This book presents an innovative relational/community based therapeutic model to ensure children's essential attachment needs are catered for in intensive mental health care.
The text combines an overview of theory relating to attachment and trauma before laying out a model for working with children and adolescents in an attachment-informed way. The approach applies to a diverse range of settings - from in-patient psychiatric setting, through to schools-based programs, and provides the reader with the knowledge and guidance they need to introduce the approach in their own service. It also addresses the complexities of working with specific clinical populations, including children with ADHD, ASD, RAD and psychosis.
Accessible for entry level clinical caretakers, yet sophisticated enough for clinical supervisors, this book is essential reading for professionals looking to improve the effectiveness of child and adolescent treatment programs.
Market: Mental health professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical supervisors, social workers, counsellors and frontline clinical caretakers. Also, academics and students in these fields.
Section I. Introduction to Theory Informed Treatment and Attachment Theory. Chapter 1. Treatment within a Theoretical Model. Chapter 2. What's Wrong with the Kids we Serve in Intensive Treatment Settings and What do they Need to Heal? Chapter 3. Introduction to Attachment Theory. Chapter 4. Attachment needs within a three stage developmental framework. Section II. Supporting Healing Attachments in the Treatment Milieu. Chapter 5. How are attachments formed and how is this applied in the treatment milieu. Chapter 6. Understanding and using co-regulation of emotion as a precursor to self-regulation in the treatment milieu. Chapter 7. Executive functioning weaknesses, attachment and organization of the treatment milieu. Chapter 8. Attachment Informed limit setting within the intensive treatment milieu. Chapter 9. Rewriting (healing) shame-based self-narratives within the treatment milieu. Chapter10. What gets in the way of the attachment informed stance for clinical caretakers? Chapter 11. Institutional support for attachment informed work. Chapter 12. Attachment informed work within the treatment milieu with special population. Chapter 13. Special Strategies and Considerations. Chapter 14. Kindness. Conclusion
John Stewart has given us a gift. This book expands our use of attachment theory and provides a road map for institutions to travel on towards more secure base milieu care.
