Abstract
This paper describes an attachment-based intervention for mothers known to Child Welfare Services where past and current trauma complicates family preservation and promotion of child well being. The first part of the paper describes the innovative Attachment-Centered Parent–Child Therapy service that has been delivered to high-risk families with children from 0 to 3 years of age. The intervention uses a group format that has the added benefits of enhancing social support and being highly cost effective. The intervention also integrates video filming both in terms of capturing essential features of the group intervention for review and supervision of clinical staff, and is fundamental in the observation-based empirical assessments. Quantitative data from an initial pilot study supporting the efficacy of the intervention is presented. As well, qualitative data is presented including a case study that highlights therapeutic action shown to positively impact the quality of the mother–child relationship.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the families participating in the ongoing work. Much appreciation is to be extended for funding from Einstein-Montefiore Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center, and the Robin Hood Foundation. At the Center for Attachment Research, the group of graduate students who have been exceptionally helpful with data collection and coding include Allison Splaun, Francisca Herreros, Ellie Neuman, Julia Broder, Kathleen Hartwig, Erica Rosenthal, Kim Nguyen, Kristen Stephenson, Kristen Capps, James Grimaldi, & Alex Kriss.
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Steele, M., Murphy, A. & Steele, H. Identifying Therapeutic Action in an Attachment-Centered Intervention with High Risk Families. Clin Soc Work J 38, 61–72 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-009-0257-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-009-0257-6