Program Profile: Family Solutions Program (FSP)

This is a multi-family group-based intervention targeting juveniles convicted for the first time. The goal is to help youth and their families find solutions to family conflict and poor decision-making that will prevent youth’s recidivism and improve personal and family well-being. The program is rated Promising. Intervention group youth showed a statistically significant lower likelihood of recidivating, compared with youth in the probation comparison group.

A Promising rating implies that implementing the program may result in the intended outcome(s).

A Promising rating implies that implementing the program may result in the intended outcome(s).

Program Goals/Target Population

The Family Solutions Program (FSP) is a family intervention program designed to establish positive family influences on at-risk youth behavior and build social skills for youth well-being in preparation for a successful adulthood. The goal of the FSP is to help juveniles convicted for the first time and their families find solutions, in a group setting, to family conflict and poor decision-making that will prevent repeat criminal behavior and improve personal and family well-being. FSP promotes group social support and community networking, successful parenting practices, and skill-building such as anger management and improved decision-making. The FSP is an intervention that involves the immediate and extended family of the targeted child.

Program Activities/Key Personnel

Eligibility of targeted youth for the program is determined by either the adjudication process in juvenile court, informal adjustment by juvenile justice staff, or school personnel addressing truancy. Participation is primarily based on parent willingness to attend with the target child and ability to participate in a multiple-family group experience. A risk assessment is administered by either the referral source or FSP representative to establish baseline data for evaluation and to help FSP Certified Leaders become familiar with the characteristics of the families referred.

FSP consists of 10 weekly 2-hour sessions in a multiple-family group intervention (MFGI) format. MFGI typically consists of three phases: (1) creating conditions for a learning laboratory including group formation and trust-emotional support; (2) group-involvement through role plays, activities and discussions, breakout skill building and exploration, and homework; and (3) closure, celebration, and future-planning.

The FSP structure is approximately 6–8 families and two FSP Certified Group Co-leaders. College interns or adult volunteers can supplement the group composition to assist leaders. The FSP group co-leaders are guided by an FSP Leader Manual including session topics, goals and objectives, description of activities, suggested group discussion questions, materials needed, and case illustrations. Families receive a Family Notebook in which they compile materials distributed by FSP co-leaders in each session. Leaders are required to have a college degree in a human service or social science discipline. In addition to learning the FSP Leader Manual, FSP leaders are trained in specific group techniques on managing a MFGI including time management, negative emotion of a participant, FSP session content, and evaluation procedures.

FSP session topics focus on building a support system within the group, family cooperation, building family–school partnerships, parenting skills including monitoring and communication, family contracting, anger-management skills, the process of good decision-making, community service, and graduation (session 10). FSP co-leaders can select optional topics from the FSP Leader Manual as appropriate for the group members including: gang awareness, healthy relationships, career planning, and positive parenting.

Study

The evaluation of the Family Solutions Program (FSP) by Quinn and Van Dyke (2004) used a two- and three-group quasi-experimental design to evaluate the impact of the program on juveniles convicted for the first time. The study took place in two counties in Northern Georgia, one of which implemented FSP and one that did not. All juveniles in the study were referred to the program from the juvenile court because of a first offense. Offenses included truancy, shoplifting, criminal trespass, assault, unruly or ungovernable (youth not managed adequately by parents or custodial adults), or drug or alcohol use or possession. The sampling for this study was a convenience sample from data that spanned 1993–2001. A total of 360 participants were referred to FSP while the comparison group included 107 youths. Comparison group youth received probation, but no other treatment.

Participants who took part in FSP were evaluated from the time they were referred to the program to the time they were no longer considered a minor. The average age of both groups was 14 years. The FSP intervention group was mostly male (58 percent) and predominately African American (63 percent) while the probation comparison group was also mostly male (64 percent) but predominately Caucasian (86 percent). There were no significant differences between the groups on demographics, except for ethnicity. Because of the difference in the racial makeup of the two groups, ethnicity was used as a covariate in every analysis.

The main outcome evaluated in the study was recidivism. For recidivism, data was collected for reoffenses on a monthly basis by an FSP representative. A list of participants in FSP and probation was matched with the court’s records. There were several variables that are associated with recidivism that were used as covariates in the study, including age at first offense, seriousness of the first offense, family involvement in crime, gender, and ethnic background. Outcomes were examined using a logistic regression model. Subgroups analyses were conducted to determine the potential impact of gender and the completion of the program on outcomes.

For additional information about the Family Solutions Program (FSP), including information on implementation, please go to the Families4Change website.

Subgroup Analysis

Quinn and Van Dyke (2004) conducted subgroup analyses to determine the potential impacts of gender and the completion of the program on reoffense rates. They found that females who completed the Family Solutions Program (FSP) were 10.9 times less likely to reoffend, compared with females in the probation comparison group. Females who dropped out of the FSP were 5.6 less likely to reoffend, compared with females in the probation comparison group. Males who completed the FSP were 9.5 times less likely to reoffend, compared with males in the probation comparison group. Males who dropped out of the FSP were 3.8 times less likely to reoffend, compared with males in the probation comparison group. These differences were all statistically significant.<

These sources were used in the development of the program profile:

These sources were used in the development of the program profile:

Caldwell, Christopher Les, Arthur M. Horne, Bernard Davidson, and William H. Quinn. 2007. “Effectiveness of a Multiple Family Group Intervention for Juvenile First Offenders in Reducing Parent Stress.” Journal of Child and Family Studies 16:443–59.

Quinn, William H. 1999. Serving Children and Families through Community University Partnerships: Success Stories. Edited. Klower Academic Publishers: Norwell, Mass.

Quinn, William H., and David Van Dyke. 2004. “A Multiple Family Group Intervention for First-Time Juvenile Offenders: Comparisons with Probation and Dropouts on Recidivism.” Journal of Community Psychology 32:177-200.

Quinn, William, David Van Dyke, and Sean Kurth. 2002. A Brief Multiple Family Group Model for Juvenile First Offenders—Brief Treatments for the Traumatized: A Project of the Green Cross Foundation. Greenwood Press: Westport, Conn. (This study was reviewed but did not meet Crime Solutions' criteria for inclusion in the overall program rating.)

Quinn, William, Keith Bell, and Jennifer Ward. 1997. “Family Solutions for Juvenile First Offenders.” The Prevention Researcher. Integrated Research Services, Inc.: Eugene, Ore.

Quinn, William H., and Richard Sutphen. 1994. “Juvenile First Offenders: Characteristics of At-Risk Families and Strategies for Intervention.” Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling 15(1).