Enhancing its therapy with a proven family trauma treatment model will enable The Barry Robinson Center (BRC) to provide a higher level of service for the military-connected children and teens in its residential program. 

BRC recently entered into a first-of-its-kind partnership to implement Parenting with Love and Limits (PLL), an evidence-based family trauma treatment model, in 2021. 

“We are very excited to add this new service that will help children and their families heal,” said BRC’s CEO, Robert McCartney. “Our research told us PLL is a very effective treatment model, and it’s consistent with our view of treating the entire family, not just the child. We’ve already seen some significant success with a few families. 

“We’re making a serious investment in family therapy because we believe this will be a game-changer for our families and further differentiate us from others doing similar work,” he added. 

The partnership between BRC and PLL marks the first time this approach will be offered exclusively to military-connected children and their families.

“We are equally thrilled to partner with The Barry Robinson Center,” said John Burek, CEO for Parenting with Love and Limits. “Their long history of supporting the use of evidence-based treatment and their commitment to children and their families is commendable.”

Six BRC therapists trained on PLL’s model in January 2021. PLL treatment begins while youth are in BRC’s residential program and continues through discharge. Length of service for each family is expected to be four to six months.

PLL has been implemented in juvenile justice, mental and behavioral health, and child welfare agencies, and in both rural and urban settings with equal success.  

“Rigorous independent studies of our model demonstrate its effectiveness,” says Burek. “Positive outcomes from these studies show very high family engagement and significant improvements in family functioning, and youth problems.”

This outcome data is another key benefit of the PLL model. Increasingly, insurance providers and referral sources look to outcome data when considering placements. 

Learn more about BRC’s family therapy program and PLL.