Family Research & Services

Bradley Donohue,Ph.D
Associate Professor
email: bradley.donohue@unlv.edu
Phone: (702) 895-0181

FBT is a cost-effective intervention and evidence-based treatment which utilizes innovative, easily learned, behavioral therapies to treat substance abuse and associated problems for adults and youth within the family context. Therapy typically consists of 16 ninety-minute outpatient sessions that are scheduled to occur across 6 months. Up to 20 home-based sessions are conducted when target populations are particularly problematic (e.g., child welfare recipients). Realizing substance abusers and their family members are notorious for session non-attendance, FBT incorporates an “enlistment and retention strategy” that has proven to be effective in the improvement of FBT session attendance After a battery of psychometrically validated assessment measures are completed by the client and adult significant other, standardized methods are utilized to assist therapists in coherently conceptualizing the assessment information for family members, and guiding the family in the selection of their own treatment plan from a menu of alternatives. Selected therapies are implemented successively and cumulatively. That is, after each intervention is implemented for the first time, it is reviewed in all subsequent sessions to a lesser extent as relevant skills are developed. Immediately post-treatment, assessment measures are again administered, and comparisons are made to evaluate treatment effects. Follow-up assessments occur up to 6-months post-treatment to evaluate treatment outcomes, when indicated (i.e., required by funding agency). Recent developments include the incorporation of assessment and prevention programming targeting HIV risk behaviors, child management skills training, and protocols specific to home-based implementation for client’s in child protective services (e.g., home safety tours, basic needs assessment and intervention).