Preserving family bonds: examining parent perspectives in the light of practice standards for out-of-home treatment

• Published in: American journal of orthopsychiatry Vol. 75; no. 4; p. 632
• Main Authors: Robinson, Adjoa D, Kruzich, Jean M, Friesen, Barbara J, Jivanjee, Pauline, Pullmann, Michael D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.2005
• Subjects: Accreditation - standards; Adolescent; Affective Symptoms - psychology; Affective Symptoms - therapy; Ambulatory Care - standards; Attitude; Behavior Therapy - standards; Child; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child Behavior Disorders - therapy; Child, Preschool; Consumer Behavior; Critical Pathways - standards; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Object Attachment; Parent-Child Relations; Parents - psychology; Reference Standards; Residential Treatment - standards
• ISSN: 0002-9432
• DOI: 10.1037/0002-9432.75.4.632

Family participation is a core system of care value that is supported by previous research in medical, child welfare, and mental health settings. However, many parents with children receiving out-of-home mental health treatment experience restrictions on contact. This cross-sectional study examines the experiences of families (N = 102) regarding parent-child contact in relation to examples of national accreditation standards. Results of the national survey found that most respondents (79.4%) reported restrictions on contact, including limits based on behavioral contingencies (65.7%) and point and level systems (52.5%).