Family Work In Mental Health A Skills Approach

Mental health practitioners often think about the person seeking help as the first priority; and the context in which they live may become a secondary consideration. However, there is now good evidence that working with families can be very helpful, both for family members and for the person experiencing mental health issues. For instance, offering family intervention for people with psychosis can in some cases reduce the relapse rate. Working with the whole family can also help reduce the burden placed on carers – for example, in families of people with dementia. Written by a team of experts in the field, this book gives useful, practical guidance on a range of ways in which mental health practitioners can work with children, adults and families who access mental health services. Where possible, hypothetical examples are used to show how a particular theory or model can be applied in practice. The authors have also drawn on interventions and approaches where there is an established evidence base, showing how collaborative approaches can be adapted to meet the particular needs of individual families.

This introductory guide will help mental health nurses and professionals learn how to work with families in an intervention situation and understand the importance of family members within the field of mental illness.

An Integrated Approach to Family Work for Psychosis is a manual for using cognitive behavioural approach to working with families of people with severe mental illness. The authors, all experienced clinicians, discuss the various core components of family work, including what constitutes family work, when it might be offered, and how and where it might be applied. As well as these core concerns, the authors also look at reframing challenges and overcoming common personal and external barriers to effective family work. Each chapter can be read individually or as part of the integrated manual. The central argument of the book is that family work must be individualised and it offers a clear approach to engaging and working with families to ensure that this happens, including guidance on how to link components of a service user's plan with their family's strengths and strategies for reducing stress. The book addressed both theory and practice, and concentrates on the experience of mental illness for the service user and their family, providing a focus for intervention. Exploring family work as an integrated psychosocial and educational support strategy, this manual will increase the confidence and competence of new family workers - mental health workers, social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists - and broaden the knowledge of those already working in the area.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY Complete introduction to forensic psychology and understanding psychology’s expanding influence on the study of law, crime, and criminality Highlighting the often-sizable gap between media myths surrounding forensic practice and reality, Forensic Psychology presents a broad range of topics within the field, including detailed treatments of the causes of crime, investigative methods, the trial process, and interventions with different types of offenders and offenses. To aid in reader comprehension, this Fourth Edition is supplemented with additional online resource materials, including related links, multiple choice questions, and PowerPoint slides. Authored by a wide range of experienced forensic psychology professionals and drawing on a wealth of experience from leading researchers and practitioners, Forensic Psychology includes information on: Psychological approaches to understanding crime and developmental and psychological theories of offending Contributions of neuroscience in understanding risk factors for offending and effects of interpersonal crime on victims Eyewitness evidence, psychopathy, interviewing witnesses and suspects, detecting deception, and offender profiling and crime linkage Interpersonal violence and stalking, judicial processes, safeguarding vulnerable witnesses, criminal responsibilities, and the role of the expert witness Rehabilitation of offenders, risk assessment, treating dangerous offenders, and interventions with female offenders and offenders with intellectual disabilities With comprehensive coverage of the subject and its many important intricacies, the Fourth Edition of Forensic Psychology is essential reading for undergraduates’ first encounter with the subject area and is also an excellent introduction for more specialized postgraduate courses.

Presenting a model for interdisciplinary working, this book offers an overview of practice and policy across a range of mental health settings. It explores how to combine skills, theories and expertise from a range of disciplines in response to the diverse needs of service users, from children to older people, and those with complex needs.

Many teachers feel overwhelmed and lack confidence when it comes to dealing with mental health and emotional well-being of children these issues in their classrooms. This text supports schools and teachers to develop strategies to enhance the importance of mental health and emotional well-being, to work on preventative strategies and to support children when they need more intervention. The new edition of this important text is now updated to include coverage on the impact of early life experiences on children′s mental health as well as more on the influence of technology and social media. This second edition also comes with a new ′critical thinking′ feature that encourages students to reflect on these issues. It outlines lots of effective strategies for working with children who are struggling to manage the school day and offers advice for engaging meaningfully with parents. The final chapter ′Who′s looking after who?′ reminds the reader that schools should seek to support their staff, as well as their pupils.

Originally published in 1993, Managing Stress in Families deals with the use of well-researched psychosocial strategies in working with families under stress. This includes households where one or more members experience major mental or physical health problems, learning disabilities, as well as marital and family stresses. It takes a structured problem-solving approach that builds on the efforts of all members living together to manage their stresses in the best way they know. Designed as a practical workbook to assist in the training of therapists from all clinical disciplines, the book describes in detail the strategies that are effective in working with families, and the therapist skills required in order to employ these interventions. The authors, who have all worked with families in community settings, describe in a clear step-by-step manner how to employ a variety of techniques including communication skills training and training in the use of problem-solving skills. They use case studies to illustrate their practice and to cover problem areas such as dealing with crises and the difficulties that arise in therapy. Managing Stress in Families is an invaluable practical handbook which gives a clear idea of what to do in therapy sessions. It will be of immense help to all mental health and social service practitioners, particularly those working in community settings.