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Description
The aim of the project is to provide services to children and young people (aged 11-19) with serious behavioural problems through adapting the Multidimensional Family Therapy Programme (MDFT) in Lithuania thus ensuring a wider and more accessible network of behavioural correction tools and services in the country. MDFT is an evidence-based, integrated, comprehensive, family-oriented behavior change programme for children and young people with serious behavioral problems who have already committed criminal activity.
Helping children and young people struggling with serious behavioural problems that cannot be addressed in the general education environment is one of the biggest social challenges in Lithuania. This project focuses on children and young people whose behavior is socially unacceptable, aggressive, provocative, associated with a sudden change in emotions and low self-esteem. Until now, no programmes or measures that have proven successful in changing behavioral patterns have been available to these children and youngsters and their families in Lithuania.
What will be done while implementing the project?
The project will seek integrated solutions to help children and young people with serious behavioural problems expressed through actions that violate accepted behavioural norms, criminality, and inability to successfully adapt and participate in the community and society. During the implementation of the project three MDFT teams will be established to provide services for the target group using the methods of adapted programme. The project partner from Norway, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) will support the project through sharing its experience in the MDFT implementation and its integration in to the social services system.
The target group that will directly benefit from the project: children and young people aged 11-19 with behavioural disorders and members of their families and immediate communities.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project - to test and adapt the program of Multidimensional Family Therapy (hereinafter - MDFT) in Lithuania. It is a comprehensive, family-oriented behavior change program for children and young people whose behavior is markedly different from the usual age, cultural, ethical norms and is socially unacceptable, delinquent. According to this program, target group is 11-17 year olds age children and adolescents who do not attend school, exhibit aggressive behavior, conflictual communication, use psychotropic substances, are prone to criminal behavior, have other behavioral difficulties and their families.
In order to test and adapt the Multidimensional Family Therapy program in Lithuania, 3 MDFT teams were created (in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda regions) and 22 therapists working with young people and their environment (6 coordinators and 16 specialists) were trained and licensed. MDFT''s publicity campaign was carried out: 3 conferences were organized, articles published, regional publications, video clips, MDFT team members gave interviews to radio, television and various online portals, regular meetings were organized with representatives of various organizations in order to present the nature of MDFT''s assistance and discuss opportunities for cooperation. MDFT therapists deepened their knowledge and gained good experience abroad: educational visits to the Netherlands, Norway and Estonia were organized during the implementation of the project. There were regular supervisions, joint meetings of all Lithuanian MDFT teams and Lithuanian and foreign partners.
118 families were successfully helped to achieve significant changes in their behavior: decreased use of psychotropic substances, cases of running away from home, administrative crimes, aggressive behavior, cases of self-harm, increased self-confidence of children and young people, improved communication between children and parents, family relations, improved attendance at educational institutions or they were changed, new leisure activities appeared, etc.The MDFT program was widely presented to the public, professionals working in the field of child and family welfare.
Summary of bilateral results
The Project Partner Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (hereinafter - PP) shared with the Project participants best practice experience by participating in MDFT team meetings in Lithuania, three publicity conferences and foreign visits to Norway, Estonia and the Netherlands. PP representatives provided new and deepened existing knowledge when working with children with delinquent behavior, introduced the peculiarities of the child rights protection system in Norway, shared the practice of implementing family therapies abroad, and together with MDFT teams looked for ways to solve challenges and problems in Lithuania.During the implementation of the project, close relations were established with PP and representatives of other institutions visited in Norway, working in the field of child and family support, which are and will be supported in the post-project period.