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Home > The Role of Mental Health Professionals in the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect > The Role of Mental Health Professionals in the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect : Preface
The Role of Mental Health Professionals in the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect
PrefaceThe Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was signed into law in 1974. Since that time, the Federal Government has served as a catalyst to mobilize society's social services, mental health, medical, educational, legal, and law enforcement systems to address the challenges in the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. In 1977, in one of its early efforts, the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) developed 21 manuals (the User Manual Series) designed to provide guidance to professionals involved in the child protection system and to enhance community collaboration and the quality of services provided to children and families. Some manuals described professional roles and responsibilities in the prevention, identification, and treatment of child maltreatment. Other manuals in the series addressed special topics, for example, adolescent abuse and neglect. Our understanding of the complex problems of child abuse and neglect has increased dramatically since the user manuals were first developed. This increased knowledge has improved our ability to intervene effectively in the lives of "at risk" children and their families. For example, it was not until the early 1980's that sexual abuse became a major focus in child maltreatment research and treatment. Likewise, we have a better grasp of what we can do to prevent child abuse and neglect from occurring. Further, our knowledge of the unique roles key professionals can play in child protection has been more clearly defined, and a great deal has been learned about how to enhance coordination and collaboration of community agencies and professionals. Finally, we are facing today new and more serious problems in families who maltreat their children. For example, there is a significant percentage of families known to Child Protective Services (CPS) who are experiencing substance abuse problems; the first reference to drug-addicted infants appeared in the literature in 1985. Because our knowledge base has increased significantly and the state of the art of practice has improved considerably, NCCAN has updated the User Manual Series by revising many of the existing manuals and creating new manuals that address current innovations, concerns, and issues in the prevention and treatment of child maltreatment. This manual is intended to provide a foundation for mental health professionals, to broaden their roles and responsibilities, and to discuss the issues that should be considered in the evaluation and treatment of maltreated children and their families. This manual may also be used by other professionals to increase their knowledge about the work of mental health professionals and to improve the ability of all social services disciplines to work together collaboratively.
This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
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