Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT)

The header image is the default header image for the site.

Treatment Overview

Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) is a behavioral family intervention for families who exhibit or are at risk for problems with anger, aggression,
and/or child physical abuse. AF-CBT seeks to improve relationships between school-aged children and their parents/caregivers using a comprehensive approach that targets the risks for conflict and coercion and the clinical consequences of its exposure.

AF-CBT Treatment Outcomes:

  • Reductions in violence and abuse risk: Children and parents in CBT and Family Therapy (FT) groups showed greater decreases in physical aggression, child abuse risk, and beliefs in the need for physical punishment
  • Lower recidivism and abuse risk
  • Improved child behavior and family functioning

Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a trauma-focused intervention for youth (ages 3 to 18) who are experiencing symptoms directly related to a traumatic event or events and their non-offending caregiver. It targets post-traumatic stress, depressive and behavioral symptoms.

The average length of treatment is eight to 25 weekly, 60- to 90-minute sessions. Maximum benefits are seen when the youth’s primary caregiver is actively involved in treatment. TF-CBT has been successfully delivered in diverse settings, such as clinics, in-home, residential treatment facilities, schools and juvenile detention facilities.

Service Delivery

AF-CBT has been successfully delivered in diverse settings, such as clinics, in-home, residential treatment facilities, schools and juvenile detention facilities.

Training Overview

NC CTP provides mental health professionals with comprehensive training through structured Learning Collaboratives, featuring instruction, coaching, and agency support.

Team Requirements

Senior Leaders (at least 1 per team) must have:

  • Administrative responsibility within their organization and/or within the local mental health community
  • The authority to make systematic changes (e.g., policies, procedures, budgeting) to support the implementation of AF-CBT within their organization and/or across the community.

Clinicians must:

  • Be a licensed clinician in North Carolina, including clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychological associates, psychologists, child psychiatrists, nurse specialists or practitioners. (Provisionally licensed applicants will be considered.)
  • Have minimum one year of post-Master’s clinical experience
  • Be committed to evidence-based practices
  • Demonstrate effective documentation and time-management skills

Who Should Apply?

AF-CBT encourages clinicians to train as part of a team alongside a leader from their agency. While clinicians focus on clinical training, senior leaders will follow a separate learning track dedicated to integrating the evidence-based treatment (EBT) into agency-wide practice.

When reviewing applications, preference will be given to committed teams with a highly supportive Senior Leader.

View Trainings
Secret Link