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Journal of Child and Family Studies, Vol. 15, No. 3, June 2006 ( 2006), pp. 287301 DOI: 10.1007/s10826-006-9021-5
Kathleen F. Cox, Ph.D., L.C.S.W1,2
Published online: 4 May 2006
The trend toward adopting a strengths approach to mental health practice with children and adolescents amounts to a paradigm shift from an emphasis on diagnosing disorders to tapping child capacities and assets toward the achievement of treatment goals. While the potential value and challenges associated with this shift has received ample attention in the literature, minimal research has been conducted to assess the benets and barriers related to the use of strength-based strategies with youth. Utilizing an experimental design, this author examined the impact of strength-based assessment using the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS) with seriously emotionally or behaviorally disturbed children and adolescents. Results revealed that child functioning outcomes were signicantly better for youth who received BERS-guided assessment versus the usual decit-based assessment protocol only when the treating therapist reported an orientation toward service that reects highly strength-based attitudes and practices. Furthermore, high adherence to the strength-based assessment protocol was associated with signicantly higher parent satisfaction with services and lower rates of missed appointments. These ndings highlight the importance of accounting for practitioner effects and treatment delity in future studies of strength-based practice effectiveness.
KEY WORDS: strength-based assessment; childrens mental health; practitioner orientation.
Recent mental health policies, including the Childrens System of Care initiative (Stroul & Friedman, 1994) and Californias Mental Health Services Act (2005), have promoted the use of a strength-based approach to treatment for children and adolescents. This promulgation of strength-based service delivery is
1Clinical Director, EMQ Children and Family Services, Sacramento, CA.
2Correspondence should be directed to Kathleen F. Cox, EMQ Children and Family Services, 8801 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95825; e-mail: [email protected].
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1062-1024/06/0600-0287/1 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
Investigating the Impact of Strength-Based Assessment on Youth with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders
288 Cox
founded on the premise that even the most troubled youth have unique talents, skills, and other resources that can be marshaled in the service of recovery and development. The recognition of such capacities by mental health practitioners is thought to convey a sense of genuine respect for the client, resulting in heightened motivation toward the attainment of enduring...