Multidimensional Family Therapy for Adolescent Cannabis Users (Home Study)

The purpose of this course, developed from the US Department of Health and Human Services publication Multidimensional Family Therapy for Adolescent Cannabis Users, is to evaluate a variety of interventions designed to eliminate substance abuse and associated problems in adolescence. The focus is on Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) which is a multisystemic family-focused treatment program for adolescents and their families. Although the target population of the interventions discussed in this course was adolescents with cannabis use disorders, the information is appropriate for anyone who deals with problematic adolescent issues or who would like to gain information in this area. 

Course Objectives 

1. Examine the characteristics of MDFT as it targets the psychosocial functioning of individual family members, the family members' relationships, and influential social systems outside the family. 

2. Determine various strategies to deal with adolescent drug abuse, to look at it in the context of other symptoms, and relate the drug abuse to family relationships and circumstances. 

3. Understand that families exist in multiple ecologies, and that interactions with people and social institutions outside the family can help or hurt that adolescent's development. 

4. Review practical ways to improve school behavior and academic and vocational functioning of drug-involved youth. 

5. Examine procedures for implementing MDFT with substance abusing adolescents, includingmoderating parent-adolescents conflict to improve those relationships. 

6. Explore the components of the Cannabis Youth Treatment Study as it works to determine the best treatment options for drug addicted adolescents.