Mental Health Issues and the Foster Care System: An Examination of the Impact of the Adoption and Safe Families Act

Abstract

Although marriage and family therapists are being called on to help at-risk families, some say that clinicians have insufficient knowledge about the impact of policies on families involved in the foster care system. The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to identify how the Adoption and Safe Families Act informs decision making, to recognize trends in decisions regarding termination of parental rights of parents with mental health issues, and to explore treatment issues of families involved in the foster care system. Results indicate that court cases decided after the implementation of the Adoption and Safe Families Act are likely to result in termination of parental rights. Implications for clinicians and researchers are discussed.

Qualitative Inquiry and Family Therapist Identity Construction Through Community-Based Child Welfare Practice

“…This divergence within MFT and between human service disciplines (Brymer & Phillips, 2006;McWey et al, 2006) appears consistent with the current academic climate that fragments the social sciences from larger society (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). As a way to bridge perceived fragmentation between MFT education and intensive clinical practice within larger sociological contexts, this article describes our developmental experiences as five MFT therapist-interns and one clinical faculty (practicing as both therapist and supervisor) facilitating a community-based therapy program called Families in Transition (FIT).…”

“…Though MFTs are historically included in service provision for multistressed families, questions remain as to what degree Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) clinical training requirements prepare MFTs to navigate larger sociological contexts. Existing MFT literature emphasizes both professional and educational fragmentation (McDowell & Shelton, 2002), while identifying areas for growth related to knowledge of child welfare policy (McWey et al, 2006), role distinctions between therapy and advocacy (Hardy, 2001;Johnson, 2001;Sluzki, 2001), and real-world preparation for intensive, community-based work that encompasses in-home therapy and multidisciplinary services collaboration (Adams & Maynard, 2000;Brosman, 1990;Christensen, 1995).…”

“…Best practices in child welfare can emerge through collaboration of therapists, social services, and the courts (Britner & Mossler, 2002). Therapists who gain an understanding of the relationships between mental health challenges, and legal policies and issues can help improve therapeutic interventions for families in the child welfare system (McWey et al, 2006). The FIT program seeks to improve local services to families while bridging practice components of the larger system.…”

“…The multifaceted nature of the child welfare system necessitates interdisciplinary research and practice (McWey et al, 2006). Family therapists are in a unique position of being able to simultaneously hold an understanding of the systemic issues that plague these families and provide therapeutic services and interventions.…”

“…Perceived mental health digressions of parents have serious consequences for reunification, as parents must demonstrate improvement in the conditions that led to the removal of their children (McWey et al, 2006). Lau et al (2003) described the reunification process as complex and complicated, involving a variety of factors that may inhibit a successful reunification with the biological family.…”