Accountability Unpacked: Expanding Behavior Change Techniques in Family Treatment Courts
About
Behavior change is complex, especially for individuals with substance use disorders, mental disorders, or executive functioning challenges. Treatment courts traditionally use three major behavior change theories: the transtheoretical model, operant learning theory, and goal-setting theory, which inform sanctions, incentives, and motivational interviewing practices. However, with over 80 behavior change theories in the social sciences, a wealth of knowledge is available to further enhance treatment court practices.
This year’s Practice Academy reviews and expands on behavior change theories, utilizing the Behavior Change Wheel1 —a comprehensive framework for understanding and changing behavior developed from 19 behavior change models. Teams will learn to integrate a broader range of techniques, identify barriers and enablers to behavior change, and foster collaboration while better addressing participants’ needs.
Learning Objectives:
- Review and expand on behavior change theories in treatment court practices using the Behavior Change Wheel.
- Apply a structured framework to identify barriers and enablers to change and develop individualized responses to support participants’ needs and goals.
- Foster effective teamwork and communication while collaboratively responding to participant behavior.
5-Part Video Series
Watch these five short, engaging videos covering key topics like accountability vs. punishment, behavior change theories, when nothing seems to work, and more.
Behavior Response Toolkit
The Behavior Response Toolkit helps family treatment court (FTC) teams respond to participant behaviors using a structured, evidence-informed approach. Grounded in the Behavior Change Wheel and COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation – Behavior) models of behavior change, the toolkit supports teams in identifying conditions present or missing for behavior change, selecting appropriate interventions matched to the identified condition, and promoting accountability without punishment.
Live Event Recording
On September 16, 2025, CFF hosted a live event – Behavior Change in Action: Introducing the Behavior Response Toolkit. This webinar walked through some key points of the videos and toolkit, then spotlighted a panel of practitioners who’ve piloted the toolkit in the field. See below for the recording and slides from the event.
Event Slides
1 Michie, S., Atkins, L., & West, R. (2014). The behaviour change wheel: A guide to designing interventions. Silverback Publishing. https://www.behaviourchangewheel.com
Learning Opportunities
Grantee TTA Projects
OJJDP and CFF currently offer in-depth technical assistance to six Statewide System Improvement Program (SSIP) Awardees: Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, New York, and Guam. Find out more about how these states are implementing systems reform to expand FTCs’ scale and scope—increasing FTCs reach into child welfare and substance use disorder treatment systems and ensuring the delivery of a full range of comprehensive services for families.
In 2016 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded 12 FDCs. This funding opportunity aligns with the national FDC movement working to increase FDC’s capacity and scope of services to children and families. Of the 12 new OJJDP grantees, six sites were awarded implementation funding to create new FDC programs within their jurisdictions and six were awarded enhancement funding to expand the capacity and augment services among their existing FDC programs. Three tribal sites were awarded implementation funding to help bring Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts to tribal jurisdictions.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
Through federally- and foundation-funded projects, Children and Family Futures and its small business subsidiary, Center for Children and Family Futures, produces publications, reports, Technical Assistance tools and web-based learning for the field. The following are featured resources from our work. For more resources or information related to a specific topic, please visit our resources page or click the “Request Assistance” button below or at the top of the page.
Intentional Integration: How to Identify and Support Parents with Co-Occurring Disorders
FTCs, like all drug courts, historically focused on treating substance use disorders (SUDs). However, FTCs cannot maintain this singular focus since 45% of adults with an SUD in the general population also live with a co-occurring mental health disorder. People with an untreated co-occurring disorder are less likely to complete substance use treatment or achieve sustained recovery; they are also more likely to experience unemployment, homelessness, child welfare involvement, incarceration, and suicide. Many dependency court professionals recognize the prevalence of co-occurring disorders. Still, due to complexities in screening, assessment, diagnosis, and securing mental health services, FTCs may not appropriately identify and treat parents with co-occurring disorders. This Practice Academy examines the interactive nature of substance use and mental health disorders, while providing strategies for improved approaches and outcomes for parents and their children.
Learning Objectives:
- Summarize definitions and prevalence rates of co-occurring disorders and explore theories of how and why substance use and mental health disorders co-occur.
- Identify complexities and opportunities in screening and assessment to more accurately identify parents with co-occurring disorders.
- Apply evidence-based approaches for integrated treatment and recovery.
- Adopt strategies from FTCs who successfully serve parents with co-occurring disorders.
Download the Companion Guide to this video, highlighting action steps and resources for identification and support of parents with co-occurring disorders.
Learning Opportunities
Grantee TTA Projects
OJJDP and CFF currently offer in-depth technical assistance to six Statewide System Improvement Program (SSIP) Awardees: Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, New York, and Guam. Find out more about how these states are implementing systems reform to expand FTCs’ scale and scope—increasing FTCs reach into child welfare and substance use disorder treatment systems and ensuring the delivery of a full range of comprehensive services for families.
In 2016 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded 12 FDCs. This funding opportunity aligns with the national FDC movement working to increase FDC’s capacity and scope of services to children and families. Of the 12 new OJJDP grantees, six sites were awarded implementation funding to create new FDC programs within their jurisdictions and six were awarded enhancement funding to expand the capacity and augment services among their existing FDC programs. Three tribal sites were awarded implementation funding to help bring Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts to tribal jurisdictions.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
Through federally- and foundation-funded projects, Children and Family Futures and its small business subsidiary, Center for Children and Family Futures, produces publications, reports, Technical Assistance tools and web-based learning for the field. The following are featured resources from our work. For more resources or information related to a specific topic, please visit our resources page or click the “Request Assistance” button below or at the top of the page.
Sustained Recovery: Don’t Make Aftercare an Afterthought
Recovery is a process, and FTCs are a time-limited acute intervention in a family’s life. FTCs must blend aftercare planning into its program design to best support parents and their children after case closure. Aftercare plans, also known as “continuing care plans,” can provide parents with structure, accountability, and needed ongoing services to both parents and children after child welfare, treatment services, and the FTC no longer remain a central part of their lives. This Practice Academy shares the “do’s and don’ts” of aftercare planning, highlights innovative approaches to continuing care, and offers strategies and examples that FTC teams use to support sustained family recovery.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the purpose and process of aftercare planning.
- Establish do’s and don’ts of aftercare planning.
- Apply lessons about aftercare planning successes and challenges from FTC alumni in sustained recovery.
- Adopt strategies from recovery research and innovative FTCs focused on sustained recovery.
Download the Companion Guide to this video, highlighting effective continuing care approaches.
Learning Opportunities
Grantee TTA Projects
OJJDP and CFF currently offer in-depth technical assistance to six Statewide System Improvement Program (SSIP) Awardees: Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, New York, and Guam. Find out more about how these states are implementing systems reform to expand FTCs’ scale and scope—increasing FTCs reach into child welfare and substance use disorder treatment systems and ensuring the delivery of a full range of comprehensive services for families.
In 2016 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded 12 FDCs. This funding opportunity aligns with the national FDC movement working to increase FDC’s capacity and scope of services to children and families. Of the 12 new OJJDP grantees, six sites were awarded implementation funding to create new FDC programs within their jurisdictions and six were awarded enhancement funding to expand the capacity and augment services among their existing FDC programs. Three tribal sites were awarded implementation funding to help bring Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts to tribal jurisdictions.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
Through federally- and foundation-funded projects, Children and Family Futures and its small business subsidiary, Center for Children and Family Futures, produces publications, reports, Technical Assistance tools and web-based learning for the field. The following are featured resources from our work. For more resources or information related to a specific topic, please visit our resources page or click the “Request Assistance” button below or at the top of the page.
Navigating Risk: Disrupting the Cycle of Substance Use for Children and Adolescents
Substance use disorders can have a genetic component but are preventable. For adolescents with adverse childhood experiences, substance use may be a mechanism to cope with trauma or unaddressed socioemotional or mental health concerns. Fortunately, prevention science has advanced in recent decades. Evidence-based research now focuses on risk and protective factors, a developmental framework, and a continuum of care. This Practice Academy reveals how professionals seeking to support family recovery must consider the risk factors, needs, and mental health of children and adolescents while strengthening family protective factors. Family treatment court (FTC) teams can help parents and caregivers implement science-based strategies and interventions that support positive childhood experiences to disrupt the cycle of substance use and co-occurring mental health challenges.
Learning Objectives:
- Demonstrate the developmental nature of substance use disorders and recognize why child development and family wellness are foundational to prevention.
- List risk and protective factors for children while examining factors specific to those affected by childhood adversity and familial substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders.
- Adopt age-appropriate strategies and identify interventions for children and adolescents based on substance use prevention science.
Learning Opportunities
Grantee TTA Projects
OJJDP and CFF currently offer in-depth technical assistance to six Statewide System Improvement Program (SSIP) Awardees: Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, New York, and Guam. Find out more about how these states are implementing systems reform to expand FTCs’ scale and scope—increasing FTCs reach into child welfare and substance use disorder treatment systems and ensuring the delivery of a full range of comprehensive services for families.
In 2016 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded 12 FDCs. This funding opportunity aligns with the national FDC movement working to increase FDC’s capacity and scope of services to children and families. Of the 12 new OJJDP grantees, six sites were awarded implementation funding to create new FDC programs within their jurisdictions and six were awarded enhancement funding to expand the capacity and augment services among their existing FDC programs. Three tribal sites were awarded implementation funding to help bring Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts to tribal jurisdictions.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
Through federally- and foundation-funded projects, Children and Family Futures and its small business subsidiary, Center for Children and Family Futures, produces publications, reports, Technical Assistance tools and web-based learning for the field. The following are featured resources from our work. For more resources or information related to a specific topic, please visit our resources page or click the “Request Assistance” button below or at the top of the page.
Building Secure Futures: Bonding and Attachment Support for Parents and Their Infants Affected by Substance Use
Overview
Twenty percent of all child welfare removals in 2020 involved infants under the age of 1. Bonding and attachment in these early months are crucial to the health of the parent-infant relationship and the infant’s overall well-being. Despite this, many families involved in the child welfare system face significant disruptions to healthy relationship development. Separation, parental substance use (SU) and substance use disorders (SUD), mental health disorders, trauma histories, and the shame/stigma they encounter prevent parents and infants from establishing strong bonds and secure attachment patterns. FTC teams, often serving postpartum parents, can use their understanding of bonding and attachment to offer interventions that support and heal the parent-child relationship. This session will reorient professionals to the science of bonding and attachment while noting strategies to support the parent-infant relationship in families affected by SU/SUD.
Learning Objectives:
- Distinguish between bonding and attachment; describe parenting behaviors related to both strongly and poorly established bonds
- Analyze how parent-child separation, SU and SUD, mental health disorders, trauma, and shame can disrupt bonding and attachment
- Adopt strategies to support bonding and attachment for families affected by substance use
This video orients professionals to the science of bonding and attachment while noting strategies to support the parent-infant relationship in families affected by substance use.
Download the accompanying Practice & Policy Tips, which reviews key points from the video, explores attachment-focused supports and interventions, and considers policy strategies to gain sustainable access to infant and early childhood mental health services.
Learning Opportunities
Grantee TTA Projects
OJJDP and CFF currently offer in-depth technical assistance to six Statewide System Improvement Program (SSIP) Awardees: Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, New York, and Guam. Find out more about how these states are implementing systems reform to expand FTCs’ scale and scope—increasing FTCs reach into child welfare and substance use disorder treatment systems and ensuring the delivery of a full range of comprehensive services for families.
In 2016 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded 12 FDCs. This funding opportunity aligns with the national FDC movement working to increase FDC’s capacity and scope of services to children and families. Of the 12 new OJJDP grantees, six sites were awarded implementation funding to create new FDC programs within their jurisdictions and six were awarded enhancement funding to expand the capacity and augment services among their existing FDC programs. Three tribal sites were awarded implementation funding to help bring Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts to tribal jurisdictions.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
Through federally- and foundation-funded projects, Children and Family Futures and its small business subsidiary, Center for Children and Family Futures, produces publications, reports, Technical Assistance tools and web-based learning for the field. The following are featured resources from our work. For more resources or information related to a specific topic, please visit our resources page or click the “Request Assistance” button below or at the top of the page.
Building Strong Futures: Increasing FTC Capacity and Scale
Overview
Family treatment courts (FTCs) have improved safety, permanency, well-being, and recovery outcomes for families in the child welfare system associated with parental substance use for over 25 years. Despite these successful outcomes, many FTCs serve a small portion of families that could benefit from this intensive cross-system collaborative approach. The question: Will FTCs remain isolated, small-scale successful projects, or will they expand to meet the need? This Practice Academy course helps teams understand why discussions about capacity, scale, and community need are vital to the future of FTCs. Attendees will learn about the most common challenges FTCs experience when trying to expand their reach; they’ll leave with concrete tools and strategies to close the gap between those served and those in need.
Learning Objectives:
- Summarize why FTC teams must understand their capacity and scale
- Calculate the FTC’s scale and how it relates to the overall community’s need
- Adopt strategies to close the gap between the FTC’s enrollment and the community’s need
This video highlights why discussions about capacity, scale, and community need are vital to the future of FTCs and for the benefit of families in your communities.
Download the accompanying Scaling Up Toolkit, which provides a step-by-step process to measure FTC scale and capacity; improve identification, referral, and engagement pathways; and identify concrete action steps to ensure access to families in need and increase numbers of families served. Teams will identify significant barriers to increase scale and explore resources to support expansion.
Learning Opportunities
Grantee TTA Projects
OJJDP and CFF currently offer in-depth technical assistance to six Statewide System Improvement Program (SSIP) Awardees: Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, New York, and Guam. Find out more about how these states are implementing systems reform to expand FTCs’ scale and scope—increasing FTCs reach into child welfare and substance use disorder treatment systems and ensuring the delivery of a full range of comprehensive services for families.
In 2016 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded 12 FDCs. This funding opportunity aligns with the national FDC movement working to increase FDC’s capacity and scope of services to children and families. Of the 12 new OJJDP grantees, six sites were awarded implementation funding to create new FDC programs within their jurisdictions and six were awarded enhancement funding to expand the capacity and augment services among their existing FDC programs. Three tribal sites were awarded implementation funding to help bring Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts to tribal jurisdictions.