Association to be sure that we are using The Model

the way that it was intended to be used. And it's not easy actually to become accredited through

The Teaching-Family Association. You have to go through evaluations. You have people

coming in, you have reviews, interviews, and they do this consistently. This isn't something that you become accredited and then you are accredited for life. No, you must, you become accredited and then over time you're continually accredited, and you have to maintain a certain level of fidelity towards the Teaching-Family Model. Hey, you're probably wondering why I'm sharing all this information with you. But the reason I'm sharing it with you is because it is super important for you to understand that what we are sharing here as Smarter Parenting isn't something that was invented yesterday.

This is something that has existed for a long time, has served a lot of people and has been effective in providing care. I am only sharing information and knowledge that has already been tried and tested by hundreds, thousands of people and it's proven to be effective.

It can be effective for you too as a parent, specifically with children with ADHD. As you know,

this is being used in various agencies with various populations. It's also effective for children

with ADHD. So, you want to take these skills and you want to use them and in addressing your

child who has ADHD, you're going to find that a lot of the skills help them to refocus on the

things that are important. It helps you remove the emotional response that you may have to your

child's misbehavior. It also gives you a framework on what you can do and what you should be

doing in order to continually build a strong relationship with your child. Because we don't want

misbehavior to be the dividing wedge between you and your child. We want them to be able to

learn from their misbehavior and adopt new, more positive behaviors.

That's our whole intention and to maintain and retain and continue on with the strong

relationships that you and your child should be having as they continually grow, right? That's

kind of an overview of the Teaching-Family Model, agencies that are using it, the importance of

it. I just want you to know you are not alone. You're not alone in what you're doing, and we are

sharing this with you because we care, we care about you, we care about you and your child.

We care that you're successful. We here at Smarter Parenting believe that the best is yet to

come for the generations to come. And that all depends on our ability to help them realize their

full potential. And I've seen it happen hundreds and hundreds of times that the families that I've worked with that these skills really do make a huge difference, not only in the satisfaction of a child, in their relationship with their parent, but also in the parent's ability to form and bond with their children. If anything, jump over to the Smarter Parenting website and look through the skills. Use the skills. I've covered the skills in depth in previous podcasts . Go back and listen to them. Effective Communication , Effective Praise , Observe and Describe . All of those skills are meant to build relationships and to help shape your child's behavior in positive ways, but they're founded in the Teaching-Family Model, which has been around for decades and is being used around the world by successful agencies and parents to help children succeed.

That's it for me for now.

The ADHD Smarter Parenting Podcast with Siope Kinikini

© Smarter Parenting 2020

Can we stop jumping on emotional band wagons that decimate this thing and glorify that thing?  Every time we turn around there is someone saying we should completely stop doing this thing and do this instead.  Really?  What about moderation? Informing oneself?  Stopping to think and being bold enough to say that you do not agree.  Or that you do if these criteria are met?

Recently there has been a flurry of well-know, well-funded, and well-intentioned (giving the benefit of the doubt here) individuals and entities proclaiming that token economies and level systems are horrible for children, adolescents and others and should not be utilized.  Never ever. In any way.  As someone who has been in the trenches with these individuals and their families, I disagree.  What I might agree with is that poorly implemented and mismanaged token economies and level systems are horrible, and I would say that about anything that is poorly implemented and mismanaged. As likely most persons would.  However, this emotional response to nearly everything we do not like or agree with, quick-to-pull-the-trigger without benefit of full or comprehensive wisdom, a call to rally the troops behind what is “good” or “bad” is nonsense and bad practice.

We need a collective time-out. Oops!  Surely, I have just offended the group judging the use of time-outs as bad. Horrible even. A violation of all personhood under the age of whatever who will never be the same having been placed in a safe, monitored and supervised spot for a few minutes - while being told that they are loved, but their behavior is not - and when those few minutes pass by, having a quick check-in to talk about what might be better next time and get a hug and kiss.  The absurdity of it all. The use of anything, including social media, can be good or bad DEPENDING on how it is used. Yep, go ahead, make a mental list.  Coffee, check. Wine, check. Eating, check. Spending, check. Sleeping, check. Knives, check. Ice cream, check.  Check, check, check! You get it. 

So, back to token economies and level systems.  When they are used to control and punish, they are bad.  No question about it.  When they are used to help teach, give control, confidence and choice, they can be good. When used punitively and to threaten, bad.  When helping to build intrinsic motivation and provide predictability of environment and outcomes, good, and even trauma-informed. (The research indicates that routine, structure, being sure of expectations, knowing what is to come and how to meet challenges are benefits to those having experienced trauma.)  The questions to ask include, “What is the intent?”  “Who is the system designed to benefit and how?”  “Is implementation focused on praise or punishment?” Are the individual’s strengths or weaknesses being built on?”  

The last time I checked, most successful companies were not hiring inexperienced individuals to run their company as its CEO.  Experience is typically required in work, sports, competition…well, that’s leveling up. Earning something that is important (to you).  Working for something (you want).  Your choice.  Well-managed, effective token economies and level systems put the power in the hands of the person. They give them the instructions and then help them figure out how to be successful. The hard part is what is required from the adults: consistency, calmness, objectivity, support and kindness. Even unconditional love.

And there it is.  That is the point.  It is not the token economy or the level.  It is how it is implemented.  Used.  Intended.  To restate; it is not the thing that is bad or good; it is how it is used.  Take time to think, question, discuss, and learn.  It’s rarely all or nothing, always or never. There are exceptions and when we fail to focus on quality and outcomes, we fail our children and their families.

July 13, 2018—The Teaching-Family Association is proud to announce and welcome Michele Boguslofski as our Executive Director. Michele has served the past four and a half years as Director at Alpine Academy at the Utah Youth Village in Salt Lake City, Utah. Under her direction, Alpine has reached new heights in quality of care, tenure of staff, professionalism, and services offered to and support of students and the team. Michele is clear on her priorities in this work and her career: the clients - those served and their families - come first.

Michele began her career as a Teaching Parent over 30 years ago in and has spent the majority of her career at various TFM sites as a practitioner as well as administrator. Michele has experience as a Chief Operations Officer and an Executive Director at other non-profit businesses and has worked collaboratively with state-level officials, partnered with international organizations, and is a sought-after trainer, presenter and consultant. She has served on TFA’s Board of Directors, Accreditation and Ethics Committee, and is a Trainer of Primary Reviewers for the Association.

Few people working within the Model have such vast experience and expertise and are therefore qualified in the way that Michele is to take on this vital role and lead TFA in the way that she can.

Michele will be responsible for the continued oversight and management of the Association including the Board of Directors, Accreditation and Ethics Committee, and members. Additionally, Michele’s role as a full-time Executive Director will include an emphasis on marketing and expanding TFA and a focus on facilitating and supporting sites with respect to dissemination and development. She will also focus on the fidelity of the model and that it is being implemented with credibility and best practice. One of her colleague’s reports, “Michele has the wonderful and unique gift of making everyone she comes in contact with feel special and important”, and her energy and passion, paired with her knowledge and experience, make her an ideal fit for this role.

Michele will move into her role as Executive Director effective Monday, August 6, 2018, working closely with Peggy McElgunn (TFA’s current ED) for several months to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for the Association and its members. Michele and her husband Jeff are moving to South Carolina in August and this will become the new headquarters for the Teaching-Family Association when Michele assumes fully responsibility later this year. We will formally welcome Michele and honor Peggy for her many accomplishments and years of service at our 41st Annual Conference, November 4-7, 2018, in Omaha, Nebraska.

About the Teaching-Family Association

The Teaching-Family Model’s early research began in the late 1960’s and the Teaching-Family Association (TFA) was founded in 1975 to ensure the quality of care provided by professionals who actively pursue the goals of humane, effective, trauma-informed, individualized treatment for children, families, dependent adults, and others using the common framework of the Teaching-Family Model for treatment and support. Programs and services are delivered in schools, day treatment settings, the private homes of families receiving services, treatment foster care homes, small group care homes, campus and community based treatment programs, emergency shelters, psychiatric hospitals and communities, and can be implemented with any population.

What is learned in one agency is shared with other agencies within the Association and incorporated into the standards of quality assurance processes within the Association. TFA’s goals are to accredit members, recognize programs, standardize effective training, supervision, and evaluation procedures, support program replication with fidelity, and provide yearly conferences for sharing new material and program development. The Teaching-Family Association is the only entity in North America that defines and implements standards and review procedures related to the actual performance and quality of treatment and service delivery systems at all organizational levels.

NREPP, APA, and CEBC recognize the Teaching-Family Model as evidence-based. TFA is an international organization with programs in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Albania, and Australia.

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Dr. Steven Morse, (609) 877-4111, ext.208
smorse@gpaschool.org
Download Press Release Here

The American Psychological Association, the leading organization representing psychology professionals, recently identified the Teaching-Family Model as an evidenced-based practice.  On the APA “Psychology Matters” website, the APA noted the Teaching-Family Model “is on e of the few evidence-based residential treatment programs for troubled children”.

It was noted that the Model’s success is based on the view that children’s behavior problems stem from their lack of interpersonal relationships and skills.  It is through using empirically validated methods that the Model is able to teach clients how to build these relationships and gain important skills for social success.

The APA determination is not the first national recognition accorded to the Teaching-Family Model.  With over 30 years of studies and results, the Teaching-Family Model is one of the strongest and most studied evidence-based programs available for treatment.  The Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention and the Surgeon General’s Office have both recognized the Model as a strong, evidenced-based solution for treatment programming, as well.

The Teaching-Family Model is available in not only residential treatment programs but has also been used successfully in treatment foster care, home-based treatment, psychiatric institutions and schools.  The Teaching-Family Association offers accreditation to agencies in using the Teaching-Family Model.  This accreditation validates quality of the program in its use of the Model and integrity of the Model, its delivery systems and elements.  Accreditation also ensures quality replication enabling the Model to be implemented on a large scale across many different treatment environments with many different client populations.

The Teaching-Family Association is the only entity in North America that defines and implements standards and review procedures related to the actual performance an quality of treatment and service delivery systems at all organizational levels.  Accredited Sponsor Agency is the highest recognition through accreditation and entitles agencies carrying this designation to support other agencies interested in developing using the Teaching-Family Model.  Accredited Agency designation, as with the Accredited Sponsor recognition, indicates all delivery systems and elements are being met effectively. Accredited Agencies cannot sponsor other agencies, however.

The Teaching-Family Model standards and development information is available through the Teaching-Family Association.  Agencies interested in pursuing the Teaching-Family Model can also contact an Accredited Sponsor Agency for assistance and information.  The Teaching-Family Model is implemented through a mentoring process and any agency interested in using this valuable treatment modality must affiliate with an Accredited Sponsor Agency for support and guidance.