If you’re working to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), you’ve likely run into the gap between what FFPSA requires and what’s realistic within your current systems.
Across states, teams are being asked to build and sustain evidence-based practices, monitor fidelity, and meet federal requirements, often while relying on systems and workflows that weren’t built to support this kind of work at scale.
At CWLA 2026, this challenge was the focus of our roundtable discussion, Breaking the Bottleneck: Practical Approaches to Reduce FFPSA Implementation Burdens on States. The session brought together Lyssn’s Emily Smith Goering, alongside Amber Forrester and Michelle Ndely from the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, to share what this work looks like in practice.
The conversation focused on practical strategies for moving from policy to practice, especially in environments where time, staffing, and infrastructure are already stretched. As many teams are experiencing, meeting FFPSA requirements, particularly around fidelity and reporting, can be complex and resource-intensive without the right systems in place.
Key takeaways from the discussion included:
- Capacity constraints are a major barrier to scaling fidelity monitoring
Many states are attempting to monitor MI fidelity across dozens of agencies with very small teams. Scalable training and quality tools are what help agencies maintain quality and consistency without burning out or adding additional staff. - Balancing state oversight with county autonomy requires intentional structure
In state-supervised, county-administered systems, there is an inherent tension between standardization and local control. Effective implementation requires clear expectations, shared data access, and tools that empower counties while still allowing the state to monitor progress at scale. - Worker buy-in depends on connecting Motivational Interviewing to mission, not just compliance
Across multiple states, the most effective buy-in strategies focused on helping workers understand why MI matters — framing it around family preservation, dismantling power dynamics, and prevention rather than FFPSA requirements alone. Deploying internal champions was identified as a key tactic. - States need a clearer roadmap for linking MI implementation to measurable outcomes
There is strong interest in demonstrating community-level impact, but most states are still in early stages of defining and tracking meaningful metrics. Pairing MI with cultural competency training and establishing short-, mid-, and long-term goals were highlighted as promising steps forward.
While there’s no single path to FFPSA implementation, there is growing alignment around what works and what doesn’t.
For teams working to close the gap between policy expectations and day-to-day realities, these shared insights can help make the process feel more manageable.
Interested in how these approaches could apply in your state? Connect with our team to continue the conversation.