Citation

Finkelstein N, Rechberger E, Russell LA, Vandemark NR, Noether CD, O'Keefe M, Gould K, Mockus S, Rael M. J. Behav. Health Serv. Res. 2005; 32(2): 141-154.

Affiliation

Institute for Health and Recovery, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. normafinkelstein@healthrecovery.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Association of Behavioral Healthcare Management, Publisher Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

15834264

Abstract

Historically, children of parents with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders and histories of violence/trauma have been overlooked in behavioral health treatment systems. The Women, Co-occurring Disorders and Violence Study (WCDVS) was a 5-year initiative funded by the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that included a Children's Study that explored the treatment needs of children of women with these multiple disorders. This article describes the development of the Children's Study intervention that included clinical assessment, group intervention, and resource coordination/advocacy for children aged 5-10 to build resilience through increasing coping skills, improving interpersonal relationships, and helping coalesce positive identity and self-esteem. Innovative procedures, including the participation of consumer/survivor/recovering women and mothers, in the planning, implementation, and administrative applications of this intervention and study are also highlighted. It is recommended that programs begin to implement family-focused integrated treatment approaches that can potentially increase protective factors for children affected by parental mental illness, substance abuse, and violence.

Language: en