[Early deterioration of the mother-child relation. "Time with families" as a model for prevention and therapy].
"Time with families" is the model of service presented in this paper. Its approach is rooted in the theory of attachment by J. Bowlby. Starting from the observation of attachment patterns in mothers and children, this Service aims at promoting short-term, cost-effective and highly focused interventions enabling the child to structure secure "Internal Working Models". "Time with families" started in 1988 in the area served by the Health Welfare District 36 in Lombardia, as an integrated socio-sanitary program aimed at preventing problems in the early relations between mother and child. This program is the result of a cooperation between different services, including SIMEE, Family and Pediatric Counselling Services and Social Services. Three are the main components of the program: 1) the "First Days" program, based on health visits made by professionals to support the new mother in taking care of the newborn; 2) the clinic of child neuropsychiatry to evaluate and treat problems in the early relation between mother and child during his first three years of life through two technical approaches: short mother-child psychotherapy and functions' integrated therapy; 3) "Time with families", with a Day Center open for parents and children to ease their reciprocal relationships in this period of life, to start and realize clinical interventions and to offer individual and group counselling to parents. Thanks to this varied offer of services, its flexibility and multidisciplinarity of its approach, "Time with families" can be considered a bridge service between prevention and therapy, able to monitor and follow-up parents' and children's health conditions and to determine their styles of attachment so to intervene in at-risk situations to prevent future complications or long term consequences.
Tentoni
P
P
ASSL 36 Milano, U. O. Neuropsichiatria Infantile.
Guerrini
B
B
Invernizzi
R
R
De Vito
E
E
Rossoni
E
E
Pellai
A
A
D000328:Adult; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002662:Child Health Services; D002669:Child Welfare; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012947:Social Work