What is the Teaching-Family Model?

The Teaching-Family Model is an evidence-based program used throughout the country to help youth and their families deal with physically, emotionally, and sexually abused children; delinquent youths, emotionally disturbed, autistic and medically fragile children. The Teaching-Family Model teaches the skills they need to lead a productive and satisfying life. It is one of the only childcare models that is well defined and therefore can be effectively replicated.

The first Teaching-Family Model program was named “Achievement Place.” It was a community-based family treatment model for youths located in Lawrence, Kansas. Achievement Place was a residential home for up to eight youth who had serious behavior problems, and were in danger of being sent to a state industrial school.

We now know the treatment program developed at Achievement Place as the Teaching-Family Model. TheTeaching-Family Model training program was developed at the University of Kansas in it’s Human Development and Family Life Departments in 1967. Founding fathers of the model included Curtis J. Braukmann, Ph.D; Karen B. Maloney, Ph.D; Dean L. Fixsen, Ph.D. Kathryn Kirigin, Ph. D; Dennis Maloney, PH. S. Elery L. Phillips, Ph.D; and Montrose M. Wolf, Ph.D. and many other staff members at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.

Successful completion of the Teaching-Family Modeltraining program is required for the teaching parents who want to operate a group home based on the model. The original training programs utilized behaviorally-based educational techniques applied with loving consideration for youths in a warm, home-like environment. The heart of the program is “the active give-and-take between the Teaching Parents and the youth”. The Teaching Parent’s role is to correct problem behavior and teach the youth new ways of handling themselves and working with other people.

The success of the Teaching-Family programs rests heavily on the talents of the Teaching Parents. Teaching Parents receive specialized training, on-going consultation in the model, and can also achieve certification by the Teaching-Family Association. The Teaching-Family Model currently is recognized as an evidence-based model, and as a preferred treatment program for youth in multiple placement environments. As you may know, Innovative Teaching Systems (ITS) provides Teaching-Family Model training and consultation services to certified Sponsor Sites, Developing Sites, and agencies that are interested in implementing the model at their agency.

For those of you who want to learn more about the Teaching-Family Model, you can purchase an electronic version of our What is the Teaching-Family Model? training module for $12.99 from our Training Modules Store.