ABSTRACT
In this article, the authors present a condensed version of the Marriage and Family Therapy Core Competencies (MFT-CC), collapsing the original 128 MFT-CC to 16 using a qualitative research method. Educators, supervisors, and researchers can more easily and efficiently use the condensed MFT-CC to measure student and supervisee learning for accreditation and training. The 16 Condensed MFT-CC are mapped to the original MFT-CC, COAMFTE's Version 12 Foundational Curriculum Areas and the Association for Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards 6 domains upon which the national exam is predicated.
Subject(s)
Credentialing/standards , Educational Measurement/standards , Family Therapy/standards , Marital Therapy/standards , Professional Competence/standards , Curriculum , Family Therapy/education , Humans , Marital Therapy/education , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
Competency-based training approaches are being used more in healthcare to guide curriculum content and ensure accountability and outcomes in the educational process. This article provides an overview of the state of competency development in the field of behavioral health. Specifically, it identifies the groups and organizations that have conducted and supported this work, summarizes their progress in defining and assessing competencies, and discusses both the obstacles and future directions for such initiatives. A major purpose of this article is to provide a compendium of current competency efforts so that these might inform and enhance ongoing competency development in the varied behavioral health disciplines and specialties. These varied resources may also be useful in identifying the core competencies that are common to the multiple disciplines and specialties.
Subject(s)
Behavioral Medicine/education , Clinical Competence , Mental Health Services/standards , Behavioral Medicine/standards , Competency-Based Education , Employee Performance Appraisal , Family Therapy/standards , Humans , Mental Disorders/rehabilitation , Mental Disorders/therapy , Patient Care Team/standards , Psychiatric Nursing/education , Psychiatric Nursing/standards , Psychiatry/education , Psychiatry/standards , Psychology, Clinical/education , Psychology, Clinical/standards , Social Work, Psychiatric/education , Social Work, Psychiatric/standards , Staff Development/methods , Substance-Related Disorders/rehabilitation , Substance-Related Disorders/therapy , United States , WorkforceABSTRACT
In this article, I present data from two waves of research on demographic characteristics and practice patterns of marriage and family therapists (MFTs) conducted in 2000 and 2002. The research focuses on the methodological and technological issues in studying this population. Specifically, an online survey with MFTs obtained lower response rates and was therefore more expensive relative to phone and mail methods. Questions about evidence-based therapies (EBTs) were asked two different ways with significantly different results based on how the questions were phrased. A discussion of the relative advantages and disadvantages of using different survey methodologies and consideration of issues pertinent to studying EBTs are included.
Subject(s)
Family Therapy , Marital Therapy , Educational Technology/methods , Family Therapy/education , Family Therapy/methods , Family Therapy/trends , Forecasting , Humans , Marital Therapy/education , Marital Therapy/methods , Marital Therapy/trends , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
We reviewed the literature on family treatment for childhood behavioral and emotional disorders and found an increase in the number of studies since 1995; however there was significant variation by disorder and therapy model. There is substantially more research on externalizing disorders (i.e., conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder) then internalizing disorders, depression and anxiety disorders. The data support the conclusion that family-based interventions produce results comparable to individually oriented interventions, and in some cases family-based interventions are superior to individual treatments. To date, cognitive behavioral family therapy and parent management have been the two models studied, almost exclusively. Implications for family therapy and future research are considered.
Subject(s)
Child Behavior Disorders/therapy , Family Therapy , Mood Disorders/therapy , Anxiety Disorders/epidemiology , Anxiety Disorders/therapy , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/epidemiology , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/therapy , Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders/epidemiology , Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders/therapy , Child , Child Behavior Disorders/epidemiology , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Forecasting , Humans , Mood Disorders/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This report presents data from a telephone survey of a randomly selected sample of 292 marriage and family therapists (MFTs) who were Clinical Members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The study, designed to better understand the current state of the field of MFT, provides descriptive data on the demographic characteristics, training, clinical practices, and treatment of substance abuse disorders by MFTs. Participants reported they most commonly treat marital and couple difficulties, depression, anxiety, and problems of children and adolescents. It was also found that MFTs commonly assess for substance abuse problems, but these problems represent a relatively small percentage of their caseload. The data support the continued maturation and growth of the field. Implications for the field and comparisons to other national data are addressed.
