Family therapy for continuing professional education

This is a report on a program of family therapy instruction intended as a continuing professional education service to mental health personnel. The rapid expansion of the program since its inception in late 1971 is due to increasing demand from human service agencies in and around the Greater Philadelphia area. By the end of 1978 more than 550 had participated. Approximately 15% went on to higher levels of family therapy training available at the Department of Family Psychiatry of Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. Some characteristics of participants are described: most are master's level personnel representing a wide variety of human service agencies within a 100-mile radius of Philadelphia; most had a positive response to the training; most did not intend to become family therapists but wanted an exposure to theory and methods. Comments are included by selected category of how participants use what they learn.