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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 : Glossary of Terms
The Role of Mental Health Professionals in the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect
Glossary Of TermsAberrant Relationships – associations, affiliations, or kinships characterized by patterns of behavior deviating from societal norms. Adjudicatory Hearings – held by the Juvenile/Family Court to determine whether a child has been maltreated or whether some other legal basis exists for the State to intervene to protect the child. Each State has its own terms and definitions in the jurisdiction provisions of its law. Anorexia Nervosa – eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain body weight over a minimal normal weight for age and height; intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight. Attachment Theory – a developmental theory that emphasizes the relationship between an infant and its caretaker(s). Typically, attachment theory states that the preliminary framework for relationship patterns is established through early childhood relationships (i.e., through interactions with parents and siblings), but this framework is malleable and subject to change throughout an individual's lifespan. Behavioral Theory – initially established by John B. Watson, the theory that overt behavior is the sole basis for scientific psychology. Founded on operant conditioning principles, behavioral theory attempts to explain the causeeffect relationship between the class of stimulus variables and response variables, with reinforcement stimuli increasing behaviors and punishment stimuli decreasing behaviors. Bulimia – eating disorder in which there are recurring episodes of binge eating; a sense of lack of control over eating behavior during the binges; self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives or diuretics, strict dieting or fasting, or vigorous exercising to prevent weight gain. Case Plan – the professional document that outlines the outcomes, goals, and strategies to be used to change the conditions and behaviors resulting in child abuse and neglect. Case Planning – the stage of the child protection process whereby the CPS caseworker and other treatment providers develop a case plan with the family members. Child Protective Services (CPS) – the designated social service agency (in most States) to receive reports, investigate, and provide rehabilitation services to children and families with problems of child maltreatment. Frequently, this agency is located within larger public social services agencies, such as Departments of Social Services or Human Services. Cognitive Functioning – awareness of objects, thoughts, or perceptions. Cognitive Theory – as a development of behavioral theory, cognitive or cognitivebehavioral approaches aim to change behavior by changing an individual's cognition (awareness, perceptions). Confidentiality – a provision in all State child abuse and neglect reporting laws that protects the privacy of children and families by not permitting information about the finding of the child maltreatment report to be released to other agencies without permission of the family. In some States, members of multidisciplinary teams may receive information without a release of information. Countertransference – the conscious and unconscious emotional reaction of the professional to the client. Disposition Hearing – held by the Juvenile/Family Court to determine the disposition of children after cases have been adjudicated, such as whether placement of the child in out-of-home care is necessary and what services the children and family will need to reduce the risk and address the effects of maltreatment. Emergency Hearings – held by the Juvenile/Family Court to determine the need for emergency out-of-home placement of a child who may be a victim of maltreatment. If out-of-home placement is found to be unnecessary by the court, other measures, including mandatory participation by a parent in a drug abuse treatment program, attendance at a parenting skills class, or regular meetings with a mental health professional, may be ordered to protect the child. Evaluation of Family Progress – the stage of the child protection case process (after the case plan has been implemented) when the CPS caseworker and other treatment providers evaluate and measure changes in the family behaviors and conditions which led to child abuse and neglect, monitor risk elimination/reduction, and determine when services are no longer necessary. Frequently, community treatment providers coordinate their evaluation of case progress through periodic team meetings. Family Assessment – the stage of the child protection process when the CPS caseworker, community treatment providers, and the family reach a mutual understanding regarding the most critical treatment needs that must be addressed and the strengths on which to build. Family Preservation/Reunification – the philosophical belief of social services agencies that children and families should remain together if the safety of the children can be ensured. Family Systems Theory – a view of how family members interact with one another in relationship patterns that promote and/or accommodate the functioning of the family as a unit (or system). Forensic Evaluation – a medical or psychological evaluation used for investigations or for submission to court. Good Faith – the standard used to determine if a reporter has reason to suspect that child abuse or neglect has occurred. Histrionic Personality Disorder – a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior, usually beginning in early childhood, sometimes referred to as hysterical personality. Ideation – the formation of images and objects in the mind. Immunity – established in all child abuse laws to protect reporters from civil lawsuits and criminal prosecution resulting from filing a report of child abuse and neglect. Immunity is provided as long as the report is made in good faith. Initial Assessment – the stage of the child protection case process when the CPS caseworker and other treatment providers determine the validity of the child maltreatment report, assess the risk of maltreatment, and determine the safety of the child and the need for further intervention. Frequently, medical, mental health, and other community providers are involved in assisting in the initial assessment. Interpersonal Functioning – behavior that refers to relationships among individuals. Intersystemic Functioning – behavior that refers to relationships among systems. Intrapersonal Functioning – behavior that is focused within the individual. Juvenile and Family Courts – established in most States to resolve conflict and otherwise intervene in the lives of families in a manner that promotes the best interest of children. These courts specialize in areas such as child maltreatment, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, divorce, child custody, and child support. Learning Theory – in clinical work and therapy, learning theory is typically referred to as social learning theory, which assesses the synergistic effects of behavior, personal factors, and the environment. This may involve observational learning, modeling, and/or cognitions. Life Adjustment Problems – an individual's involvement in common developmental adjustments and problems that may result in temporary and/or situational distress and decrease in functioning. This typically involves transitions throughout an individual's lifespan (e.g., beginning of elementary school, puberty, moving away from one's family for the first time) or shifts in interpersonal relationships (e.g., divorce, death of a family member). Maladaptive Traits – interpersonal or intrapersonal traits or characteristics that impair an individual's normal adaptive process. Mandated Reporter – one who in his/her professional capacity is required by State law to report "suspected" cases of child maltreatment to the designated State agency. Some States clearly define that teachers, principals, nurses, and counselors are included. Mediating Variables – factors that affect, offset, or influence (negatively or positively) an anticipated cause-and-effect relationship. Modalities – approaches to psychotherapy including individual, group, or family therapy. Multidisciplinary Team – established between agencies and professionals to mutually discuss cases of child abuse and neglect and aid decisions at various stages of the child protection systems case process. These teams may also be designated by different names, including child protection teams, interdisciplinary teams, or case consultation teams. Multiple Personality Disorder – the existence within the individual of two or more distinct personalities. Object Relations – in Freudian theory, the emotional attachment to another person. As described by neo-Freudians, this term has been broadened to encompass the development of the capacity to engage and maintain a significant interpersonal relationship with a primary significant other (e.g., primary caregiver). Recently, theoreticians have developed therapeutic approaches based on problems associated with interpersonal relationships, which are presumed to be based on fundamental tenets of an individual's child-caregiver relationship. Out-of-Home-Care – child care, foster care, or residential care provided by persons, organizations, and institutions to children who are placed outside of their families, usually under the jurisdiction of Juvenile/Family Courts. Personality Disorders – the implication of inflexible and maladaptive patterns of behavior, of sufficient severity to cause either significant impairment in adaptive functioning or subjective distress. Primary Prevention – activities geared to a sample of the general population to prevent child abuse and neglect from occurring. Psychoanalysis – a psychotherapeutic technique relying on free association, dream interpretation, play, and the analysis of resistance and transference to provide insight into the unconscious roots of disrupted behavior. Psychodynamic Theory – the Freudian and neo-Freudian theories that attempt to understand the basic motivations of human behavior. Both emotions and unconscious motivations play major roles throughout an individual's lifespan. Psychopathology – the branch of medicine dealing with causes and nature of mental disease. Psychosexual – pertaining to the mental or emotional aspects of sex. Psychotherapy – a method of treatment designed to produce a response by mental rather than physical stimulus; it includes the use of suggestion, persuasion, reeducation, reassurance, and support as well as hypnosis and psychoanalysis. Psychosomatic – physical symptoms of mental, emotional, or psychic origin. Reality Testing – verbal interaction or behavior directed toward distinguishing between a person's subjective reaction and others' views of the same event; or the assessment of another's ability to accurately perceive other individuals' intentions and/or behavior. Reasonable Efforts – as required by State law, the State child welfare agency must make reasonable efforts to keep the family together or, if the child has already been removed, to reunify the family. Before a State may receive Federal financial support for the costs resulting from a child's removal from home into out-of-home care, a judge must determine that reasonable efforts have been made to keep the family together. Similarly, placement may not be continued with Federal support without a finding by the judge that such efforts have been made to reunite the family. Review Hearing – held by the Juvenile/Family Court to review dispositions (usually every 6 months) to determine the need to maintain placement in out-of-home care and/or court jurisdiction of a child. Every State requires State courts, agency panels, or citizen review boards to hold periodic review to reevaluate the child's circumstances if he/she has been placed in out-of-home care. Risk Assessment – an assessment and measurement of the likelihood that a child will be maltreated in the future, usually through the use of checklists, matrices, scales, and/or other methods of measurement. Risk Factors – behaviors and conditions present in the child, parent, and/or family that will likely contribute to future occurrence of child maltreatment. Role Theory – a view of how an individual may have a relationship that includes behavioral expectations ascribed to each role (e.g., parent-child, employer-employee, husband-wife). Secondary Prevention – activities targeted to prevent breakdowns and dysfunctions among families who have been identified as at risk for abuse and neglect. Substantiated – a finding made by CPS after investigating a child abuse or neglect report indicating that credible evidence exists to support that child maltreatment did occur. The criteria used to substantiate a report are different in each State. Other terms used in some States are "indicated," "validated," or "founded." Tertiary Prevention – treatment efforts geared to address situations in which child maltreatment has already occurred with the goals of preventing any further future child maltreatment as well as avoiding the harmful effects of child maltreatment. Transference – the unconscious transfer of feelings of hostility or affection from the patient to the professional. Treatment – the stage of the child protection process whereby specific treatment services geared to the reduction of risk of maltreatment are provided by mental health and other social services professionals. Unsubstantiated – a finding made by CPS after investigating a child abuse or neglect report indicating that credible evidence does not exist to support that child maltreatment occurred. In some States, the term "unfounded" is used.
This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
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