A randomized clinical trial (RCT) is the most rigorous research method for measuring the effectiveness of any treatment. RCTs are the gold standard of research for behavioral treatments.

Treatments with scientific evidence supporting them are called Evidence-Based Treatments (EBTs), Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) or Evidence-Based Models (EBMs). A treatment qualifies as being evidence-based if it produces positive outcomes in comparison to usual care or another alternative treatment in two or more randomized clinical trials, preferably conducted by more than one research group.

MDFT’s effectiveness is built on the strongest foundation of research and is committed to continuing its research and program evaluation. In addition to controlled research, MDFT continuously collects clinical data from implementing agencies to measure their progress toward meeting MDFT benchmarks. These benchmarks help improve the health and well-being of youth and their families and ensure the highest standards of care.