This article describes a family skills training program for family drug courts and child welfare practitioners.
This article discusses how family drug courts (FDCs) operate as alternatives to traditional drug courts in that they work to balance the rights and needs of parents and children when adults are affected by substance use disorders (SUDs). Its goal is to describe an effective family skills training program for FDCs and child welfare practitioners that will meet an existing need for family-centered interventions. A model family skills program engages all family members in learning healthy living skills, addressing child maltreatment or child abuse, family violence, and SUDs. The article lays out an overview of family-centered programs and family-skills programs; logistics of those program models; components of a successful program; efficacy studies; retention of skills after program graduation; and conclusions.