title: Parent-child interaction therapy: application of an empirically supported treatment to maltreated children in foster care.
abstract: One of the more serious problems faced by child welfare services involves the management of children with serious behavioral and mental health problems. Aggressive and defiant foster children are more likely to have multiple foster care placements, require extraordinary social services resources, and have poor short- and long-term mental health outcomes. Interventions that work with challenging foster children and enhance foster parents' skills in managing problem behaviors are necessary. This article presents the successful results of a single case study examining the application of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) with an aggressive young boy and his foster-adoptive parent. PCIT is a dyadic intervention that has been identified as an empirically supported treatment for abused children and for children with different types of behavioral disruption. The application of PCIT to assist foster parents is a promising direction for child welfare services.
authors.affiliation: University of California-Davis Medical Center, CAARE Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Sacramento, 95820-1451, USA.
authors.forename: Susan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Timmer
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Urquiza
authors.forename: Amy D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Herschell
authors.forename: Jean M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Zebell
authors.forename: Alissa L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Vargas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000628:therapy*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010989:Play Therapy