Child and Family Therapy Clinic (CFT)
Part of the Behavioral Psychology Outpatient Programs
720 Aliceanna Street, 2nd Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202
720 Aliceanna Street, 2nd Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202
Director:
The Child and Family Therapy Clinic provides outpatient clinical services to families of children exhibiting a wide range of emotional and behavioral difficulties, including oppositional/defiant disorder, parent-child conflicts, attention deficits, school disruption/truancy, aggression, verbal abuse, tantrums, inappropriate sexual behavior, mood disturbances, phobias and social skills deficits. The clinic’s treatment approach entails working with the entire family and any external systems with which the child and family are involved, including school, social services, pediatrics and psychiatry. Patients served consist of many family constellations (e.g., multi-generational, grandparent-headed, foster, two-parent, single parent) and frequently present with multiple stressors (poverty, substance abuse, lack of social support, separation of caregivers). Staff members provide services in the clinic, home, school and other community settings as needed. Parent services include the following: parent training in behavior and stress management; problem solving strategies; communication training; and education in child development/childhood disorders. Child services involve training in pro-social behavior, rule compliance, anger management and peer relations.
Interns trained on this rotation serve as family therapists, and consultants to school staff and other service providers. Interns are trained to conduct comprehensive evaluations of children in the context of their families and community environments utilizing family systems and behavioral family therapy approaches to treatment. Interns develop and implement treatment plans based on assessment results following a scientist-practitioner model. Interns are trained to use a multi-modal approach to measure treatment progress and outcome including verbal report, home and school generated data and direct observation.
The clinic’s training model combines practical training with a variety of individual and group supervision methods (live, videotape, co-therapy), as well as seminars focused on family therapy. Interns are provided with diverse research opportunities related to the assessment and treatment of childhood behavior disorders and family dysfunction. Past research projects have included: development of direct observation procedures to assess parent-child interactions; exploration of relationships among family variables, assessment results and treatment participation and outcome; identification of variables affecting show rate and treatment compliance in low-income families; identification of stressors unique to specific family constellations; and effectiveness of group therapy approaches.
A family, consisting of two parents and a female child 10 years of age, were seen at the clinic. The patient was diagnosed with separation and social anxiety and school refusal. She had previously never slept alone in her room and had never made it to school on time. Treatment consisted of individual and family therapy sessions, clinic- and home-based. Some strategies used during treatment included the following: anxiety management; changing home routines to more appropriately accommodate the child; and using a systematic desensitization protocol to assist her in making transitions more comfortably. After five weeks, this child was consistently sleeping in her own room. The family took the summer off and treatment gains continued. Services were reinitiated in August where five sessions were conducted prior to school commencement. Since the start of school, the child has successfully arrived to school on time and completes the school day with no further problems.
Interns trained on this rotation serve as family therapists, and consultants to school staff and other service providers. Interns are trained to conduct comprehensive evaluations of children in the context of their families and community environments utilizing family systems and behavioral family therapy approaches to treatment. Interns develop and implement treatment plans based on assessment results following a scientist-practitioner model. Interns are trained to use a multi-modal approach to measure treatment progress and outcome including verbal report, home and school generated data and direct observation.
The clinic’s training model combines practical training with a variety of individual and group supervision methods (live, videotape, co-therapy), as well as seminars focused on family therapy. Interns are provided with diverse research opportunities related to the assessment and treatment of childhood behavior disorders and family dysfunction. Past research projects have included: development of direct observation procedures to assess parent-child interactions; exploration of relationships among family variables, assessment results and treatment participation and outcome; identification of variables affecting show rate and treatment compliance in low-income families; identification of stressors unique to specific family constellations; and effectiveness of group therapy approaches.
A family, consisting of two parents and a female child 10 years of age, were seen at the clinic. The patient was diagnosed with separation and social anxiety and school refusal. She had previously never slept alone in her room and had never made it to school on time. Treatment consisted of individual and family therapy sessions, clinic- and home-based. Some strategies used during treatment included the following: anxiety management; changing home routines to more appropriately accommodate the child; and using a systematic desensitization protocol to assist her in making transitions more comfortably. After five weeks, this child was consistently sleeping in her own room. The family took the summer off and treatment gains continued. Services were reinitiated in August where five sessions were conducted prior to school commencement. Since the start of school, the child has successfully arrived to school on time and completes the school day with no further problems.
Hours of Operation:
Vary by clinician. General hours of operation are: Monday - Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Fridays, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Contacts:
To make a referral or request an initial evaluation:
Contact our Care Management Office
Toll-Free Referral: (888) 554-2080
Local Referral: (443) 923-9400
Follow-up appointments are scheduled by clinicians.
Contact our Care Management Office
Toll-Free Referral: (888) 554-2080
Local Referral: (443) 923-9400
Follow-up appointments are scheduled by clinicians.
Academic Underachievement
ADHD
Adjustment Disorder
Anger Management
Anxiety (separation, generalized, school refusal, social)
Depression
Disruptive Disorder Behavior
Enuresis/Encopresis
Impulse Control
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Parent-Child communication problems and relationship issues
School Behavior Problems
Social Skills Deficits
·Development and Learning, Center for
·Neuropsychology and Developmental Psychology Clinic
·Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic
·Social Work Outpatient Mental Health Program
·Neuropsychology and Developmental Psychology Clinic
·Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic
·Social Work Outpatient Mental Health Program
The Resource Finder: A Project of Kennedy Krieger Institute
Behavioral Psychology Outpatient Programs (Triad)
Outpatient Programs l Inpatient Programs l Community Programs l
Continuums l Clinical Laboratories l Clinical Disciplines/Depts.
Continuums l Clinical Laboratories l Clinical Disciplines/Depts.