The Family Centered Treatment (FCT) Model: Impacts in Child Protective Services

The assessment and outcomes of this paper determined the effectiveness of the Family Centered Treatment (FCT) model of providing care in child protective services. The data presented in this survey represented over 200 respondents from regions across the United States. This collection of supervisors, clinicians, and support staff had been introduced to or had experience with using the FCT foundation model. The study aimed to determine the model's effectiveness and gauge the respondents’ responsiveness to using it in their daily caseloads. While the purpose of the research centered on the effectiveness of the FCT model, the data captured another overarching phenomenon at work: how respondents related to or identified with their organization. The prominence of organizational identity was significant enough to be apparent throughout the responses despite their region of practice. This unexpected finding necessitated a discussion of organizational fitness and its ability to respond to the fractured bonds unveiled in the research findings. The results suggest that the FCT model is effective, and participants who used it had positive experiences; however, most could not leverage all it has to offer. If organizations are to benefit the most from the FCT model, the underpinnings of value, collaboration/communication, and trust must be repaired. This paper discusses the methodology used to arrive at this conclusion, offers an overview of the findings, and concludes with recommendations to bridge these elements