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Our Evidence-Based Treatments

JJPI provides a number of evidence-based treatments. We believe that these evidence-based treatments provide an excellent framework for psychotherapy while also allowing our clinicians and participants the flexibility to individualize treatment as needed. At JJPI, the decision to use an evidence-based treatment as a basis for psychotherapy should be made jointly by JJPI's clinical team and the participant. If you are a JJPI participant and would like to learn more about our evidence-based treatments and/or believe you would benefit from one of them, please discuss your thoughts with your intake evaluator or clinician. Below is a listing of JJPI's evidence-based treatments, along with a brief description of each treatment. 

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-Behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based practice that helps address distortions in thinking in order to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and to improve happiness and overall functioning. The goal of CBT is to change patterns of thinking or behavior that are often at the root of a person’s difficulties, ultimately changing the way the person feels and experiences the world. The treatment takes a collaborative, hands-on, practical approach to addressing problems. CBT is offered at both JJPI outpatient programs.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT)

Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment specifically developed for children and adolescents suffering from the effects of trauma. It builds on the strengths of the child and caregiver through counseling and learning, among other interventions, to reduce symptoms related to trauma. JJPI is a Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation Center (EPIC) designated TF-CBT provider. TF-CBT is offered at our Survivor Services Program and at our Youth Safety & Responsibility Program.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)

Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy is an evidence-based practice used with adolescent and adult survivors of trauma. This treatment has been studied and found to be effective in reducing suffering caused by trauma and in allowing individuals to obtain significant relief from depression and anxiety. The treatment is designed to allow individuals to revisit traumatic event(s) at their own pace and to facilitate a process of reducing the negative impact of traumatic memories, thoughts and beliefs. As the traumatic memories begin to lose their emotional impact, suffering is significantly reduced or eliminated and individuals are able to rebuild their lives. JJPI is a Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation Center (EPIC) designated PE provider. PE is offered at both JJPI outpatient programs.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive-behavioral treatment developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD. It emphasizes individual psychotherapy and group skills training classes to help people learn and use new skills and strategies to develop a life that they experience as worth living. DBT skills include skills for mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT has been found to be effective in treating a wide range of disorders such as substance dependence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders. DBT involves participation in individual therapy and group therapy that focuses on teaching the four core sets of DBT skills. JJPI is a Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation Center (EPIC) designated DBT provider. DBT is offered at both JJPI outpatient programs with separate groups for adolescents and adults at each site.

Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education & Therapy (TARGET)

TARGET is an evidence-based therapeutic approach for survivors of physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional trauma. TARGET is a strengths-based and present-focused approach that teaches a set of seven skills (summarized by the acronym “FREEDOM” (Focus, Recognize triggers, Emotion self-check, Evaluate thoughts, Define goals, Options, and Make a contribution). These skills can be used by trauma survivors to handle present-day stress reactions, regulate extreme emotional states, manage intrusive trauma memories, promote self-efficacy and healing, and achieve lasting recovery. Unlike some other treatments for trauma, TARGET is not exposure-based. TARGET has been shown to be effective with adolescents and adults, and can be implemented in both individual and group therapy formats. JJPI is a Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation Center (EPIC) designated TARGET provider. TARGET is offered at both JJPI outpatient programs.

Primary Child Adult Relationship Enhancement Therapy (Pri-CARE)

Pri-CARE (Primary Child Adult Relationship Enhancement Therapy) is a trauma-informed group-training program for caregivers of children ages 2-6 that teaches techniques to support the social and emotional growth of children in primary care and other settings. As a group training program for parents, Pri-CARE is designed to improve child behavior, strengthen parent-child relationships and decrease stress for parents. JJPI is a Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation Center (EPIC) designated Pri-CARE provider. Pri-CARE is only offered at JJPI's Survivor Services Program.

Problematic Sexual Behavior Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PSB-CBT)

Problematic Sexual Behavior Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PSB-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment model for children and youth ages 3-18 who have engaged in problematic sexual behavior (PSB). In PSB-CBT, children participate in a treatment group based on their age (school-age and adolescents), while parents participate in a concurrent caregiver group. Treatment generally consists of between 12 and 25 sessions, depending on the age of the child/adolescent. PSB-CBT can also be adapted for individual/family therapy if participation in a treatment group is not possible. The vast majority of children and youth who participate in PSB-CBT do not re-engage in problematic sexual behaviors; studies have shown that the overall recidivism rate among school-age children is around 2% over a ten-year period. In addition, children and youth who complete PSB-CBT treatment typically show improvement in other areas, such as overall emotional functioning and a reduction in trauma symptoms. JJPI is a Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation Center (EPIC) designated PSB-CBT provider, for both the adolescent (PSB-CBT-A) and child/school-age (PSB-CBT-S) models. PSB-CBT-A is available at JJPI's Youth Safety and Responsibility Program (YSRP) and PSB-CBT-S is available at JJPI's Survivor Services Program.