A school-based, family-centered intervention to prevent substance use: the family check-up

The Family Check-Up (FCU) is a selected intervention model that can be delivered in contexts such as schools that serve at-risk children and families. It is grounded in developmental theory and targets salient risk factors for the development of later problem behavior such as substance use, family management deficits, deviant peer affiliations, and problem behavior at school.

The FCU model has been implemented in schools across several randomized trials. The model includes the development of a family resource center in the schools and interventions that target youth at risk for problem behavior and substance use.

Twenty years of research associated with the FCU have produced outcomes that show that the model is effective for enhancing family management skills, reducing risk behavior, and reducing the long-term risk for substance use in adolescence.

Implications for public policy and the delivery of interventions to prevent substance use in public schools and communities are discussed.