To address gaps in services at the local level, the Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has contracted with AMIkids North Carolina Family Services to provide effective, community-based intermediate sanctions as a dispositional alternative for high-risk adjudicated youth as defined in NCGS 7B-2506. These services serve the following targeted high-risk youth between the ages of 10 and 17: adjudicated youth needing Level II dispositional option programming; youth returning home from a detention center; youth returning home from a youth development center; or youth transitioning out of residential placements.

AMIkids Non-Residential Contractual Services

Overview 
AMIkids has partnered with the Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to provide youth and their families with Functional Family Therapy (FFT) in all 100 counties. FFT is a short-term, strength-based, highly effective model built on a foundation of acceptance and respect. At its core is a focus on assessment and intervention to address risk and protective factors within and outside of the family that impact the adolescent and his or her adaptive development¹. All FFT therapists are trained to effectively engage and maintain a balanced alliance among family members throughout the timeframe of intervention. As an evidenced-based model, FFT integrates several elements (clinical theory, empirically supported principles, and clinical experience) into a comprehensive clinical model. The model has five specific phases: engagement, motivation, relational assessment, behavior change and generalization.

Eligibility Criteria 
The program serves youths between the ages of 10-17 who meet the following criteria: 1) Level II adjudicated youth or youth on post-release supervision 2) family is willing to participate 3) neither the youth nor family is currently involved with any other counseling services 4) intellectually able to benefit from therapy. Referrals must come from the youth's juvenile court counselor.

AMIkids referral form

• _{¹ This information has been sourced from: http:// www.fftllc.com/about-fft-training/clinical-model.html}