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Perry Pezzot-Pearce and John Pearce guide practitioners through the steps of assessment, from negotiating the initial referral, through data collection and report writing to court testimony.
This book addresses evaluations for child protection, one of the most delicate legal arenas in which forensic mental examiners play a part. The evaluations are highly specialized, requiring child clinical specialization, a knowledge of the legal and social context, and a thorough understanding of the professional and ethical guidelines for child protection evaluations. This volume provides that context, and presents established empirical foundations from the behavioral, social, and medical sciences. Finally, the book provides a detailed "how-to" for practitioners, including information on data collection, interpretation, report writing and expert testimony.
These are the sorts of questions that face mental health practitioners who are increasingly involved in complex child care cases which come before the courts. They have been given little guidance to date on how these assessments should be made, especially where a decision has to be taken as to whether a child has experienced `significant harm.' In this much needed book senior clinicians consider the principles and practice of parenting assessments and how they guide courts' decisions about children's welfare. They describe a number of frameworks for assessment and discuss the factors which help predict the risk of future maltreatment or the likelihood of successful rehabilitation. Throughout the book the emphasis is on the need to integrate the assessments of all relevant professionals in order to serve the best interests of the child, while also addressing the parents' potential to improve their caretaking skills. Offering guidance in areas of crucial significance for child, family and professional alike Assessment of Parenting will be widely welcomed.
Firmly rooted in current practice this is a practical tool for the assessment of children and their families, this guide enables professionals to make informed decisions about child protection issues. This book is a helpful tool for anyone undertaking assessments but also for others who may be involved in aspects of child protection work.
The first international, cross-disciplinary book to explore and understand the lives of parents with intellectual disabilities, their children, and the systems and services they encounter Presents a unique, pan-disciplinary overview of this growing field of study Offers a human rights approach to disability and family life Informed by the newly adopted UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) Provides comprehensive research-based knowledge from leading figures in the field of intellectual disability
Child welfare professionals, legal counsel, and judges will find this manual to be an indispensable reference with which to inform and structure their effort to advance what is in the best interest of a child at risk. Dr. Alexander T. Polgar created this remarkably comprehensive, user-friendly manual. It includes, in a single source, a clearly articulated rationale for a systematic methodology with which to conduct Parenting Capacity Assessments. Mental health professionals new to this area of practice regardless of jurisdiction will be able with the use of this manual, to conduct assessments of a quality that usually comes with practice wisdom derived from years of experience. Seasoned practitioners again, regardless of the jurisdiction in which they work, will welcome the benefits of this initiative to achieve standardization that is rationally based and empirically supported by a wealth of previously unsynthesized research. Child welfare professionals, legal counsel, and judges will find this manual to be an indispensable reference with which to inform and structure their effort to advance what is in the best interest of a child at risk. This manual includes two separate but related sections.
When conducting parenting plan evaluations, mental health professionals need to be aware of a myriad of different factors. More so than in any other form of forensic evaluation, they must have an understanding of the most current findings in developmental research, behavioral psychology, attachment theory, and legal issues to substantiate their opinions. With a number of publications on child custody available, there is an essential need for a text focused on translating the research associated with the most important topics within the family court. This book addresses this gap in the literature by presenting an organized and in-depth analysis of the current research and offering specific recommendations for applying these findings to the evaluation process. Written by experts in the child custody arena, chapters cover issues associated with the most important and complex issues that arise in family court, such as attachment and overnight timesharing with very young children, dynamics between divorced parents and children's potential for resiliency, co-parenting children with chronic medical conditions and developmental disorders, domestic violence during separation and divorce, gay and lesbian co-parents, and relocation, among others. The scientific information provided in these chapters assists forensic mental health professionals to proffer empirically-based opinions, conclusions and recommendations. Parenting Plan Evaluations is a must-read for legal practitioners, family law judges and attorneys, and other professionals seeking to understand more about the science behind child custody evaluations.
This book is a combination of two previously published books by Phil Stahl/Sage, Conducting Child Custody Evaluations and Complex Issues in Child Custody Evaluations. The book was written as a guide to help students and practitioners walk through the process of conducting a child custody evaluation, a critical skill for a variety of mental health practitioners. The book will cover the mental health expert's many possible roles as a therapist, mediator, evaluator, consultant to attorneys, expert witness, and more. It also address the best interest of the child, legal custody and time share, divorce and its impact on children, and children's developmental needs. The second part takes a step-by-step approach on how to conduct the evaluation, including how to work with children and parents, psychological testing, and writing up the report. The final part, complex issues, draws from the 1999 book, and covers issues such as domestic violence, non-violent high-conflict homes, relocation, special needs children, substance abuse, cultural issues and the alienated child. The author's writing style is friendly and easy to read, making complex material easy to comprehend and implement.
The quality of the assessment of children in need has a significant impact on outcomes for the children concerned. Good assessment contributes to better outcomes, but poor assessment can have tragic consequences. Understanding what makes a good assessment is vital. This book brings together findings from 10 years of UK research that shed light on different aspects of child and family assessment, and examines the evidence for what works in promoting the best outcomes for children. It covers thresholds for assessment and intervention, what information should be collected in assessments, and assessments in different contexts. It also examines key aspects of practice and the factors that can help or hinder good quality assessment. These areas include analysis, critical thinking and reflection; engaging with children and families; and inter-professional working. Structural, procedural and organisational factors are also considered. In summarising the research, this important book provides key messages on the links between assessment and outcomes for children, and offers implications for policy and practice. It will be essential reading for social work practitioners, academics, students and researchers, and all those in the child protection field.
Offers a review of the latest literature but moreover a practical guide essential to professionals who give their expert opinions to courts in child care cases.
