title: Dynamics and dilemmas in working with families in Inpatient CAMH services.
abstract: Working with the families of children and adolescents who are being treated in an Inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health facility can be both a vital part of the composite treatment package, and also a potential locus of tension, ambivalence and family-team rivalries. This article looks in detail at how collaborative principles put into practice in Inpatient CAMHS settings can benefit the children, adolescents, parents and siblings so that the family-plus-team system can be accessed as a working model for change in mutually desired directions. These principles include working in partnership with parents, being willing to learn from families and avoiding a culture of blame. The value of adopting a developmental perspective is also highlighted. Some thoughts on addressing stuck situations are shared and the importance of self-reflexivity in staff groups is emphasized. Case examples and clinical vignettes are included to illustrate both the difficulties and some experiences of their resolution on a particular children's inpatient unit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, The Mildred Creak Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK. GrossV@gosh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Vivienne
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D006113:United Kingdom