Building resilience in children of mothers who have co-occurring disorders and histories of violence: intervention model and implementation issues.
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.
Finkelstein
Norma
N
Institute for Health and Recovery, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. normafinkelstein@healthrecovery.org
Rechberger
Elke
E
Russell
Lisa A
LA
VanDeMark
Nancy R
NR
Noether
Chanson D
CD
O'Keefe
Maura
M
Gould
Karen
K
Mockus
Susan
S
Rael
Melissa
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology; D001524:Behavioral Medicine; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D014481:United States