GROUP PORTFOLO FINAL PROJECT

Final Group Portfolio Project

SW-3400 Developmental Impacts of Child Abuse

College of Social Work, University of Utah

Professor Jessica McCallister, MSW

November 22, 2020

Presented by:
Jessica Capner, Kourtnee Lemmon, Lexi Hackford, Patty Bigelow, Shelby Gordon
 2

PART 1 Group Portfolio: WEBSITE SET-UP, ARTICLE SUMMARY

In the article, Bernard (2019) explains how social workers can intervene in neglect

situations with affluent families. The information contained in the report is essential for social

workers because a family that is considered affluent may not show the same signs of neglect as

a family in a lower class (Bernard, 2019). Moreover, it is usually easier to see the neglect in a

lower-class family because of the outward appearance of neglect, such as a child being dirty

and malnourished. The article talks about the different kinds of neglect, which are: physical

neglect, medical neglect, supervisory neglect, emotional neglect, and educational neglect

(Bernard, 2019). A child in an affluent family may be experiencing neglect but still have their

physical needs. When affluent parents were investigated for neglect, they would use their

privilege and entitlement to evade social workers by calling in their powerful friends (Bernard,

2019). They thought that they were higher than the system.

The affluent parents also would use obstacles like formal complaint processes and

lawyers so the social workers would stall in their investigations (Bernard, 2019). In her paper,

Bernard (2019) had suggestions for social workers who had cases with affluent families. She

stated that talking to the children in the case directly and getting their sides without

intimidation from the parents proved to be more successful. She also stated "… what made a

difference was that the social workers had the self‐confidence, practice wisdom, professional

curiosity and most importantly, the support of their managers which enabled a focus to be kept

on the child without letting the complaints from parents cloud the risk assessment" (Bernard,

2019, p. 345).
 3

This study contained vital information for social workers who work in an area with

affluent families. I learned about the different types of neglect to look for. Even though children

may be taken care of physically, they can still be suffering emotionally. Social workers must be

familiar with all types of neglect so they can help children who may not be displaying the

outward appearances of neglect. Another consideration is, affluent families have the means to

get help through private entities if they have a drug or alcohol problem and are less likely to let

it get to the level of police intervention. The family dynamic can be a source of emotional

neglect on a child, especially if they are witnessing substance abuse or domestic abuse as a

result. This article also highlighted how affluent families could think they are untouchable and

use their power to try to escape intervention.

Social workers can use their self-confidence to make sure they get the assessment they

need so the children can have all their needs met. I appreciate that the author also spoke about

how vital a social worker's relationship is with their manager. As social workers, we need to pull

in all the people that can help us with a case. It would be challenging to have inquiries into work

and complaints to have to sift through because parents are trying to evade an assessment of

their parenting. This article put forth valuable information that I will be able to use in the

future.

Child abuse is a widely known issue within the public eye and can manifest in different forms.

For example, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. This article’s focal

point is centered on the impact and long-term effects of emotional abuse as well as emotional

neglect. Moreover, they also sought to compare the differences between children who

experienced emotional abuse versus emotional neglect. To illustrate this, the author explained
 4

that emotional abuse was linked to increased instances of depression and social anxiety among

a study consisting of adolescent participants. Another study which examined emotional neglect

presented findings that indicate an association with borderline personality disorders. Both

forms of emotional neglect were associated with lower self-esteem.

            Research on this topic of emotional abuse and neglect is still taking shape. Despite some

limitations within the studies, it is suggested based on participant responses within the studies

that these emotional forms of abuse and neglect can certainly cause a long-term negative

impact on mental health. This appears to be especially valid given the higher percentages of

individuals who reported experiencing these forms of abuse. The article indicates that

continued longitudinal evidence would certainly help to gain a better understanding of these

impacts.

            This article was incredibly interesting to me. I believe that many people often do not

always imagine child abuse or neglect as an emotionally abusive experience. Typically, abuse is

primarily portrayed as a physical action. Individuals may not understand that emotional abuse

and neglect have the potential to be equally as damaging, with the effects possibly lasting into

adulthood. As is common knowledge within the social work profession, mental health is a key

aspect to how individuals function in the world. After reading this article, I am very hopeful that

further research has been or is currently being carried out in order to gain clearer

understanding of the devastating impact that emotional abuse and neglect may have on

children through their lifetime.

 
 5

    The study I chose was the UNODC study on the effects of New Information Technologies on

the Abuse and Exploitation of Children.  The information provided in this study will increase the

knowledge of practices conducted within the child abuse/child welfare sector. As technology

grows and becomes more advanced child predators have found themselves with easy access to a

diverse population of children. The article talks about the differences in the definition of; child,

abuse, and exploration. There are several types of sexual abuse discussed as well as referring to;

contact and non-contact sexual abuse and how they are distinguished. With ITC children can

easily speak with strangers, exchange data without parental knowledge and this allows predators

a way into thousands of homes. .

    ITC allows for many forms of child sexual abuse material like; recordings, videos, chats, and

of course hidden identity. This study discusses specific tools that can be used for detection such

as digital forensics, automated searches, image analysis, image dad bases, data mining and

analytics. The study introduces the new ways child predators use ITC, child sex tourists will

deliberately seek out children for sex, and how they take advantage of ITC for anonymity. The

study discusses the advances made by states.  Countries like the US and Sweden do not

criminalize simulate child sex abuse material because children were not involved in its

production. It analyzes this as well, could changes be made here.

    It is important to understand that children and adults are subject to the laws regarding harmful

materials, in many cases a minor with a picture of another minor on his/her phone, could be

charged with harmful materials of a minor. Penalties for this are steep for both adults and minors,

and can and will destroy lives of all involved. This information is useful to the Social Work field,

it helps us to better understand ITC and the types of predators as well as what outlets they use to

contact children. Understanding what they do with ITC is also important because the knowledge
 6

here will help Social Workers with investigation.

 In the article titled, “The impact of child abuse and neglect training on knowledge and

awareness in university students” the authors conduct a study in which university students

volunteer to participate in a 12-week training. The goal of this training was to increase their

knowledge and awareness of child abuse and neglect. The authors started by dividing the group

into 3 departments based on their majors in school: Health, Law, and Social Sciences. They then

continued by developing two scales, Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness Scale (CANA-S) and

the Child Abuse and Neglect Knowledge Test (CANK-T), to assess students’ knowledge and

awareness levels regarding child abuse and neglect. The conductors asked each participant to

take the scale and test before the training began. They then evaluated the training’s impact by

having the participants partake in the same scale and test afterwards. Their conclusion is as

follows:

“Overall awareness after education was significant among students from the health and

social sciences departments. Total awareness scores did not increase significantly among

law students. Measuring and disseminating the effectiveness of these trainings through

proper prevention programs will be effective in reducing child abuse in the future.”

I found this article to be pretty interesting with some great things to point out, understand and

take into account.

Even though this study was conducted in Turkey, I believe that their approach to creating

more awareness can be quite effective here in the US. In the article they discuss how it is

common to have school-oriented prevention programs for kindergartens, elementary and middle

schools, and a few high schools. However, there were no such programs for college students.

Why is that? Does the prevention and awareness of child abuse/neglect lose importance after we
 7

graduate high school? Of course not! So why would the programs stop then? It is important to

continue to offer trainings and programs that aim to raise awareness in child abuse and neglect as

well as preventative measures we can take to decrease the number of child abuse and neglect

cases that there are. Half of resolving an issue can be preventing it from happening again.

Child-focused sexual abuse programs were first developed in the ’70s as concerns rose

across North America. This article by Leslie M Tutty reviews the key concepts in those programs

and the constructs used to evaluate any gains in knowledge and attitude in students after

completing the program. A new version of child sex abuse prevention programs is also

discussed and addressed using a sample of over 7,000 elementary school students. Beginning

by listing some of the consequences of child sex abuse and their severity, the article then lists

prevention strategies and the argument some people have against them. Despite wide research

concluding that child-focused prevention strategies have no negative or unintended

consequences, some argue that exposing children to the concept of child sex abuse could cause

them to become traumatized by the experience, or that they would generalize the information

to those around them resulting in mistrust of parents or loved ones. 

The article then identifies prevention options including adult-focused prevention and

child-focused prevention. Child-focused prevention typically targets elementary and preschool-

aged children, and they aim to educate potential victims as well as teaching at an early age

what is considered inappropriate behavior. They aim to help children recognize practices such

as grooming and luring children into sexual activity and urge them to seek help. The article then

further describes the programs and some of the scales used to measure the effectiveness of

them, it describes the flaw in a common program CKAQ, which involves a long list of true or
 8

false questions as well as a 24-item inappropriate touch scale, because the long measures were

not optimal for monitoring outcomes. An alternative program consisting of two 10-item

measures is introduced, one for grades one and two, and another for grades 3 through six.

The study was held in Canada between 2010 and 2017. A “WDTY?” (Who Do You Tell)

program was presented in fifty schools, and the new CKAQ-10 was administered both before

and after the material was presented. Although shorter, and less information was gained,

measures were able to be more reliably calculated. A briefer version of CSA program efficiency

testing can be helpful especially when centering on topics that can be difficult to learn. In the

discussion, the article then lists limitations to the study citing differences in program

administration and lack of demographic information. In conclusion, the article states the

continual need for prevention as child sexual abuse remains common in modern society,

highlighting the importance of CSA prevention and education programs, and the need for

constant evaluation and improvement of such programs. 

I thought this article was very interesting, I chose it because I think that child-focused

prevention and education is one of the best and most important ways to combat and prevent

child abuse. I think it is important for children to be aware of inappropriate behavior and what

to do when they experience it. This article focused on child sexual abuse, which is even more

important as it is even more taboo to be talked about and confronted in society. I think it is

important for children to know what to do if someone touches them inappropriately or makes

them feel uncomfortable, who to talk to, and that they are not the cause of such behavior.

Although some may argue that children should not be exposed to such material in the

classroom, I think it is important for parents to want their children to be knowledgeable and
 9

able to ask for help if they ever needed it. I think about it this way, even if you didn't want your

child to have to know about and be exposed to the topic of sexual abuse, when you weighed

that against imagining them being sexually abused and not being aware of it being a problem or

unsure of how to stop it, I think you would prefer them to participate in a program, just in case

they ever were in a situation they might need that knowledge. The only people who would

benefit from a lack of sexual abuse education for children would be the perpetrators

themselves. It is important for children to be aware of what can happen, and what to do if it

does, and then show them all the great things life can offer too. One can be happy and innocent

without being completely ignorant of an issue that could greatly affect them if they were

unable to confront it. It is important to empower children the best we can by at least

presenting them with the information.

The study done in this article is important too as it aims to measure how well education

programs for children work and address whether important information is coming across

effectively. By having a shorter and more specifically aimed evaluation we can better identify

areas that need to be further stressed. I look forward to learning more about child-focused

prevention and the benefits of education programs being presented at a young age. 
 10

PART II Group Portfolio: Assessment Vignette of #1

There are a few concerning child safety issues presented within the case of Andrea R.

and her nine-year-old son, Vincent. Andrea has a history of hospitalization, the most recent

instance resulting from an overdose on Zoloft medication as a suicide attempt. Subsequently,

her sister states that she has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major

depression, and epilepsy after at least four other prior hospitalizations. This is concerning

because Andrea is Vincent’s primary caretaker and stability seems to be lacking. She has been

inconsistent in visiting her psychiatrist. Andrea suggests she and Vincent have a poor support

system and strained relationships with her family members, causing Vincent to be isolated and

frequently subjected to his mother’s mental health issues.

An extensive history of Child Protective Services reports has been made concerning

Vincent’s well-being over six years (2001-2007). These reports consisted of allegations of

corporal punishment, inadequate guardianship, inadequate food/clothing/shelter, drug and

alcohol misuse, and even possible physical abuse inflicted by Vincent’s father. He sees him a

few times per month but is unable to care for him full-time. These are all safety risks. Despite

the initiation of these investigations, all cases were closed and pronounced unfounded.

Vincent indicated that he has been helping his mother clean the home since she has not

been feeling well. This may indicate a safety risk because a 9-year-old child cannot care for an

adult or take on all household responsibilities. Vincent has disclosed being hit by his mother at

least a few times on the arms and legs with a belt and threats of physical harm.

He is in a special education program at school and has an autism diagnosis on file.

Although it has been reported that he has good grades and attendance, he may be at-risk for
 11

developmental delays or behavioral issues. In fact, in an earlier report, a worker concluded that

Andrea lacked knowledge of Vincent’s developmental needs.      

There are many safety risks associated with Vincent’s situation. Andrea, his mother, has

been known to have substance abuse problems in the past and recently overdosed on Zoloft. It

is very dangerous for Vincent to be exposed to these hazards, and should he ingest them; it

could be life-threatening and stunt his development. His mother also is showing signs of

schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder. In one of the case reports,

Vincent seemed to be exhibiting similar behaviors. Being around his mother during an episode,

or while she is in this state, could be traumatic and normalize these behaviors. This would

impact his growth and development, especially with social skills and relationships, with which

we can already see Vincent struggling. During these situations, Vincent is also very physically

unsafe as his mother is not in a coherent state to take care of him. Instead, Vincent has to

become the caretaker for her. This can culminate in a multitude of traumatic experiences for

Vincent to deal with and impact his growth over time. In multiple other reports, his mother,

Andrea, does not know the developmental needs of a child, this will have an impact on Vincent

and will not help him achieve the same milestones as his peers.  

Andrea has severe mental illnesses that are interfering with her ability to be an

adequate mother. Andrea does not follow through with her psychiatrist appointments;

therefore, making long-term treatment difficult. Andrea uses the medication she is prescribed

for her mental illnesses irregularly, making it difficult for her to stabilize for long enough. There

is also the possibility that Andrea is drinking alcohol and using drugs. Her son indicated that he
 12

saw her drinking “black water” or taking “black pills.” Substance use could also be affecting her

mental state and needs further investigation.  

In the end, the judge made the right decision. While Andrea may be doing better

mentally and continuing to meet with her psychiatrist and taking her prescribed medications

appropriately regularly, she is not fully ready to care for Vincent and herself just yet. It would

be beneficial for Andrea and Vincent too if they slowly transitioned Vincent from living at AHRC.

While staying in the care of AHRC, Vincent is learning daily living skills and receiving after school

care and community integration services. It would also help that Andrea attend therapy weekly

as well as attend a parenting skills class. The social worker can assist Andrea with finding

alternatives to these programs for Vincent to have similar resources once he is reunited at

home with his mother. If the social worker and Andrea work together to line up Vincent's

programs, then not only will the transition be more comfortable for both of them, but Andrea

may feel more equipped to give her son the resources and the help he needs.

Andrea’s psychiatrist stated that her mental health depends on her son, and if she

cannot have him at home with her, then her mental health will worsen. While it is not Vincent’s

responsibility to keep his mother from falling into a more profound depression, it is clear that

they have a solid and positive bond/relationship. Andrea and Vincent can be reunified with

more counseling and assistance from Andrea’s doctors, psychiatrists, and the social worker and

come together in a healthy and supportive household. 

Vincent's statement on 9/17; Vincent stating that mom drank black water/black pills,

and he was afraid his mom would turn into a monster is something we need to investigate

further.  The subsequent investigation needs to be into Vincent's mental health.  Vincent is
 13

defensive of his mother and the caregiver; Parent-Child role reversal may have taken place. We

need to consider the responsibilities involving a level of emotional intimacy that exceeds a

healthy parent-child relationship's boundaries. I’d also like to address Vincent's IEP legally; this

needs to be re-evaluated after three years. Proper accommodations need to be met for Vincent

academically.

Next, I would like to make sure that the mother is ordered to seek therapy so she “does

not just stop going” again. I suggest we follow up with regular visits regarding her parenting

classes. Follow up with her therapist to make sure she is showing up for sessions. I want to

suggest a class or support group for parents with autistic children for both the mother and

father. 

Breakdown of the plan I would suggest is as follows:

 Vincent meets with a psychologist for several reasons: statements made during the
interview on 9/17, unhealthy emotional intimacy with Mother.
 Meet with Vincent school counselors and re-evaluate Vincent IEP so we can keep his
education on track. His IEP is either expired or about to be these are required for
evaluation every three years.  
 Make sure Free Reduced Lunch applications are filled out, and breakfast and lunch are
provided daily while at school.
 Make sure Andrea is progressing in parenting classes and continues her therapy sessions
with a psychologist. Make sure Andrea is meeting with her physician on a regular
schedule to evaluate her prescription drug usage.
 Make sure Andrea attends a support group or class to learn about Autism.
 Involve dad in parenting and Autism classes as well as a joint course for co-parenting.
 Make sure Vincent is developing social skills by providing him with opportunities to play.
Big Brother program or Boys & Girls club etc.

Ultimately, we would like to see Vincent reunited with his mother. It will have been six

months away in foster care. We want to make sure that the home removal does not have
 14

adverse side effects on Vincent's mental, physical, and emotional health, and want to make

sure that returning him home will be safe.

Questions to ask to further the assessment: 

1.  What is Andrea’s full substance abuse history?

2. Upon reunification, what plan(s) would be established and implemented to ensure that

Vincent continues learning daily living skills, receiving after school care, and community

integration services that he has been working on during his placement in foster care?

3. What other provisions could be made for the family in the way of additional financial help? Is

Andrea utilizing the welfare program successfully and utilizing Medicaid to help with expenses,

prescription medications, and needs for Vincent. Housing programs like BRAG to help pay for

heating and cooling expenses?  What is her plan to maintain structured therapy sessions to help

battle depression and suicide?

4. It was decided that Vincent would remain in the care of AHRC and that Andrea would be

allowed supervised Vincent visits. In addition to what was discussed in the conference and in

court, what else would Andrea need to accomplish to gain custody of Vincent again?

5. It seems Andrea’s relationship with her psychiatrist, Dr. D, is not a very beneficial one;

neither party seems very interested in providing or receiving optimal care. I think it would be

helpful for Andrea to seek another professional in this field who is more familiar with parent-

child situations and is invested in Andrea and Vincent’s case to improve both parties' well-
 15

being. Is there another doctor we can find for Andrea to speak with who will be more

cooperative with the other social services involved in her case? And is there a way to track her

visits to ensure they remain continuous and beneficial? 

PART III GROUP PORTFOLIO: Crisis and Safety Methods and Interventions

Agency/Case Management

Crisis Methods

1. The use of the “Community Systems” and “Use of Community Resources” approaches can be

beneficial for the children in crisis. A case manager can coordinate and make sure all agencies

are working together for the benefit of the child. Often, children in crisis require services from

multiple organizations, and it is paramount that they all work together, so the child’s needs are

met (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1994).

2. A case manager will help find resources for the child and family in crisis. If the child is not

safe in their home situation, a case manager can arrange for removing the child from the home

until another assessment can take place (Children’s Bureau, 2018).

3. An essential piece for crisis intervention for case managers is observing the family

interactions and conditions. They look below the interactions’ surface and try to see how the

family members feel about each other. The case managers are looking at all nonverbal

behaviors to assess the family’s relationships (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

1994)
 16

Safety Methods

1. CPS and case management/agencies put safety interventions in place to ‘substitute’ for a

family’s lack of protective capacities. Representing a change in the family, but the family system

itself does not change. Though the environment changes, the family system is externally

reinforced through the use of safety interventions. (Morton & Holder, 2000)

2. Considering the agency’s capacity and make sure that it is adequate and has educated

(especially in trauma-informed care) staff and created resources available to take on child

welfare cases and provide support. The functioning of a child who has experienced abuse

should be paramount. It should be focused on when identifying activities and services. (Global

Protection Cluster, Child Protection, 2014)

3. Ensuring proper living conditions are established. Home should be safe and allow the child to

feel protected and at ease. If living conditions are not up to par, taking steps to either remedy

the current living situation or finding a temporary placement.

Clinical Treatment Facilities (therapy and counseling)

Crisis Interventions

1. An initial assessment will help understand the crisis, assess safety, and work to determine

necessary interventions/resources to move forward. This process should include an individual

evaluation with the child, an individual assessment of family members involved, and a group

assessment with the family together (minus the perpetrator if he/she is a family member).

Families are systems that impact each other through their individual experiences. Because of

this, the assessment effort must be all-encompassing, especially if the family needs further
 17

intervention to function in a way that keeps the child safe (U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, 1994).

2. A trauma-informed care approach can help build a trusting relationship to aid in disclosure

and understanding of the events associated with the crisis. It can be partly accomplished

through support and creating a safe environment. A study on crisis intervention showed that

victims of abuse responded most positively to expressions of validation, advocacy, empathetic

understanding, and overall positive responses. It is essential to avoid making negative

statements about the perpetrator (Letts, 1992).

3. After determining the needs of the family/individual, help them set short and long-term goals

to re-establish the pre-crisis level of functioning through a strengths-based approach. Aiding in

the development of coping skills and problem-solving skills is useful during this time. Safe (U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services, 1994).

Safety Interventions

1. The onset of services should not be delayed for too long, given the risks of exacerbating

symptoms or symptoms becoming chronic and resistant to treatment. Additionally, given the

current limitations on reliably predicting how an individual will react following CSA, or

secondary trauma, the need to have prompt and varied interventions available is critical.

2. Group interventions are considered by some to be the treatment of choice. To help pre-

adolescent and adolescent victims target feelings of isolation, social stigmatization, and reduce

desires for secrecy.

3. Given the diverse needs of child victims and/or their non-offending family members, a

continuum of available treatments is imperative. We can provide on-site mental health services

for sexually abused youth, such as project SAFE (Sexual Abuse Family Education), a cognitive-

behavioral treatment program for the sexually abused child that may serve as a mental health

service model. The Project SAFE Group Intervention was designed to address three critical

target areas impacted by sexual abuse: (a) the individual or self (e.g., self-esteem, internalizing

distress); (b) relationships (e.g., social support, communication, externalizing problems with

peers and family); and (c) sexual development (e.g., sexual knowledge and abuse-related

issues)

PART IV GROUP PORTFOLIO: Practice and Treatment Approaches

Agency/Case Management

Practice Approaches

1. A proper assessment needs to be completed and ACE scoring in some cases would be an

excellent approach. There are 10 different childhood traumas measured by ACES. Five

personal and Five are related to other family members. ACE scoring is a guideline to

help social workers better understand the types of treatment or resources their clients

may need. The ACE Pyramid represents the conceptual framework for the ACE Study.

The ACE Study has uncovered how ACEs are strongly related to development of risk

factors for disease, and well-being throughout the life course. It is important to

understand your client’s situation and break it down in understandable and

researchable parts. Allowing social workers to determine what treatment or resources

will need to be provided. Evidence based interventions like Trauma Focused Cognitive

Behavioral Therapy or TF-CBT.

2. Case managers handling child abuse cases should be in touch with the other

professionals who are working on an individual’s case. Communication and being on the

same page can allow for the social worker to identify the best approaches for the

individual and minimize repetitive, and potentially retraumatizing, conversation for the

individual. The case manager should be especially receptive to the assessment the

individual’s physician provides and should suggest they be seen by a child abuse

pediatrician who is familiar with the best methods to utilize when working with

potentially abused children. Rather than using a base model, a more investigative

approach that utilizes a family dynamic model is the best way to complete a

consultation in order to gain the most complete information without instigating

additional trauma (Keenan & Campbell, 2015).

3. For case managers it is in best practices to prioritize the best interest of the child. There

can be many people involved in a case where children are involved, and it is important

that best practices are put in place to do no harm and keep the best interest of the child

in mind. For this to happen a case manager should continually evaluate the risks that are

present to the child and work to mitigate the negative consequence that can directly

impact the child. The Child Protection Working Group explains that, “All actions should

ensure that the child’s rights to safety and ongoing development are never

compromised” (p. 17). The best interests of the child should always be at the forefront
 20

of all decision making with the parents, the case managers, and the agencies with which

they are involved. (Child Protection Working Group, 2014)

Clinical Treatment Facilities (therapy and counseling)

Treatment Approaches

1. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an approach that can be

useful in helping children and families work through trauma, such as neglect and abuse.

It is an evidence-based therapeutic approach. TF-CBT “helps children address the

negative effects of trauma, including processing their traumatic memories, overcoming

problematic thoughts and behaviors, and developing effective coping and interpersonal

skills” (Children’s Bureau, 2018). The primary population for this treatment approach is

children and adolescents between the ages of 3-18 who have memory of at least one

traumatic experience. The Children’s Bureau (2018) fact sheet shares that TF-CBT is

typically completed over 12 to 16 weekly sessions; however, the sessions can be

increased to 25 in order to assist youth who are struggling from more significant

trauma. Both children and parents have shown overall improvement after TF-CBT

sessions including, diminished PTSD symptoms, anxiety, depression, conduct issues, and

emotional distress. Parents are also more likely to become more supportive of their

children and work through behavioral issues more easily (Children’s Bureau, 2018).

2. EMDR is a treatment approach that utilizes eye movements, vibrations, and sounds to

stimulate the brain (Huso, 2010). This treatment has been known to help both children

and adults who have survived childhood abuse and/or neglect. “Using these sensory

experiences in conjunction with focusing on a traumatic memory can create changes in

the brain that help a client overcome symptoms of depression, anger, and anxiety,

among other conditions” (Huso, 2010). EMDR allows the client to safely visit and process

their traumatic memories, while being guided by the therapist. The idea with EMDR is to

move the memory from the part of the brain that processes emotion and fight or flight

response to another part of the brain that can simply store the memory and allow for

healing. “It helps people process their memories and put them in the past instead of the

present” (Huso, 2010). EMDR gets both sides of the brain working at once.

3. Interventions must be useful to the child and parent or they will lose their motivation to

attend the sessions. Clarifying the purpose and intent of the intervention and making it

relevant to the child’s current situation are two methods that facilitate the client’s

interest and involvement in therapy. Asking the child or parent to evaluate the

effectiveness of therapy also helps the therapist learn if the interventions are useful.

Individuality 42 Children and parents have the right to be treated as individuals who

have issues and experiences that are unique to their experience. By making assumptions

or telling the client how he/she feels, the therapist overlooks the client’s need to be

treated as a special person. Asking the client to confirm or deny a hypothesis helps the

client feel that he/she is part of the discovery process. Mentioning that some victims

have felt a certain way about what has happened to them can give a child permission to

consider if he/she feels that way too. Telling a child how all victims think, feel, or behave

is presumptuous and decreases the child’s sense of integrity and individuality (Urquiza

and Winn).

FINAL GROUP PORTFOLIO PART V: RECOMMENDATIONS 

1. Educational - Our group recommends that Andrea continues to attend a parenting skills

class. 

2. Mental health or clinical treatment - Our group recommends that Andrea receive a full

mental health evaluation. Andrea should be encouraged to follow any

recommendations resulting from the evaluation (counseling, medications, etc.) in a

consistent manner prior to reunification with Vincent.

3. Social support - Our group recommends that Vincent continues to receive after school

care and community integration services through the AHRC. It is also recommended that

Andrea selects a support group to attend which would provide her with much needed

social support, seeing as how her family relationships are strained. 

4. Immediate safety - Our group recommends that Vincent continues to stay in supervised

care until there is more consistency with his mother and her follow through with other

recommended treatment and classes.

5. Physical health - Our group recommends that Andrea participate in physical exercise on

a regular basis as exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and

negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function.

6. Safety - Our group recommends that CPS make weekly visits to Andrea's home to follow

up on progress.  CPS visits Vincent as a well-check and supervises all visits with Andrea.

7. Substance Abuse – Substance abuse - Our group recommends that Andrea attend group

therapy sessions to learn about substance abuse and explore alternative coping
 23

mechanisms, we also suggest she submit to random drug testing to ensure she is making

smart decisions to keep Vincent safe. 

References:

ALTAN, H., SAHIN DAGLI, F., & BUDAKOGLU, I. I. (2020). The impact of child abuse and
 24

neglect training on knowledge and awareness in university students. Marmara Medical

Journal, 33(2), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.5472/marumj.738395

Bernard, C. (2019). Recognizing and addressing child neglect in affluent families. Child & Family

Social Work, 24(2), 340–347. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12619

Child Protection Working Group. (2014). Inter-agency guidelines for case management & child

protection. Retrieved from http://www.cpcnetwork.org/resource/inter-agency-

guidelines -for-case-management-child-protection/

Children’s Bureau. (2018) Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy: a primer for child

welfare professionals. Retrieved from:

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/trauma.pdf#page=1&view=Introduction

Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services. (2018). Case planning and management in child protection. Retrieved

from https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/responding/child-

protection/caseplanning/#:~:text=Case%20management%20involves%20working%20wi

th,when%20goals%20have%20been%20achieved

Global Protection Cluster, Child Protection. (2014). Interagency Guidelines for Case

Management and Child Protection. Global Child Protection Working Group.

Hansen, D. J. (2011, May 2). Interventions for families victimized by child sexual abuse: Clinical

issues and approaches for child advocacy center-based services. Science Direct.

Retrieved October 21, 2020, from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135917891100019X

Huso, D. (2010) Treating child abuse trauma with EMDR. Social Work Today, 10(2). Retrieved

from: https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/032210p20.shtml

Keenan, H. T., & Campbell, K. A. (2015). Three models of child abuse consultations: A qualitative

study of inpatient child abuse consultation notes. Child Abuse & Neglect, 43, 53-60.

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.11.009

Letts, K. L. (1992) Crisis intervention: an evaluation of services provided to families of sexually

abused children in Davis County, Utah. All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Retrieved

from: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3393&context=etd

Morton, T. D., & Holder, W. (2000). Issues and Strategies for Assessment Approaches to Child

Maltreatment. National Resource Center on Child Maltreatment

Taillieu, T. L., Brownridge, D. A., Sareen, J., & Afifi, T. O. (2016). Childhood emotional

maltreatment and mental disorders: Results from a nationally representative adult sample

from the United States. Child Abuse & Neglect, 59, 1–12.
 26

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.07.005

Tutty, L. M. (2019). Children’s Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaires (CKAQ)-Short: Two Brief

Ten-Item Measures of Knowledge about Child Sexual Abuse Concepts. Journal of Child

Sexual Abuse, 29(5), 513-530. doi:10.1080/10538712.2019.1688443

Urquiza, Anthony J., and Cnythia Winn. “Treatment for Abused and Neglected Children: Infancy

to Age 18.” childwelfare.gov, https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/treatmen.pdf

Accessed 12 November 2020

UNODC (Ed.). (2015). Study on the Effects of New Information technologies on the Abuse and

Exploitation of Children.

https://www.unodc.org/documents/Cybercrime/Study_on_the_Effects.pdf.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1994) Crisis intervention in child abuse and

neglect. Retrieved from: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/crisis/