Michigan Association of Drug Court Professionals

Improving Relationships and Behaviors of Parents in Family Treatment Court Involved in

Supervisory Visitations with their Children

March 11, 2014

Amy Mack, LMSWDenise Wheatley, MS, CFLE

Dolphin Stress

• The next picture contains 2 identical dolphins. It was used in a case study on stress levels at St. Mary's Hospital.Notice the two dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical. A closely monitored, scientific study revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical, a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins. The more differences found between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing.Look closely at the photograph and if you find more than one or two differences, you need to go on a holiday.

“If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is, but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be

and could be.”Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Parent engagement

Parent engagement strategies help parents develop:

1) new capacities2) new skills3) knowledge they can use

again and again to strengthen their families and communities

Partnerships for Families: Stories and Lessons from Los Angeles Communities

•Parent engagement involves families in decisions about:ThemselvesTheir children Services they want/needTheir community

•Parent engagement is guided by the belief that parents are capable of:

Setting and accomplishing their goalsLearning new behaviorsIdentifying the help they need

Partnerships for Families: Stories and Lessons from Los Angeles Communities

• Rather than the old notion that services “fix” those who need help and support, parents are engaged as respected partners working towards goals defined by families.

• LA Partnerships for Families: Stories and Lessons from Los Angeles Communities

Engaging Parents in Decision Making Regarding their Children

Parents as expertsTeaming with professionals to be

included as valued team members (i.e. IEP’s)

Parents as mentors, guides or staffBuild strong communities Involvement in program and policy

development

Characteristics of successful parent engagement practices:

LA Partnerships for Families: Stories and Lessons from Los Angeles Communities

Welcoming Environment

Focus on clear shared outcomes

Respect of individual experience, views and

cultural issues

Cont. successful parent engagement

• Partnerships with parents… nurturing parent leaders

• Focus on strengths and empowerment

• Use of hands on learning approach• Network and support building

“It is important that parents feel free to try new things and not be judged, even if they don’t succeed. Even if you make a mistake,

you’re still learning.”

Partnerships for Families: Stories and Lessons from Los Angeles Communities

SUSTAINING ENGAGEMENT

• REQUIRES FLEXIBILITY TO ADAPT STRATEGIES AS CHANGE IS NEEDED

•Observation Rating Scale

•Therapeutic Visitation Treatment Plan

Black-Pond, 2013

TRAUMA

Threatens the life or physical integrity of a child or of someone critically important to that child (such as a parent, grandparent, or sibling) Causes an overwhelming sense of terror, helplessness, and horror Produces physical changes such as pounding heart, rapid breathing, trembling, dizziness, or loss of bladder or bowel control

www.nctsn.org

Invisible Suitcase

Molestation by neighbor

Did not finish high

school

Had loving

grandma

Has not kept a job in the last two years

Alcoholic father

Previous relationships

with domestic violence

Has a good friend who has offered

housing

Parents/extended

family does drugs

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing is a client centered, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence.

Motivational Interviewing, 2nd edition

Readiness to Change

Study conducted in three different alcohol treatment programs, patients identified to staff as having high potential for recovery (but who in fact had been chosen at random) were significantly more likely to be sober and working a year after discharge.

Motivational Interviewing, 2nd edition

You would think……• “You would think hangovers, damaged relationships, an auto crash, and memory blackouts would be enough to convince a woman to stop drinking.”• You would think knowing you cannot see your kids again until you attend a parenting class would motivate a man to go to class.• You would think time spent in the confines of jail or prison would dissuade people from reoffending.

Motivational interviewing, 2nd edition

•“It is the hallmark of addictive behaviors that they persist despite what seems overwhelming evidence of their destructiveness. Increasing the severity of punishment seems to offer little deterrence.”

Motivational Interviewing, 2nd edition

The Real Game of Life:Adult Trauma Risk

Need to be loved

Seeking out risky relationships

Getting Pregnant

Expect child will meet my needs

Demands of child overwhelm

caregiver

Adult reactivity resulting in

disengagement or aggressionAdult

harms/neglects child

Child enters foster care

Child born-Adult frustration

begins

Adult enters court system

Adult turns to alcohol/drugs as coping method

Child escalates in aggression and dysregulation

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING

• TRUE OR FALSE– Nearly 50% of people indicate that they

appreciate being given advice.• (false, 1 in 6 people appreciate advice)

– Motivational Interviewing is a theory or model of communication.• (false, Motivational Interviewing is a method of

communication)– Motivational Interviewing elicits a persons’

motivation to change.• (true, “being ready” for change is imperative)

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING

• Exploring and resolving ambivalence is an important component of Motivational Interviewing.– (true, intrinsic motivation to change

must be explored and ambivalence regarding change must be resolved)

Cont. True/False

PCIT

What is PCIT

• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically-supported treatment for young children with emotional and behavioral disorders that places emphasis on improving the quality of the parent-child relationship and changing parent-child interaction patterns.

www.pcit.org

“The fastest and best antidote for stress reactions usually is feeling secure in a primary relationship.”

Hijacked by Your Brain, How to free yourself when stress takes over. Dr. Julian Ford and Jon Wortman. (2013) Sourcebooks, Inc. illinois

Examples of Labeled

Praise

Ways to Praise it Praisable BehaviorsYou did a great job of… Sitting stillI like the way you’re… Talking with your inside voiceThat’s an excellent way to … Staying at the tableThat’s a good idea to… Working quietlyI’m proud of you for… Raising your hand quietlyI think it’s wonderful that you… Waiting quietly in lineYou are smart to… Doing what I asked youYou’re terrific for… Accepting help from your teacherI like it when you’re… Working carefullyThank you for… Sharing Good girl/boy for… Trying hardNice job of… Doing it all by yourselfYou should be proud of yourself for… Listening carefully

CMU PCIT Clinic 2006

PRIDE SKILLSPRIDE SKILLS  

1. PRAISE - 1. PRAISE - Tell your child specifically what is good: “Thank you for using your inside voice.”

2. REFLECT - 2. REFLECT - Child says, “Mom, this is a funny thing on top of his head!” Parent says, “Yes, his hat is very silly!”

3. IMITATE - 3. IMITATE - Doing the same thing your child is doing *Parallel play *Cooperative play

4. DESCRIBE - 4. DESCRIBE - Tell your child exactly what he or she is doing: “You’re drawing a sun.”

5. ENTHUSIASM!!!! - 5. ENTHUSIASM!!!! - Show excitement through your voice and body language: “Wow, you did such a nice job on that!”

Practice avoiding

• COMMANDS–“get the blue block and put it here.”

• QUESTIONS–“why does the girl have to sit there?”

• CRITICISM–“that won’t work where you put the

bridge.”

www.pcit.org

Activities

• Practice giving labeled praise with partners

• With a set of Legos and a partner one person builds a structure and the other practices using PCIT skills

PraiseReflectImitateDescribeEnthusiasm

Resource Page• http://www.aecf.org/upload/PublicationFiles/CC2977K440.pdf Theory of Change: A Practical Tool For Action, Results and Learning • http://www.cssp.org/publications/child-welfare/partnerships-for-families-stories-and-lessons-from-los-angeles-communities-2010.pdf

Partnerships for Families: Stories and Lessons from Los Angeles Communities.This document is based on findings of the FIRST 5 LA. Topics covered include Successful Collaboration: Relevant National Field Research, Parent Engagement: National Research and Experiences, Partnerships For Families, etc.• Ford, Julian, & Wortman, Jon., Hijacked by your Brain, Sourcebooks, 2013.•Miller, William R. & Rollnick, Stephen. Motivational Interviewing, Second Edition: Preparing People for Change., Guilford Press Publisher, 2002.•McNeil, Cheryl Bodiford & Hembree-Kigin, Toni L., Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (Issues in Clinical Child Psychology), Springer Publishing, 2010.• http://www.pcit.org• http://www.strengtheningfamiliesillinois.org/index.php/line/catergory/parent_cafe

Online protective factors training modules – free. Topics included: building relationships with families, recognizing and responding to signs of family stress, communicating with families

3rd floor Unified ClinicsKalamazoo, MI 49008

Ph:269-387-7073Fax: 269-387-7050

E mail:ctac@wmich.eduWebsite:

www.wmich.edu/traumacenter