Functional Family Therapy – Child Welfare (FFT-CW)
“At the first meeting we felt that it was something completely different that we have not been exposed to before and we felt that the weight has been lifted off our shoulders.”
Mum, after she and her family completed FFT-CW
Functional Family Therapy – Child Welfare (FFT-CW®) was first developed and implemented in New York City and has since been implemented in several international jurisdictions.
FFT-CW® is a home-based treatment model for families with substantiated physical abuse and/or neglect of a child or young person aged between 0 and 17 years by providing a family therapy-focused model for at-risk families. FFT-CW® addresses the underlying trauma that results in harm to children, young people and families.
The FFT-CW® model
- addresses child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, mental illness, school difficulties, and history of out-of-home care or involvement with the NSW child protection system
- is focused on engaging with the family’s broader social environment
- delivers a comprehensive service to all family members, after assessing the abuse dynamics within the family
- develops each family’s social and community networks which are considered a central component of the service response.
For more information, visit the FFT-CW® website.
FFT-CW® is currently being delivered by non-government organisations in the following locations across NSW:
CSC Location | FACS District | Provider |
Albury | Murrumbidgee | Riverina Medical and Dental Aboriginal Corporation |
Auburn | Western Sydney | |
Bankstown | South Western Sydney | |
Blacktown | Western Sydney | |
Blue Mountains | Nepean Blue Mountains | |
Burwood | Sydney | |
Central Sydney | Sydney | |
Cessnock | Hunter Central Coast | |
Charlestown | Hunter Central Coast | |
Cootamundra | Murrumbidgee | Riverina Medical and Dental Aboriginal Corporation |
Eastern Sydney | South Eastern Sydney | |
Edgeworth | Hunter Central Coast | |
Fairfield | South Western Sydney | |
Goulburn | Southern NSW | |
Hawkesbury | Nepean Blue Mountains | |
Ingleburn | South Western Sydney | |
Lakemba | Sydney | |
Leeton | Murrumbidgee | Riverina Medical and Dental Aboriginal Corporation |
Liverpool | South Western Sydney | |
Macarthur | South Western Sydney | |
Maitland | Hunter Central Coast | |
Mayfield | Hunter Central Coast | |
Mt Druitt | Western Sydney | |
Nowra | Illawarra Shoalhaven | |
Parramatta | Western Sydney | |
Pennant Hills | Northern Sydney | |
Penrith | Nepean Blue Mountains | |
Queanbeyan | Southern NSW | |
Raymond Terrace | Hunter Central Coast | |
Shellharbour | Illawarra Shoalhaven | |
St George | South Eastern Sydney | |
St Marys | Nepean Blue Mountains | |
Sutherland | South Eastern Sydney | |
Ulladulla | Illawarra Shoalhaven | |
Wagga Wagga | Murrumbidgee | Riverina Medical and Dental Aboriginal Corporation |
Wollongong | Illawarra Shoalhaven |
Resources and further information
Meet some families that have successfully completed FFT-CW®:
- Case study: Family ties matter (PDF, 211.59 KB)
- Case study: Making her own future (PDF, 219.6 KB)
- Case study: Getting out of the pit (PDF, 211.08 KB)
[Please inert link to video]
Caseworkers can go to Ignite Training for FFT-CW eLearning Package
Referrals to FFT-CW
Caseworkers can refer families to participate in FFT-CW® by emailing CentralReferralUnitFFT&MST@facs.nsw.gov.au