The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The 3-5-7 Model program has been reviewed by the CEBC in the area of: Casework Practice, but lacks the necessary research evidence to be given a Scientific Rating.

• Types of Maltreatment: Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Physical Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Exposure to Domestic Violence
• Target Population: Children, youth, and parents (biological, foster, adoptive) in the child welfare system

The 3-5-7 Model is a guided approach, for professionals and families, that supports grief work and relationship building activities for children and youth in the child placement system. Through activities, children and youth are able to engage in three tasks:

• Clarification of the events of their lives to explore what happened to them (losses) and who they are (identity)—two of the five (5) conceptual questions that address their issues.
• Integration of significant people/relationships in their lives to identify where they are going (attachments) and how they will get there (relationships)—two more of the five questions.
• Actualization of feelings of permanency and when they will belong—the last of the five questions.

Seven skill elements are critical to the work:

• Engaging them in work.
• Listening to their stories.
• Validating their feelings.
• Assuring perceptual safety.
• Letting them do the work.
• Recognizing pain within expressed behaviors.
• Bringing the feelings of the past into the present.

Essential components of the 3-5-7 Model include:

• Continuity - Services must be provided on a consistent basis in a stable relationship with the provider. This assures the opportunity to do their work of exploring feelings of grief, hurt and pain.
• Knowledge and skills - The use of activities and exercises are critical to engage children and youth in their work. Those supporting the work should be knowledgeable in child development, abuse and neglect, family dynamics, and separation and loss. Engagement and listening skills support the work for children and youth to explore life situations, support identity development, and make connections with permanent relationships.
• Tools and resources
• Life books - The best tool for continuity of the grief process is the use of life books to support the work. It provides a tangible account for the child/youth of the work that they are doing. It is a concrete source for reflection between sessions and evidence of the tasks of clarification, integration, and actualization.
• Activities and exercises - These are critical to engage children and youth in the work, shifting the emphasis from cognitive talking strategies to feelings expressions and explorations. Examples include: Life maps, life/loss lines, collages, or puzzles.
• Values of respect and acceptance - Essential to engaging children and youth is to start where they are: whatever they are feeling, expressing, or saying is where to begin. From depression to rage, their behaviors reflect their grief, thereby, making it critical that responses to their pain are made in the present, not in anticipation of worker or therapist visits.
• Leadership - Implementation of the 3-5-7 Model requires at least one individual who will “champion” the activities of implementation: coordinate and facilitate planning meetings, follow up with attendees, documentation, and resource needs. This coordination clarifies roles and needs, integration of program activities, and the actualization of service delivery.

3-5-7 Model was designed with a child component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• Behaviors that indicate incomplete grieving; trauma related indicators.

Age range: 2 – 21

Developmental Delays:

This program was not developed for children with developmental delays, and has not been tested for children with developmental delays.

Treatment Involves Family/Support Structures:

This program involves the family or other support systems in the individual's treatment: Children and youth need stability and continuity to support their work of grief resolution.  Family is involved to support the work.

3-5-7 Model was designed with a parent/caregiver component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• Adult caregivers (foster/adoption parents) and child care staff who experience difficulty in parenting or managing the behaviors with which grieving and traumatized children and youth present.

3-5-7 Model was designed to be conducted in a group setting; but has not been tested for use in a group setting.

Recommended group size:

6-8

Recommended Intensity:

One face-to-face session at least bi-weekly, with a phone contact in the other week. Length of session will depend on age and ability of child or youth to engage in the activity. Session times can range from 15 minutes to 50 minutes.

Recommended Duration:

Length will depend on readiness of child or youth to engage in the process. On average, effective programs have been for six months.

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Adoptive Home
• Community Agency
• Foster Home
• Residential Care Facility

This program does not include a homework component.

3-5-7 Model does not have materials available in a language other than English.

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

Comfortable and quiet meeting rooms; supplies to engage child/youth in activities (paper, markers, glue, scissors, stickers, etc.).

Professionals are required to have a bachelor’s degree in human services courses of study. Other qualifications include: knowledge in child development, abuse and neglect issues, grief and loss, foster care and adoption, and family dynamics; plus skills for engagement of children and/or youth, communication skills with other professionals, self awareness of own issues, ability to work with all parenting connections for children and youth.

There is not a manual that describes how to implement this program; but there is training available for this program.

Training Contact:

• Darla L. Henry
  dhenry@darlahenry.org

Training is obtained:

Provided onsite, specific to the interests and needs of organization requesting training.

Number of days/hours:

Amount of training is customized towards the interests of the organization.

Additional Resources:

There currently are additional qualified resources for training:

Follow-up trainings related to specific components of the 3-5-7 Model (e.g., Life Books, groups) are provided by associates of Darla Henry. The list can be obtained by contacting her directly (see contact information above).

This program has been reviewed and it was determined that this program lacks the type of published, peer-reviewed research that meets the CEBC criteria for a scientific rating of 1 – 5. Therefore, the program has been given the classification of "NR - Not able to be Rated." It was reviewed because it was identified by the topic expert as a program being used in the field, or it is being marketed and/or used in California with children receiving services from child welfare or related systems and their parents/caregivers. Some programs that are not rated may have published, peer-reviewed research that does not meet the above stated criteria or may have eligible studies that have not yet been published in the peer-reviewed literature. For more information on the "NR - Not able to be Rated" classification, please see the Scientific Rating Scale.

Child Welfare Outcomes: Not Specified

Currently, there are no published, peer-reviewed research studies for 3-5-7 Model.