New Jersey Launches Statewide Brief Strategic Family Therapy Initiative
New Jersey has launched a statewide initiative to implement Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) across all 21 counties in partnership with Empower Community Care. The program, supported by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJ DCF), aims to strengthen family relationships, stabilize youth behavior, and prevent out-of-home placements through evidence-based therapy services. The initiative is funded under the Family First Prevention Services Act and includes a structured rollout across six regional programs with training, consultation, data collection, and quality improvement systems. Provider feedback has been positive, highlighting strong planning, communication, and execution as key factors in its success. The model is being recognized for its potential to serve as an example for other states. Empower Community Care emphasized the importance of infrastructure development alongside clinical delivery, noting that New Jersey's approach demonstrates how effective partnerships can scale evidence-based care sustainably.
Topics: evidence-based programs family therapy healthcare state initiative