5 REASONS TO IMPLEMENT MDFT
Clinical and Cost-effective
MDFT is effective in 35+ years of research in the U.S. and Europe. Lowers costs by reducing ER visits, hospitalizations, residential treatment, and incarcerations. MDFT costs 64% less than residential treatment.
Efficient and Holistic
MDFT provides individual therapy for youth, session with parents, family therapy, and community services to help families. It inspires significant, life-transformative changes in less than 6 months, with long-lasting effects.
Effective with Diverse Populations
MDFT stands out as the most effective substance use treatment for youth of color, particularly African Americans.
Work with All Youth and Families
MDFT has few exclusion criteria. It does not exclude families with domestic violence, substance use, or mental health disorders; and is well suited to address family conflict. “Parents” could be foster, siblings, grandparents, and other relatives in guardian roles.
Implemented in Community and Residential Settings Worldwide
MDFT programs have been implemented since 2001 in the U.S. and Europe. Currently 70+ licensed MDFT programs in the U.S. and nearly 50 programs in Europe.
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Treatment Outcomes
“MDFT has the strongest evidence.”
— Snowdon et al, 2019
MDFT is Proven to:
Reduce
Substance Misse
Mental Health Symptoms
Aggressive Behavior
Negative Peer Relationships
Crime & Delinquency
Out of Home Placement
Enhance
School Performance
Family Functioning & Stability
Prosocial Involvement
Positive Peer Relationships
The foundation of MDFT is based on numerous randomized clinical trials (RCTs) conducted in both the United States and Europe with diverse populations and settings.
The level of proven effectiveness demonstrated is unsurpassed in youth treatment.
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What People Are Saying
“MDFT is often regarded as a substance abuse treatment program, for historic reasons (funding sources and initial research interests) and achieved outcomes, but the approach is also valuable for treating adolescent externalizing symptoms and delinquency...In earlier trials and the present one, MDFT reduced the rate of externalizing symptoms more so than active comparison treatments. Lowering the level of externalizing symptoms may help a youth refrain from criminal offenses.”
— Schaub et al., 2014
“We’ve had MDFT at the Village for 20 years. And I have to say that the work that we have done in Hartford in MDFT has been with a tough population—human trafficking, gang members, youth involved in drug sales. The population that we work with have a lot of troubles and we have consistently been able to have great outcomes. We still see some former clients who come back to visit or for other services at the Village, and some of them have children of their own, and they talk about how MDFT helps them with their own children.”
— Catherine Corto-Mergins, Director of Training
The Village for Children and Families, Hartford, Connecticut