Child Health and Development Institute Selected as Performance Improvement Center

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The Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI) will serve as the Performance Improvement Center (PIC) for the State of Connecticut's Functional Family Therapy - Foster Care (FFT-FC) program through a new contract with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), announced last month.

Across the state, CHDI collaborates with policymakers, providers, educators, families, and other partners to transform child-serving systems, disseminate evidence-based and best practices, guide schools in supporting student mental health, and advance policy solutions to improve behavioral health care for children, youth, and their families.

FFT-FC is an evidence-based, clinical intervention model for DCF-involved children and their families. Using a relational lens and a strong focus on the family unit, FFT-FC aims to strengthen family relationships, address behavioral challenges, and support long-term stability for youth in care.

In their role as Performance Improvement Center, CHDI will partner with DCF, provider agencies, FFT model developers, families, and other partners to support the implementation and delivery of the FFT-FC model by providing continuous quality improvement support to foster care agencies offering FFT-FC across the state.

There are currently nine FFT-FC providers responsible for recruiting, licensing, and supporting approximately 588 FFT-FC-level foster homes statewide.

Initial activities, according to CHDI, will include:

  • Developing a statewide strategic plan for recruitment and retention of foster parents

  • Improving the process of managing placement disruptions

  • Administering "wrap-around" payments to cover services and supports for children in FFT-FC

CHDI has announced that Chris Marino, MS, LPC will join CHDI to lead this initiative as Director of the FFT-FC Performance Improvement Center. He brings a wealth of leadership experience to the role, having served most recently as the Service Development Director at Community Mental Health Affiliates (CMHA). He earned a Master’s in Professional Counseling and Rehabilitation from Central Connecticut State University.