Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Family-centered services: Implications for mental health administration and research

  • Regular Articles
  • Published:
The journal of mental health administration Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Efforts to move the system of care for children with serious emotional disorders toward community-based alternatives has prompted a growing recognition of the need for supportive services for families. This article examines the shifts in policy and administrative practice that are needed in order to move toward a family-centered system of care. Proactive administrative support is particularly important in this system shift. Four important barriers to a family-centered system of care are examined: (1) efforts have tended to focus on the child as the unit of services, rather than on the family; (2) efforts have tended to focus primarily on mental health services, rather than considering the full range of services needed by the child and family; (3) efforts have tended to emphasize formal services, often ignoring the support provided by informal networks; and (4) the resources and expertise of parents and other family members have not been used. New roles for parents—which involve working with administrators and providers as partners—are described, and implications for mental health administrators and researchers are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Goldman S: Series on community-based services for children and adolescents who are severely emotionally disturbed. Volume II: Crisis services. Washington, D.C.: CASSP Technical Assistance Center, Georgetown University Child Development Center, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Stroul B: Series on community-based services for children and adolescents who are severely emotionally disturbed. Volume I: Home-based services. Washington, D.C.: CASSP Technical Assistance Center, Georgetown University Child Development Center, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Friesen B, Griesbach J, Jacobs J, Katz-Leavy J, Olson D: Improving services for families. Children Today 1988; 17:18–22.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Shelton TL, Jeppson ES, Johnson B: Family-centered care for children with special health care needs. Washington, D.C.: Association for the Care of Children’s Health, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Will M: Family Support: Perspectives on the provision of family support services. Focal Point, the Bulletin of the Research and Training Center to Improve Services to Seriously Emotionally Handicapped Children and Their Families 1988; 2:3, page 1–2.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Castellani PJ, Downey NA, Tausig MB, Bird WA: Availability and accessibility of family support services. Mental Retardation 1986; 24:71–79.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. National Center for Networking Community Based Services: Family Centered Health Care for Medically Fragile Children: Principles and Practices. Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Child Development Center, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Caplan PJ, Hall-McCorquodale I: Mother-blaming in major clinical journals. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 1985; 55:345–353.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Wahl OF: Schizophrenogenic parenting in abnormal psychology textbooks. Teaching of Psychology 1989; 16:31–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Freud S: Recommendations to physicians in Standard Edition of the Complete Works of Sigmund Freud, Vol. 12. London, England: Hogarth Press, 1952.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Donner R: Social Workers’ View of Parent of Children with Emotional Disturbances: A Problem or Partner in the Solution. Unpublished paper, 1986.

  12. Johnson D: The needs of the chronically mentally ill: As seen by the consumer. In Mirabi M (ed): The Chronically Mentally Ill: Research and Services. New York: Spectrum Publications, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Fromm-Reichman F: Notes on the development of treatment of schizophrenics by psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Psychiatry 1948; 11:263–273.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Bateson G: Steps to an Ecology of the Mind. New York: Ballantine, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Woesner M: A professional’s guide to books for families of the mentally ill. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1983; 34:925–933.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Erickson MT: MMPI Comparisons between parents of young emotionally disturbed and organically retarded children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1968; 32:701–706.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Hingtgen J, Bryson C: Recent developments in the study of early childhood psychoses: Infantile autism, childhood schizophrenia and related disorders. Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Child Development, 1972.

  18. Waxler NE, Mishler EG: Parental interaction with schizophrenic children and well siblings: An experimental test of some etiological theories. Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Child Development, 1972.

  19. Arieti S: Interpretation of Schizophrenia, 2nd edition. New York: Basic Books, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Miller WH, Keirn WC: Personality measurement in parents of retarded and emotionally disturbed children: A replication. Journal of Clinical Psychology 1978; 24:686–690.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Thomas A, Chess S: Genesis and evolution of behavioral disorders: From infancy to early adult life. American Journal of Psychiatry 1984; 141:1–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Weiss HB, Jacobs FH (eds.): Evaluating family programs. New York: Aldine De Gruyter, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Stroul B, Friedman R: Principles for a system of care. Children Today 1988; 17:11–14.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Yogman MW, Brazelton TB: In Support of Families. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Powell TH, Ogle PA: Brothers and sisters: Addressing unique needs through respite care services. In: Salisbury C, and Intagliata J (eds): Respite Care: Support for Persons with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families. Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wikler LM, Hanusa D, Stoycheff J: Home-based respite care, the child with developmental disabilities, and family stress: Some theoretical and practical aspects of process evaluation. In Salisbury C & Intagliata J (eds.): Respite Care: Support for Persons with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families. Baltimore: Paul H.Brooks, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Subramanian K: Reducing child abuse through respite care intervention. Child Welfare 1988; 64:501–509.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Craig TJH, Hussey PA, Kaye DA, Mackey KJ, McCreath J, Trembley J, Vedus M: Family support programs in a regional mental health system. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1987; 38:459–460.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Dunst CJ, Trivette CM, Cross AH: Mediating influences of social support. American Journal of Mental Deficiency 1986; 90:402–417.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Lauer RM: Handicapped according to whom? The Humanist 1980; November/December.

  31. VanDenBerg J, Minton BA: Alaska Native youth: A new approach to serving emotionally disturbed children and youth. Children Today 1987; 16:15–18.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Stroul B, Friedman R: A system of care for severely emotionally disturbed children and youth. Washington, D.C.: CASSP Technical Assistance Center, Georgetown University Child Development Center, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Collins AH, Pancoast DL: Natural helping networks. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Whittaker JK, Garbarino J: Social Support Networks: Informal Helping in the Human Services. New York, NY: Aldine, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Milardo RM (ed.): Families and Social Networks. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Slaughter DT: Programs for racially and ethnically diverse American families: Some critical issues. In: Weiss HB & Jacobs FH (eds). Evaluating Family Programs. New York: Aldine De Gruyter, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  37. McManus M, Friesen B (eds.): Families as allies: conference proceedings. Portland, OR: Research and Training Center to Improve Services for Seriously Emotionally Disturbed Children and Their Families, Portland State University, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Parent Organization Survey: Focal Point: The Bulletin of the Research and Training Center to Improve Services for Seriously Emotionally Handicapped Children and Their Families 1987; 1:2 page 7–8.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Norman L, Friesen B: National directory of organizations serving parents of children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Second edition. Portland, OR: Research and Training Center to Improve Services to Seriously Emotionally Handicapped Children and Their Families, Portland State University, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Next steps. Focal Point: The Bulletin of the Research and Training Center to Improve Services for Seriously Emotionally Handicapped Children and Their Families 1988; 3:2 page 13.

  41. Weiss HB: Family support and education programs: Working through ecological theories of human development. In: Weiss HB & Jacobs FH (eds). Evaluating Family Programs. New York: Aldine De Gruyter, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Fraser M, Haapala D: Home-based family treatment: A quantitative-qualitative assessment. The Journal of Applied Social Sciences 1987-88; 12: 1–23.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Palfrey JS, Walker DK, Butler JA, Singer JD: Patterns of response in families of chronically disabled children: An assessment in five metropolitan school districts. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 1989; 59:94–104.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research and Training Center for Family Support and Children’s Mental Health, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, 97207-0751, Portland, Oregon

    Barbara J. Friesen Ph.D. (Director) & Nancy M. Koroloff Ph.D. (Assistant Professor)

Authors
  1. Barbara J. Friesen Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nancy M. Koroloff Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Friesen, B.J., Koroloff, N.M. Family-centered services: Implications for mental health administration and research. The Journal of Mental Health Administration 17, 13–25 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02518576

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02518576

Keywords

Search

Navigation