The Families Moving Forward (FMF) Program
The Families Moving Forward (FMF) Program is a behavioral consultation intervention delivered by trained providers. The treatment can be customized to match the needs of many different families. FMF was tailored for families raising children 3-13 years with prenatal exposure (PAE) or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), who have clinically concerning behavior problems. This group of families often feel caregiving stress and seek mental health care– or aftercare following an FASD diagnosis. Yet providers are often uncertain how to best serve them.
The FMF Program offers a specialized intervention approach which providers can learn through telehealth or in-person training. There is a carefully laid out program manual, accessible after training on a password-protected website. Clinically, the FMF Program combines positive behavior support techniques with motivational interviewing (MI) and cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT). The FMF Program is scientifically validated through research.
The FMF Program offers: (1) caregiver support and coaching; (2) psychoeducation on effects of PAE, treatment-relevant FASD information, and advocacy; (3) skill-building in caregiver use of “proactive” parenting strategies (“accommodations”); and behavior planning; and (4) information on “looking forward” to the future. Targeted school and provider consultation, and community resource linkages, are also offered. The FMF Program aims to improve child and parent outcomes. FMF treatment emphasizes better child function and decreased child disruptive behavior— and improved caregiving attitudes, knowledge, and use of targeted parenting practices. The FMF Program also aims to meet important unmet family needs.
