Reducing Child Maltreatment: A Guidebook for Parent Services(Treatment Manuals for Practitioners)

This practical manual presents detailed, step-by-step instructions for assessing and teaching key parenting skills proven to reduce or prevent child maltreatment. It is based on 20 years of research and practice with over 1500 families at risk for child physical abuse or neglect. The book shows how to help parents improve interactions with children, create safer home environments, and respond effectively to child health care needs. It is filled with concrete examples and helpful tips for service providers, and features more than 30 assessment forms, checklists, and other client materials, many of which may be photocopied. Also included is detailed information on staff training, complete with reproducible training materials. Designed for optimal ease of use with a convenient 8 ½ x 11 format, this is an indispensable resource for providers of voluntary or court-mandated services, including therapists, counselors, child protection workers, agency administrators, and other social work and human service professionals, as well as students in these fields.

Table of Contents:
1. Child Maltreatment and the Ecobehavioral Model 2. The Ecobehavioral Model in Action: Project 12-Ways and Project SafeCare 3. Assessment and Treatment Overview 4. Parenting Assessment for Bonding Skills 5. Planned Activities and Parent¿Child Interaction Training 6. Home Safety and Cleanliness Training 7. Infant and Child Health Care Skills 8. Staff Training References Index

About the Author :
John R. Lutzker, PhD, is Chief of the Prevention Development and Evaluation Branch of the Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Formerly, he was the Florence and Louis Ross Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology and Director of Graduate Training in Behavioral Psychology at the University of Judaism. The author or editor of three previous books, Dr. Lutzker serves on the editorial boards of a number of professional journals. Kathryn M. Bigelow, MA, is a doctoral candidate in developmental and child psychology in the Department of Human Development and Family Life at the University of Kansas. Her research interests are in violence prevention and parent-child and caregiver-child interactions.

Review :
'This text provides an incredible resource for working with at-risk families, from one of the most productive treatment outcome research groups in the field. The book covers core areas of parenting difficulty that are often overlooked. It is filled with detailed practical guidelines, helpful case examples, useful instruments to monitor interventions, and advice on handling difficulties that arise. The material provided is well validated and has proven effectiveness. This wonderful book should be on the shelf of every clinician who works in the area of child maltreatment. I recommend it for social work and child clinical psychology training programs, and look forward to using it with my own students.' - Sandra Azar, PhD, Clark University 'John Lutzker is well known for his seminal work with Project 12-Ways and Project SafeCare, where he helped develop the validated assessment and intervention strategies presented in this book. Here, he and Kathryn Bigelow organize these strategies into a framework for effective use by a broad range of professionals. ...The book is an eminently useful resource for social workers and psychologists, as well as advanced students and trainees in these fields. Administrators within child protective services should also take a look at this book, which could be used in existing CPS programs for updating knowledge and skills.' - Alexander J. Tymchuk, PhD, UCLA School of Medicine 'Lutzker and Bigelow have been developing and testing interventions for two decades, and have established a rich database for letting us in on what works and what does not. The book articulates key constructs for helping parents care for their children more effectively and create safer home environments. While a reduction in maltreatment is the prime goal, the authors' holistic, ecobehavioral model also seeks to improve family life overall. Clinicians and clinicians-in-training will find this a clear, accessible, and practical guide.' - Christine Wekerle, PhD, York University, Canada