Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Evidence-Based?

In: Families in society: the journal of contemporary human services, Volume 91, Issue 3, p. 300-306

Abstract

This article describes the process of having solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) be evaluated by various federal registries as an evidence-based practice (EBP) intervention. The authors submitted SFBT for evaluation for inclusion on three national EBP registry lists in the United States: the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Results of our submission found SFBT was not reviewed by SAMHSA and WWC because it was not prioritized highly enough for review, but it was rated as "promising" by OJJDP. Implications for practitioners and recommendations regarding the status of SFBT as an EBP model are discussed.