{"title":"“How Am I Supposed to Treat These Cases?” Working with Families Struggling with Entrenched Parent–Child Contact Problems","authors":"B. J. Fidler, R. Deutsch, Shely Polak","doi":"10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0009","url":null,"abstract":"Effective family interventions when children resist or reject contact with a parent in highly conflicted coparenting cases continue to pose significant challenges for mental health professionals, lawyers, and the courts. There is no consensus within the social science research literature on how best to identify, assess, and clinically respond to situations involving resist-refuse dynamics, which are multifaceted in causation and require clinical and often legal remedies. This chapter differentiates parent–child contact problems on a continuum by nature and severity, provides a triaged model of differentiated clinical and legal approaches, and briefly summarizes the existing research on the efficacy of existing interventions. A moderately severe case example is presented to illustrate screening, assessment, and treatment plan development, the application of Multifaceted Family Therapy, and coordinated legal interventions.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130173316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Special Needs Child After Separation or Divorce","authors":"D. Pickar, R. Kaufman","doi":"10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0013","url":null,"abstract":"Separated and divorced families in which there is a special needs child (SNC) pose unique challenges for parents and the family law professionals who are attempting to assist them. Special needs is an umbrella term that includes a variety of at least moderate to severe neurodevelopmental, medical, and psychiatric disorders. In these families, parents frequently need assistance developing specialized skills to implement intervention plans and support healthy growth of the SNC. Keeping both parents involved with the child as well as timely delivery of services can be especially difficult. Family law professionals, in particular, need to understand that commonly recommended developmentally based parenting plans may be inappropriate for many SNCs. This chapter discusses application of the risk assessment model developed by the authors to inform parenting and intervention plans that benefit SNCs and improve coparenting relationship and effective family decision-making.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132312315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Role of the Courts in Supporting Therapeutic Interventions","authors":"N. Bala, Marjorie A. Slabach","doi":"10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0002","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter discusses the role of the family courts and lawyers in supporting, and in some situations limiting, the types of interventions that can be provided to children and their parents in high conflict coparenting cases. It is essential to have collaboration and communication between the judges, lawyers, and mental health professionals if there are to be healthy child outcomes. Increasingly, family judges recognize they have a responsibility not only to resolve disputes between parents, but also to protect the interests of their children, and to encourage a settlement if this is reasonably possible, as well as to hold parents accountable, if they fail to meaningfully engage in court-ordered interventions or parenting arrangements. There are a variety of ways that judges involve mental health professionals to help address family problems, including directing parents to mediation, parenting education, or family or individual therapy, or by appointing a mental health professional undertake an evaluation of a family and report to the court and the parties.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128808672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Matching Parent Education Programs to Family Treatment Needs","authors":"J. A. Moran, David Weinstock, K. Butler","doi":"10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0004","url":null,"abstract":"Over the past several decades parent education has emerged as a cost-effective alternative or treatment supplement for coparenting conflict and children’s behavior problems. Parent education programs provide psychoeducation and skills development for separated and divorced families across a wide array of topics and in a variety of formats. Distinguishing between the dozens of available programs and determining which best meets each family’s needs could be daunting. This chapter provides an overview of research on coparenting education programs and identifies several critical elements and factors for consideration in selecting a program. These elements and factors include authority of program developers, evidence-informed approaches, costs, accessibility, measures of compliance, evidence of effectiveness, general and special topics, and instructional design.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"39 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134011025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Early Intervention with Resistance/Refusal Dynamics and Hybrid Cases","authors":"L. Greenberg, R. Schnider, Julie Jackson","doi":"10.1093/med-psych/9780190693237.003.0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190693237.003.0008","url":null,"abstract":"When parent–child relationships are disrupted, or a child appears to resist contact with a parent, prompt intervention may be necessary to avoid entrenched family dysfunction and deterioration in children’s functioning. Chronic exposure to unresolved parenting conflict places children at particular risk, particularly when parents or other adults are more focused on blaming one another than on resolving problems. This chapter describes application of the coping-focused, trauma-sensitive, multisystemic Child Centered Conjoint Therapy model to assist families, without compromising external investigations. Elements of this intervention include careful therapeutic assessment within a protective structure and specific therapeutic interventions to promote safety, encourage resilience and healthy coping behaviors, address parenting deficits, and promote healthy problem-solving. Structural elements include clear orders, attention to role boundaries, management of therapeutic information, and support from the court and independent children’s lawyers.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"114 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123100866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Specialized Child and Family Interventions","authors":"J. Lebow","doi":"10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0003","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter reviews strategies that are relevant to intervention with families involved in high conflict divorce. At the center of this approach is a steady patient approach based in constructing realistic proximate goals for treatment in the context of what typically are contentious conflicts. Accent is both on engaging common factors and specific strategies in an integrative systemic framework that may involve meetings with adults and/and children, in various configurations depending on the presenting situation. The chapter brings into this context interventions and research that do not always reach child custody professionals, as well as approaches designed specifically for this population.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133470866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding and Using Activities","authors":"David R. Austin, L. Greenberg","doi":"10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0007","url":null,"abstract":"Although often overlooked in the context of adult conflict, children’s recreational activities often play an important role in development and adjustment. Appropriately chosen and structured activities promote prosocial and healthy coping behavior, provide models for healthy interaction, facilitate mastery and self-esteem, and provide resources for coping with trauma and stress and resolving psychological and family dysfunction. This chapter draws on relevant research and professional literature from recreational therapy, child development, and the various social science disciplines relevant to court-involved families, providing an overview of relevant findings and concepts and a model for adapting and applying methods derived from recreational therapy to court-involved families. The chapter provides guidance for understanding, selecting, and structuring activities to support early intervention and treatment planning, as well as issues to consider in assessing whether an existing activity is being appropriately utilized for the child and family’s benefit or misused to prevent resolution of problems.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132109074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bringing the Previously Absent Father into the Family","authors":"K. Pruett, Marsha Kline-Pruett, R. Deutsch","doi":"10.1093/med-psych/9780190693237.003.0011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190693237.003.0011","url":null,"abstract":"Many fathers—married, never married, or divorced—are absent or remote from their child’s life during the early years. As circumstances change, he may become eager to get to know the child, especially as milestones come and go, or wish to parent after returning from an absence. Mothers are frequently less sanguine about such returns to the child’s life for myriad reasons. This chapter discusses the deleterious effects of father absence on child development, interventions currently in use to reintegrate the positively engaged father back into the family, examining and softening maternal gatekeeping, and the theoretical and evidence bases for such interventions. A case example will be used to demonstrate how the intervention work can be approached to maximize the child’s opportunity to have a positive relationship with his or her father while maintaining equilibrium in the mother–child dyad.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"14 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124340197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Building and Managing Collaborative Teams","authors":"M. Sullivan","doi":"10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0014","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter addresses the importance of collaborative teams in addressing the needs of court-involved families. Families may have a number of mental health and other service providers addressing complex family needs, who may unintentionally become caught up in the dynamics of family conflict if there is not adequate coordination among them. Creating and managing effective professional teams requires a highly qualified team leader, who may be a parenting coordinator or a judicial officer who has the time and expertise for detailed case management. This chapter describes issues to consider and a model for collaborating with attorneys, selecting and working with existing mental health providers, and resolving issues and conflicts that may arise among professionals and nonprofessionals engaged with the family system. It provides guidance to sensitively managing the sharing of information and to address compliance interventions to increase the effectiveness of services.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"43 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127918404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael A. Saini, E. Romano, K. Weegar, Sarah Zak, E. Gallitto
{"title":"Treating Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence within the Context of Child Custody Disputes","authors":"Michael A. Saini, E. Romano, K. Weegar, Sarah Zak, E. Gallitto","doi":"10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/MED-PSYCH/9780190693237.003.0012","url":null,"abstract":"Intimate partner violence (IPV) in the context of child custody disputes is a challenging and complex reality for many children and their families. The aim of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of interventions for children exposed to IPV. The goal is to assist mental health and family law professionals to consider the various modalities and practice approaches for intervening with children exposed to IPV within the context of child custody disputes, while ultimately improving parenting plans that best meet the needs of children exposed to violence. The focus of this chapter is on the unique realities, consequences, and treatment options for children exposed to IPV. With a focus on children, the authors summarize the most current social science research regarding the effects on children exposed to IPV. They then address screening and assessment protocols that have been developed to detect the presence of IPV within families, specifically considering the applications of these protocols to the context of child custody disputes. They then review the various treatment approaches and models developed to treat children exposed to IPV. Lastly, the authors provide practical considerations for developing treatment plans for children exposed to IPV within the context of child custody disputes.","PeriodicalId":269253,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-Informed Interventions for Court-Involved Families","volume":"425 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132060524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}