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The Ackerman Institute for the Family, established in 1960 by Dr Nathan Ackerman, stands as one of the oldest and most respected family therapy institutes in the United States. Ackerman pioneered the integration of systemic insights into group settings, emphasised the crucial role of family in therapy, and advocated for the advancement and acceptance of family therapy. 'The Ackerman' played a pivotal role in launching Family Process, the first journal dedicated to academic activities in family therapy. Diversity and inclusion have been central tenets of Ackerman philosophy, evident in its programs, training courses, and staff composition. This commitment has produced a veritable cadre of family therapy leaders who have contributed significantly to both the Ackerman Institute and the profession, influencing policy decisions and clinical practices. One of the most esteemed and respected thought leaders and innovators of our field, who played a vital role in the legacy of several institutions, including the Ackerman, is Dr. Evan Imber‐Black. She served as a long‐time faculty member and director of the Ackerman Center for Families and Health. Her expertise encompasses the exploration of family rituals and family secrets, with a focus on the importance of rituals in providing meaning, identity, and connection across diverse cultures and family life cycles. As editor of Family Process for 8 years, she highlights the importance of examining scholarly work in the context of cultures as a requirement – we do not stand outside the culture – we are active participants. This paper is based on a conversation with Dr Evan Imber‐Black, held in June 2023, delving into her personal and professional experiences, her connection to the Ackerman Institute, and her influential work on family rituals and secrets. Through this exploration, the paper sheds light on her commitment to diversity and the lasting impact of Dr Imber‐Black's contributions to family therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incarceration is a major systemic issue in the United States. Many couples undergo multifaceted, complex changes in their relationship due to incarceration. The purpose of this paper is to explore the usage of the Tadros theory of change, an integrative approach to couple and family therapy, to treat incarcerated lesbian couples. A case application is provided utilizing this integrated family therapy model with a lesbian couple experiencing sexual and relational issues as well as offering clinical implications for future usage. This case emphasized how client's narratives change over time, how the systems in their lives change simultaneously, and the impact of LGBTQ + stigma on couple functioning as they navigate the criminal justice system aids in the exploration of a client's story. Thus, gaining an in-depth understanding of the intersection between complex issues. This paper advocates for the usage of this theory with lesbian couples within the incarcerated context to better treat this underserved population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we go to press in a COVID‐19 world, the topic of anxiety is foremost on our minds. While each situation has to be considered in its own context, how to manage different anxieties has common denominators. There is currently a sharp increase in forced migration around the globe so mental health professionals must develop effective skills, like the ability to adapt services to different contexts and cultures, to manage the needs of immigrant people. Problem‐Solving Brief Therapy, as developed at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, is a systemic model of therapy, which aims at promoting change in the complaint the presenting client (the 'talker') cares about. The model's roots in Constructivism foster integrating the clients' beliefs and values into therapy to allow the therapists to adapt to the clients' particular needs. This paper is the analysis of a single case where the therapist worked with an immigrant family because their child suffered from severe anxiety related to the parents' threatened deportation. The paper focuses on premises and strategies that allowed minimising cultural barriers between therapists and family members, thus facilitating a strong therapeutic alliance conducive to improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of mixed-status Latinx immigrant families in the United States are facing extreme stress and fear of family separation stemming from harsh immigration enforcement practices. In this paper, we suggest that true systemic practice involves knowledge and critical engagement with the broader contexts of families' lives. To this end, we review the history of immigration policy that created today's sociopolitical climate and help therapists situate themselves within this larger context. We then offer additional practice considerations for family therapy with mixed-status families, ranging from pre-intake concerns to community and advocacy work. Our hope is that therapists will use the areas of this paper that best fit their own practices and contexts, with the shared goal of providing ethical and just services to undocumented and mixed-status Latinx immigrant families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States has the largest incarcerated population in the world, and more than half of this population suffers from mental health disorders. A systemic review was conducted on how family therapy is discussed in the literature on incarceration using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The search yield 194 articles with only 27 meeting criteria and being fully reviewed. This review magnifies the lack of family therapy inclusion in the literature concerning criminology and criminal justice. There is a lack of family therapists employed in incarcerated settings which emulates the absence of literature. The goal of this paper is to shed light on this issue and to call for more research that includes family therapy in the discussion surrounding incarceration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media is a salient aspect of most people's lives in the United States. Younger generations (e.g., Gen Z) are among some of the most likely to engage with social media and have mental health concerns. Mental health providers are beginning to use social media to engage with prospective clients. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to maximize the utility of social media engagement for couple and family therapists (CFTs). This paper reviews the current literature on therapists' professional presence on social media and younger generations' expectations around social media competency. Recommendations for how CFTs can effectively engage with younger generations through social media are provided. A discussion of professionalism, accessibility, demonstrating aligned values, branding CFT, and gaining a reputation of cost effectiveness are emphasized. Future directions for studying the phenomenon of therapists using social media to engage with an online audience are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family therapists are increasingly called upon to work with individuals and families with medical issues, but often do not have sufficient background on the issue to be most helpful. The purpose of this paper is to help family therapists understand Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and its impact on the individual and his or her family. PD is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the United States, following Alzheimer’s disease (Hirtz et al., Neurology 68:326-337, 2007). According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, approximately 60,000 individuals are diagnosed with PD every year, and approximately one million Americans are currently living with PD. In this paper, we provide an overview of PD based on research and the second author’s many years of providing services for individuals with PD, as well as offer specific recommendations for providing family therapy using narrative, solution-focused and emotionally focused therapy based on the first author’s work as a family therapist with individuals, groups, and couples dealing with PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exceptionally high rates of incarceration in the United States have caused a need for a major social justice movement. This paper explains the various collateral damages endured by the incarcerated population. Several research studies related to the unintended consequences of incarceration on outcomes related to couple and family relationships, racial disparities, employment, poverty and public health are examined. The importance of individual, couple, and family therapy and its effectiveness toward improving the lives of those negatively impacted by incarceration is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social isolation and loneliness are major public health concerns in the U.S., and researchers have called for greater efforts to develop interventions to alleviate loneliness. Latinxs may be particularly vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness due to discrimination, familial separation, and acculturation difficulties. Unfortunately, little has been written to help therapists effectively intervene to address social isolation for Latinxs in a culturally sensitive way. This paper presents the clinical attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for therapists to provide culturally competent therapy to Latinx clients who experience social isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era where black males increasingly lay victim to death at the hands of police officers in the United States, efforts must be made not only to address biases of individuals in power but also to intervene on institutional and structural levels. This paper aims to explore how dynamics of race, power, and a lack of critical consciousness play an instrumental role in a social work intern’s learning process, clinical efficacy, and adherence to professional ethical standards. Using a case vignette situated within the context of an agency setting, this paper follows a white intern’s process working with a black adolescent and his family to highlight decisions made by upper-level management in an agency that were discriminatory, reinforced power differentials, and resulted in interruption of services, lack of client self-determination, and missed educational opportunities for the intern. It addresses implications for clinicians at all stages of training with regard to the role of supervision and the importance of addressing racism, other forms of discrimination, and power differentials in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper the author provides a case illustration of home-based systemic therapy performed in the U.S., with a female survivor from a war-affected region of West Africa. Providing clinical services in a person's home has been shown to be an effective way to engage those who are otherwise unlikely to seek out mental health services. In this paper, first-person narrative vignettes about the therapy endeavor illustrate how working in the context of the client's home assisted the clinician in eliciting rich information about the resourcefulness of the client in constructing a new life for herself in her host country. Such information tends to be overlooked in literature about work with refugee survivors of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child birth order (CBO) in the family has received little attention in the field of prevention science. CBO is relevant to early interventionists from a public health perspective, as the most widely disseminated home-visiting program has traditionally targeted mothers and their first-born children. The current paper revisits a previous publication by Shaw et al. (2009) on the effectiveness of the Family Check-Up (FCU) to evaluate CBO (firstborn vs. middle vs. youngest) as a moderator of treatment effects of the FCU in relation to improvements in parenting, maternal depressive symptoms, and child outcomes from ages 2 to 4 in a sample of low-income, ethnically diverse families (N = 709) with multiple children. Results suggest that the FCU elicited improvements in observed parenting from ages 2 to 3 primarily for target children who were the youngest or middle children, but not for firstborns. Findings are discussed in the context of implications for prevention science research, dissemination, and public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on clinical work with families of. youth who are coming out to their families. Societal attitudes towards queers are changing, yet many families continue to hold negative beliefs about homosexuality. We discuss what therapists need to know in order to work with these families and provide specific guidelines for this work. Assessment topics are suggested, as are clinical techniques recommended for work with families with a queer member. We focus on the family's loss of their heterosexual paradigm (using a grief and loss perspective) and suggest ways for the family to build a new, more inclusive, paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first report on a program of research designed to identify the most important characteristics of the beginning marriage and family therapist. The paper first surveys the literature in family therapy, social work, and psychology and finds that, although these factors are discussed for beginning psychotherapists, no set of skills are derived empirically. This study recruited all available members of the American Family Therapy Association (AFTA) and Approved Supervisors of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) who were experienced educators and trainers of family therapists. After nominating the most important generic-type characteristics for beginning family therapists, the participants rated the items, yielding a list of not only the most important skills, but also personal traits of beginners based on mean scores of the ratings. The final section of the paper discusses the implications of these findings and notes the current and future activities of the research program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 led to widespread disruption of services that promote family well-being. Families impacted most were those already experiencing disparities due to structural and systemic barriers. Existing support systems faded into the background as families became more isolated. New approaches were needed to deliver evidence-based, low-cost interventions to reach families within communities. We adapted a family strengthening intervention developed in Kenya ("Tuko Pamoja") for the United States. We tested a three-phase participatory adaptation process. In phase 1, we conducted community focus groups including 11 organizations to identify needs and a community partner. In phase 2, the academic-community partner team collaboratively adapted the intervention. We held a development workshop and trained community health workers to deliver the program using an accelerated process combining training, feedback, and iterative revisions. In phase 3, we piloted Coping Together with 18 families, collecting feedback through session-specific surveys and participant focus groups. Community focus groups confirmed that concepts from Tuko Pamoja were relevant, and adaptation resulted in a contextualized intervention—"Coping Together"—an 8-session virtual program for multiple families. As in Tuko Pamoja, communication skills are central and applied for developing family values, visions, and goals. Problem-solving and coping skills then equip families to reach goals, while positive emotion-focused activities promote openness to change. Sessions are interactive, emphasizing skills practice. Participants reported high acceptability and appropriateness, and focus groups suggested that most content was understood and applied in ways consistent with the theory of change. The accelerated reciprocal adaptation process and intervention could apply across resource-constrained settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex trauma is a significant public health problem in the United States (U.S.), occurring in families with chronic and compounding exposures to traumatic stressors like substance misuse, intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (Cook et al., 2017). Yet, few programs exist to treat their intersection, challenging our ability to respond effectively and restore positive trajectories for children and families. In this context, there is a need for innovative approaches to treat these intersecting phenomena. In this conceptual paper, we identify three innovative programs that offer integrative approaches to these intersecting challenges. We analyze common elements among these programs, offering a theoretical foundation for fundamental elements of transformative services. Finally, we consider how the Families First Prevention Act could be leveraged for states to adopt and implement these programs. The goal of this conceptual paper is to advance empirical and practical discussions regarding programmatic and policy options for more effectively responding to substance misuse, and IPV in families, and the associated traumas incurred by maltreated children and their caregivers. • Substance misuse, IPV, and child maltreatment, frequently co-occur. Yet, few programs exist to address their inter-related effects. • This conceptual paper reviews three exemplar integrative programs: Child Development Community Policing, Family-Based Recovery, and Child Parent-Psychotherapy. • We identify key and common elements of these integrative programs. Specifically, we find that: 1 warm handoffs, 2) removing barriers to access, 3) relationship-based practice, 4) a trauma-informed approach, 5) strong case management, 6) providing access to services when families are in crisis, and 7) breaking down silos are important components for integrated approaches. • The federal Family First Prevention Act (FFPSA) could be leveraged to fund innovative, integrative approaches to substance misuse, intimate partner violence, and child maltreatment. • Integrative programs are important for promoting resilience and restoring positive trajectories for children and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the components of a programme designed to prevent child maltreatment which includes the promising practices of a continuous engagement process, cognitive-behavioural parent and skill teaching, and development of formal and informal supports for families. The programme was also designed to be implemented wide scale. Methods for assessment of strengths and needs, individualization of goals and intervention strategies, and assessment of goal achievement are also described. Finally, preliminary results of a programme implementation fidelity and outcome evaluation are summarized. The authors conclude that this programme is ready for a more rigorous efficacy trial to continue to build the evidence base for this promising intervention addressing a prevalent social problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is helpful for professional organizations, policy makers and regulators, third-party payers, and clients to have access to empirical data about family therapists and the practice of family therapy. Nevertheless, there is no such data available in China. This study attempts to fill this gap by profiling Chinese family therapists. A questionnaire was designed and delivered to family therapists and trainees. A total of 117 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The findings show that the majority of Chinese family therapists are female, in the age range of 31-40 years, hold master's degrees, and attend continuous training programs that last 20-40 days over 2-3 years and short-term workshops for family therapy training. They are mainly motivated by the need for personal growth in their career choice. Most of them work in the institutional setting. They have worked in the counseling field for 6.6 years on average, and they have practiced family therapy for an average of 3.4 years. They perform counseling for 9.2 h per week, and 4 h involve working with families. They received an average of 30.6 h of family therapy supervision in the past year. They mainly see individuals and families with adolescents, and their approach is eclectic. This paper compares the findings in China with findings from North America, discusses possible reasons for differences in the findings, and provides suggestions for future development and studies of family therapy in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper articulates three models of collaboration between child protection services and law enforcement agencies on investigations of child maltreatment, and examines the relative impact of each model on child removals and short-term foster care placements. An extensive review of the research literature is used to derive lessons for jurisdictions using the different models. Promising strategies from several jurisdictions are described as they relate to collaborative investigations, child removal and short-term placements. Finally, we provide recommendations to improve child protection investigations and reduce the use of short-term foster care placements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unquestioned patriarchal beliefs prescribed by religion often place women and racial and sexual minorities in positions of victimization. In the therapeutic framework, 'God' represents unquestioned values that must be challenged and evaluated in order to have a transformative effect. As a result of the increase in the number of Latino immigrants to the United States, it is inevitable for therapists to work with Latino families, a highly religious population. The purpose of this paper is to explore, through a feminist perspective, the role of Christianity and the feminist movement in Latin America and the impact of Christianity on therapists' work with Latino families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As family therapists increasingly practice in healthcare settings, they need to be aware of forthcoming changes in healthcare policy and the impact of these changes on their clinical work and the lives of their clients. In this paper, we provide a primer on healthcare policy for family therapists, which describes current and proposed changes in healthcare that will potentially revolutionize healthcare delivery for families. We describe three key initiatives: (1) Triple Aim; (2) the Accountable Care Organization; and (3) the Patient Centered Medical Home. We conclude with a discussion about future directions and healthcare policies that include families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this paper, we contribute to an agenda of developing culturally informed practices, centering specifically on working with Asian Indian and Asian Indian American families. We report the results of a modified Delphi study in which we asked advanced members of the counseling field who are of Asian Indian origin to share their insight relative to family therapy with those who identify as Asian Indian or Asian Indian American in the U.S. Panelists offered a multitude of recommendations, including the importance of: careful assessment that acknowledges within group similarities and differences; attention to extended family ties and intergenerational dynamics; understanding issues of immigration, acculturation, and discrimination; and development of treatment approaches that are congruent with Asian Indian cultural values, beliefs, and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a summary of the cost-effectiveness research for family therapy. Data were available from four different sources in the United States: (1) a health maintenance organization with 180,000 subscribers; (2) the Medicaid system of the State of Kansas; (3) CIGNA Behavioral Health, a division of a health insurance company with nine million subscribers; and (4) a family therapy training clinic. Results suggest that family therapy reduces the number of healthcare visits, especially for high utilizers. The studies suggest that including family therapy as a treatment option does not significantly increase healthcare costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on culturally competent family therapy interventions with regard to identity formation in Latino/Anglo American (L/AA) youth. , a growing segment of the United States population. Given the overall scarcity of literature specific to this unique group, models of identity formation for a broader category (i.e., multi-racial youth) are presented and critiqued in terms of their application to L/AA adolescent. Special identity-related factors for L/AA youth populations are presented including the race of the youth's Latino parent, the L/AA youth's appearance, acceptance from family members and peers, and cultural conflict within the home. Guided by Sue and Sue (2003), specific suggestions for culturally competent family therapy are provided, and detailed using a case vignette. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topics of interest, authors' characteristics, and institutions in three major MFT journals ( American Journal of Family Therapy, Family Process , and Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy ) from 1992 to 2004 were reviewed. The findings indicated that most authors had earned a Ph.D. and worked in a university setting as a faculty member. Publishing institutions were equally distributed throughout the United States. Six topics areas accounted for 42% of articles written including (1) Theory; (2) Techniques and Interventions; (3) Assessments and Instruments; (4) Ethnic, Minority, and Cross-cultural Issues; (5) Violence, Abuse, and Incest; and (6) Training and Supervision. As in the earlier reviews, faculty and/or students from Purdue University and Brigham Young University authored the highest percentage of papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report our experiences as part of an international dialogue group within a U.S. family therapy training program. We describe the dialogue group and share the outcomes of our work together, including our understandings of how global relations, social positions, and personal/cultural characteristics influence our interactions within local contexts. We discuss how participation increased our international awareness and competence, offering two illustrations of how the group helped participants consider family therapy practice and research from a global perspective. Finally, we share the subjective experiences of student group members from the Southern United States, India, Turkey, and South Africa as testimony to the value of cross-national dialogue and to making space for affirming the unique journeys of international learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on East Indian immigrant parents and some of the post-immigration difficulties they experience in their attempts to rear culturally East Indian children within the United States cultural context. Concerns specific to parenting children in the US, and therapeutic issues East Indian immigrant parents bring to therapy are presented and discussed. Effective therapy with East Indian immigrant families requires that therapists be flexible in their therapeutic approaches with these families, and become more knowledgeable about the varieties of East Indian families, their cultural beliefs, values, and norms. Recommendations for culturally effective therapy are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the theoretical and empirical foundations of Familias Unidas, a multilevel, family-centered intervention designed to prevent problem behavior in Hispanic adolescents. The main theoretical tenets for the intervention model; an ecological-developmental perspective, the centrality of ethnic and cultural themes, application of empowerment principles, and a family focus are reviewed. The literature on the risk and protective factors that provided the justification for the intervention's targeted mediators and the core clinical applications that are intended to alter them are discussed. Familias Unidas engages Hispanic immigrant parents into an empowerment process in which they first build a strong parent-support network and then use the network to increase knowledge of culturally relevant parenting, strengthen parenting skills, and then apply these new skills in a series of activities designed to reduce risks frequently found in poor, urban environments. The available evidence supporting the efficacy of Familias Unidas is summarized, as are future goals and a current, second-generation application of the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the work of Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy. the originator of Contextual Therapy. The initial form of Contextual Therapy is surveyed, but closer attention is paid to more recent developments in the theory and practice. Several critiques of Contextual Therapy are introduced The paper includes a detailed example of a first session conducted according to Boszormenyi-Nagy's principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the family therapy field we have often overlooked the elderly and in particular addressing sexual concerns within the context of couples therapy with the elderly (Van Amburg, Barber, & Zimmerman, 1996). The projected life-span of the elderly has increased due to improvements in medical technology and due to a better quality of life which promotes longevity. Included in this paper are the specific age-related physical, emotional, and sexual changes common in later life as well as a clinical case vignette of an elderly couple presenting with a sexual issue. Current sexuality education programs for the elderly are reviewed as well as clinical implications for therapists who treat the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juvenile delinquency is a pressing problem in the United States; the literature emphasizes the importance of early interventions and the role of the family in preventing juvenile delinquency. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, PudMed, and Scopus, we included 28 peer-reviewed articles in English between January 2012 and October 2022. We evaluated the existing literature regarding the risk factors, protective factors, and interventions related to juvenile delinquency. We searched articles that discussed reducing juvenile delinquency and recidivism in the U.S. and coded them into four overarching themes: 'family conflict and dysfunction', 'neglect and maltreatment', 'individual and family mitigating factors', and 'family- and community-based interventions. We found that family conflict and dysfunction and neglect and maltreatment were two primary predictors of juvenile delinquency. Notably, higher academic achievement and strong and positive parental relationships were factors that protected against delinquency amongst at-risk youth. Interventions that yielded optimal efficacy in curbing recidivism included family-based interventions, specifically family therapy, and community-based interventions. Considering multi-dimensional factors that affect delinquent behaviors, interventions should consider the influence of family, peers, neighborhood, schools, and the larger community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States and of this group, Chinese Americans represent the largest subgroup. Some scholars have speculated that more symptom-focused and directive psychotherapeutic approaches may be more congruent with Chinese Americans' conceptualization of treatment than traditional Western modalities. Although these approaches may be more culturally appropriate and efficacious for some Chinese American clients, they presuppose that Chinese American clients have difficulties or an inability to express or communicate underlying emotional distress. As a consequence of this generalization, mental health therapists may assume that emotion-oriented psychotherapeutic approaches such as Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) will not benefit this population. Notwithstanding efforts to expand the relevance of EFT, there remains little research examining the cultural validity of EFT across cultural groups, particularly for Chinese American clients. In this article, we use the Cultural Lens Approach to assess the relevance and applicability of EFT for Chinese American individuals and couples. The aim of this article is to provide clinical direction for therapists using EFT with Chinese American clients and energize the field to conduct further research examining the relevance and applicability of psychotherapeutic approaches with this client group. Further, this article aims to combat stereotypes and Western notions of mental health, which may be limiting clinical and research perspectives on mental healthcare for Chinese Americans. This exploration comes at a time when Chinese Americans are at increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes due to race-based violence and discrimination observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the experience of a two-year project to promote partnerships between 12 graduate Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) training programs and their 12 local Head Start partners. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) awarded 9 grants to MFT-Head Start partnerships that had established relationships with each other prior to the project. Three MFT-Head Start pairs that had no preexisting relationship but wanted to develop one received planning grants. The partnership project provided an exciting opportunity for MFT faculty and interns to integrate family systems theory into larger organizational settings and to enhance the capacity of MFTs to serve disadvantaged, low-income, culturally diverse families and the community agencies that work with them. Preparing MFT students to intervene and respond systemically both in organizations and with the families they serve represents a viable alternative to more traditional approaches to MFT that limit the focus to the family system. Survey results and interview data reflect the rich experiences of MFT faculty and supervisors, MFT interns, and Head Start staff. Implementation issues are discussed and recommendations are made to improve the collaboration between MFTs and community-based agencies such as Head Start. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the author's comments on the article Health Care Reform in the United States: Implications for training and Practice in Marriage and Family Therapy, by D. Russell Crane in the April 1995 issue. Our critique will mostly serve to expand upon Crane's paper. There are two additional important forces contributing to the rapid rise in health care costs over the past two decades. The first is the overspecialization of the physician work force in America. Since the late 1960s, most graduates of medical schools have specialized in limited areas of medical practice. These focus specialists have been described as the invisible driver of health care costs by practicing well-meaning but very expensive medicine. The recent return to an emphasis on primary care physicians has shown that when a person receives health care by and through a single primary care physician, the overall costs of care are much lower than self-referral to a variety of specialists. A second force not emphasized in the paper is the fact that modern medicine has provided such powerful curative therapy that it has become very difficult to die unless treatment is restrained. A large proportion of Medicare funds have gone to treatment measures applied to the elderly in the last six months of life.

The number of states in the United States that formally credential marital and family therapists has tripled to 31 during the last decade. This paper reviews and compares the basic licensure and certification requirements in these states, and explores a number of broad issues currently confronting the field of marital and family therapy regulation. Several recommendations for improving the quality of MFT regulation are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over one million children in the United Slates were involved in child custody decisions in the past year (Glick, 1979). Mental health professionals have been increasingly employed in such decisions. In this paper, we will delineate a model for clinicians to use in evaluating the family with respect to custody and will describe the values which guide our methods and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a systematic review of culturally adapted interventions targeting substance use disorders among underrepresented adolescents. The systematic review included Randomized Controlled Trials conducted with adolescents with substance use-related problems, implemented in the U.S. between January 2017 and February 2022; interventions not tailored explicitly for underserved populations were excluded from this review. The studies were analyzed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Also, the effect size reported for each outcome measurement was included, or if not reported, was calculated using the Psychometrika effect size calculator. The search yielded seven studies, and culturally adapted interventions performed significantly better than comparison conditions. Cultural adaptation appears to enhance the effectiveness of treatments for underserved adolescent populations with substance use problems. Results are discussed regarding the approaches to cultural adaptation, the social implications of alcohol use among Hispanic/Latine adolescents, cigarette use, incorporating family components in treatment, and other co-occurring risky behaviors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police brutality and systemic racism in the United States has never been more evident. Racism and racial battle fatigue are daily manifestations in the lives of people of color. Scholarship has shown that discussing race and racism in therapy can lead to more effective treatment outcomes. This article provides an overview of systemic racism, family therapy and implications for therapist to incorporate race talk into their work with families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eating disorders (EDs) are complex psychiatric diagnoses requiring specialized care. Family-based treatment (FBT) is the first-line treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa and is also efficacious for other EDs. This study describes practice changes due to the implementation of an integrated interdisciplinary FBT-aligned treatment program for EDs at a large tertiary care hospital in the United States. We examined the feasibility and acceptability of implementation, barriers to implementation, and impact on providers' roles over a one-year period. Practice changes came with shifts in roles and were largely experienced as acceptable with good suitability. Barriers identified may inform future interdisciplinary implementation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While an increasing body of literature has assessed police response to intimate partner violence (IPV), a dearth of this research has examined police decision-making with formal reports of IPV among Latina immigrants. Using a LatCrit theoretical framework, the current study addressed this substantive gap through the systematic methods of the grounded theory approach to assess a sample of 36 police case files drawn from an agency located in one of the fifth most populous and diverse US cities. Results from the current study identified five themes related to shortcomings in police response to Latina immigrant IPV victims. The themes included cultural coercive control, language barriers, victim participation, case clearance efforts, and service provision. Policy implications and avenues for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including mass trauma, family therapy and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The formation of families, through the process of adoption, is an increasingly relevant topic in the field of mental health. Taking into consideration the growing number of adoptions in the United States (UN DESA), there is a prevalent need for a systemic approach to working with these families. This article addresses the societal need by offering Restoration Therapy as a framework for effectively assisting adoptive families in adjusting to their newly formed unit. The authors provide a brief overview of Restoration Therapy, the justification for using it with adoptive families, and a case vignette to exemplify the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trauma-related emotional and behavioral struggles of adopted children can affect the adoptive family system due to the emotional interdependence of families. To meet the needs of adoptive families, a two-weekend therapeutic family camp intervention was developed from an existing 2-3 week camp model for adopted children called Hope Connection®. The current study examined the preliminary effectiveness of the revised camp, Hope Connection 2.0, to address adoptive families' needs. A two-group (waitlist (n = 4 families) vs. intervention (n = 5 families)) pre-post design was used. The results indicated trending decreases in adopted children's trauma-related emotional and behavioral struggles and trending increases in parent-child relationship quality and family functioning. These findings support future research of the effectiveness of Hope Connection 2.0 to improve adoptive family outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earliest publications in the field of marriage and family therapy introduced interventions conducted with families experiencing complex health conditions. This strategic review captures an evaluation of efficacy for 87 couple and family interventions published between 2010 and 2019 with a focus on the leading causes of mortality in the United States. These health conditions include chromosomal anomalies and accidents with infants aged 0–4 years; accidents and cancer among children aged 5–14; accidents among adolescents aged 15–24; and heart disease, cancer, accidents, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, influenza/pneumonia, and nephritis/nephrosis among adults 25 and older. Results support the need for greater inclusion of couples and families in assessments and interventions. The greatest chasm in efficacy research was with minoritized couples and families. Implications include ways to initiate couple and family interventions in the context of health conditions with attention given to accessibility, recruitment, retention, and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CHENAIL and LICHTMAN explore how the field of qualitative research has developed in the United States since the early 1990s. CHENAIL characterizes himself as a generic qualitative researcher rather than a designer qualitative researcher. We reminisce about how qualitative research has become an accepted form of conducting research in many disciplines, including family therapy, education, nursing, and business; we talk about how we were barely heard in those early days. CHENAIL discusses some of the new ideas in qualitative research such as ZALTMAN's metaphor elicitation technique, MISHLER's exemplars, and a combination industrial--amusement research park. As the Editor and driving force of The Qualitative Report, CHENAIL's contributions are substantial and far-reaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper integrates the object relations concept of projective identification and the systemic concept of marital dances to develop a more powerful model for working with more difficult and distressed couples. This integrated model explains how some couples use the defenses of splitting and projective identification to externalize and transpose internal conflicts into interpersonal conflicts in five common marital dances. The author suggests how object relations techniques can be used to interrupt the projective identifications, help clients to reown their disowned and projected affects and resolve the conflict on the intrapsychic level so that the marital dance is no longer necessary to resolve the intrapsychic issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Family Process is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)