Type of services provided:
PLL combines group therapy, family therapy and family trauma treatment within one continuum of care. The PLL model teaches families to restore the parental hierarchy, reestablish healthy communication patterns and restore family attachments. The model is designed to move families progressively through the stages of readiness to change while keeping youth from penetrating deeper into systems outside of the home. PLL can be used as an alternative to residential placement for youth as well as youth returning home from residential placement such as commitment programs, halfway houses, group homes or foster homes.
Program setting:
Adoptive home, birth family home, community agency, foster/kinship care, outpatient clinic, residential care facility
Length of program/number of sessions:
Average length of service is 3 to 6 months; 6 multifamily sessions and 6-8 individual family intensive (1-2 hours) therapy sessions in an outpatient or home-based setting to practice skills learned in the group setting; number of sessions can be increased to up to 20 sessions for youth with more severe problems such as involvement with juvenile or criminal justice system.
Type(s) of trauma/concerns addressed:
Hard-to-reach parents and caregivers with youth who are at low to high risk for out-of-home placement and families with youth returning from an out-of-home placement. Domestic violence is noted as one of the symptoms addressed.
Symptoms addressed:
Children and adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral problems (including conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), frequently co-occurring problems such as depression, alcohol or drug use, domestic violence, destruction of property or suicidal ideation; PLL has been used with teens with less extreme behaviors.
Education level of providers:
Master’s level degree in counseling related field for clinician; Bachelors degree for co-facilitator or case manager
Additional information:
None
Unique/Innovative Characteristics:
Program is designed to engage hard-to-reach parents and caregivers of youth who are often already engaged in systems.