Abstract
In this article we describe the Integrated Family Assessment and Intervention Model (IFAIM), a multi-systemic, collaborative, strength-based, and family-focused in-home approach developed and implemented in Portugal. IFAIM is designed to assess and to support multi-challenged poor families, commonly known as multi-problem families, at psychosocial risk, with maltreated or neglected children. It integrates clinical, educational, social, community and forensic concerns, and practices under a systemic, narrative, and collaborative umbrella. IFAIM’s theoretical foundations and background, its main characteristics, stages of implementation, and research directions are described and a case illustration is presented.
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Acknowledgments
The present work was supported by a doctoral scholarship (SFRH/BD/39912/2007) attributed to the first author by the Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal.
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Teixeira de Melo, A., Alarcão, M. Integrated Family Assessment and Intervention Model: A Collaborative Approach to Support Multi-Challenged Families. Contemp Fam Ther 33, 400–416 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-011-9168-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-011-9168-0