What is Family Intervention Science?
In the broadest sense, our science focuses on understanding how family members and caregivers can contribute to the health and well-being of individuals in need.
Mission
Our mission is to advance family-centered research, professional development, and practice to improve the health of families and communities.
Vision
We envision that our Center will serve as a model for interprofessional science and a resource for family-centered research, professional development, and practice.
Welcome to the website for the Center for Family Intervention Science (CFIS). CFIS was started in 1995 at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. Our focus has always been on developing, testing and disseminating family based treatment, prevention and screening models with a particular interest in adolescent’s struggling with depression, suicide, trauma, and substance use. Our main focus has been Attachment-Based Family Therapy for the treatment of adolescent depression and suicide. Additionally, studies at CFIS have focused on the Behavioral Health Screen (BHS), which is a validated screening tool developed and researched by CFIS to address the need for comprehensive behavioral health screening and identification in primary care, emergency rooms, schools and college campuses. Historically, our efforts have been dedicated to working with low-income minority patients in Philadelphia but projects have now expanded across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, nationally and internationally. In 2013, we moved CFIS to the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) at Drexel University.
The Center for Family Intervention Science is directed by Guy Diamond, PhD, Associate Professor at Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions.