Functional Family Therapy – CIMH Development Teams
Aggregate Evaluation Dashboard Report
CSS Data Download
Program Inception through January, 2009
Clients Served by Active FFT Therapists
This aggregate evaluation dashboard report describes a subset of youth referred to one of 29
Functional Family Therapy (FFT) teams throughout the state of California participating in the
CIMH-sponsored FFT Development Teams. This report presents available CSS data for clients
served from each program’s inception through January, 2009. Data are only included for clients
served by FFT therapists who are active/current at the time of this report.
Table 1. FFT Status – Clients Referred to Active FFT Therapists (N=2473)
Entry Rate*
Dropout Rate*
94.5%
(n=2337)
36.3%
(n=849)
*Please see Appendix A. for a description of Entry and Dropout Rates.
Table 2. Client Demographics – Youth Served by Active Therapists Who Entered FFT (n=2337)
14.3
n=1038
35.0%
n=819
62.0%
n=1448
20.4%
n=476
1.0%
n=23
5.9%
n=139
26.9%
n=628
37.6%
n=879
Other
Hispanic/
Latino
Caucasian
Biracial
Asian/
Pacific
Islander
AfricanAmerican
Ethnicity
Male
Female
Age (in
years)
Gender
1.6%
n=38
Note1: Percentages may not total 100 due to missing data.
Note2: Age calculated as the difference between the date of the first session and youth date of birth.
Table 3. FFT Process Data – Youth Served by Active Therapists Who Had At Least One Session in
the Behavior Change Phase (n=1647)
Families With At Least One* Completed
Youth Outcome Questionnaire± (YOQ) Prior to
FFT (Pre-YOQ)
Families With At Least One* Completed
Counseling Process Questionnaire± (CPQ)
in Engagement & Motivation and/or
Behavior Change
76.6%
(n=1262)
65.3%
(n=1076)
*Including youth self-report, mother report, and/or father report.
±Please see Appendix A. for a description of the Youth Outcome Questionnaires and the Counseling Process
Questionnaires.
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Table 4. FFT Process Data – Youth Served by Active Therapists Who Completed FFT* (n=884)
Counseling Process Questionnaire (CPQ) Data –
Generalization Phase
Average Number of Sessions
Mother Report
Father Report
Youth Report
Total
E&M
Phase
B. C.
Phase
Gen.
Phase
Avg
1-16
% ↑
17-18
Avg
1-16
% ↑
17-18
Avg
1-16
% ↑
17-18
14.3
4.9
5.8
3.5
6.2
180%
5.9
141%
6.0
138%
*Please see Appendix A. for a definition of Completed.
Table 5. FFT Outcome Data – Youth Served by Active Therapists Who Completed FFT (n=884)
Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ) –
Percent Improvement Pre/Post
Mother
Father
Youth
27.0%**
(n=536)
[pre=65.6]
19.4%**
(n=163)
[pre=64.0]
21.1%**
(n=620)
[pre=52.2]
Note: Possible YOQ scores range from -16-240. Scores of 46 or higher for youth self-report and 47 or higher for
parent/caregiver report are most similar to clinical populations.
** A statistically significant difference, p < .01.
Note: Follow-up analyses revealed no significant differences in FFT entry rate, dropout rate, or change in outcomes
by gender or ethnicity.
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Appendix A. Description of FFT Process and Outcome Measures
FFT Client Status – Definitions for Entry, Dropout, and Completed
The Entry Rate reflects the proportion of youth who were referred for FFT and had at least one
session with an FFT therapist. The numerator is the number of youth with at least one FFT
session; and the denominator is the number of youth referred for FFT.
The Dropout Rate is the proportion of youth who started FFT and did not advance to the
generalization phase. The numerator has two components: 1) the number of youth who entered
FFT and had a therapist-identified dropout reason; and/or, 2) the number of youth who had at
least one outcome measure completed, but no sessions in the generalization phase (suggesting
that FFT ended prior to the generalization phase). The denominator is the number of youth who
entered FFT (those with at least one session).
A client is considered to have Completed FFT if: 1) they participated in at least one session in
the generalization phase; and, 2) there was at least one outcome measure (including the
Therapist Outcome Measure, Client Outcome Measures completed by youth and/or parent,
and/or Youth Outcome Questionnaires).
Counseling Process Questionnaire (CPQ)
The Counseling Process Questionnaire (CPQ) is a self-report process measure completed by
each family member participating in FFT at every other session during a course of FFT. The
CPQ assesses family members’ perceptions of the therapeutic process, therapeutic progress,
and the therapeutic alliance.
Items 1-16 on the CPQ are considered the “core” items and responses are scored on a 7-point
Likert scale. The average of these 16 items is reported for each of three family members when
available: the youth client, mothers, and fathers.
Items 17 and 18 assess family members’ perceptions of changes that have happened since
they started the counseling process. Item 17 asks family members to report on how good or
bad things were when they first started coming to counseling; and item 18 asks how good or
bad things are now (at the time the questionnaire was completed.) The percent improvement
from Item 17 to Item 18 is reported for each of three family members when available: the youth
client, mothers, and fathers.
CPQ data presented in this report reflect family members’ perceptions in the generalization
phase of FFT.
Youth Outcome Questionnaires (YOQ)
The Youth Outcome Questionnaires (YOQ) are outcome measures completed before and after
participation in FFT. These 64-item standardized questionnaires assess youth’s global mental
health functioning according to both youth self-reports and reports of their parents/caregivers.
The percent improvement from pre-FFT to post-FFT is reported for each of three family
members when available: the youth client, mothers, and fathers.
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