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Compassion-Focused Therapy for Secondary Traumatic Stress

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is an evolution-informed, biopsychosocial therapeutic approach that aims to help those who struggle with shame and self-criticism, which can result from experiences of abuse or neglect. CFT teaches clients to cultivate the skills of self-compassion and other-oriented compassion, and to build the courage and wisdom to address life’s difficulties and flourish. It utilizes psychoeducational concepts such as the three emotion regulation systems and understanding the ‘tricky brain,’ and guides participants through a range of mind-body practices. Clients and therapists collaborate on a set of therapeutic goals and tasks; formulation, assessment and therapeutic guidance are crucial.

Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) refers to the specific exercises that people practice in order to stimulate different systems in their brains, bodies, and social relationships. It is typically for nonclinical populations and may be used as a set of self-help exercises.

While the CEBC has only reviewed CFT for use with secondary traumatic stress, it can be used with non-caregiving adults, parents/caregivers, adolescents, and young adults to alleviate other symptoms.

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Topic Areas

Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) Prevention & Intervention Programs
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Strengthening Families Program

The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is a 10- to 14-week parenting and family skills training program for high-risk and general population families. It is unique because the whole family attends and practice new relationship skills together in family groups. SFP is designed to significantly improve parenting skills and family relationships, reduce child maltreatment, children's problem behaviors, delinquency and alcohol and drug abuse; and to improve social competencies and school performance. The program is designed to work with many different ethnicities and races. In addition, it is available as a Home-use DVD for school, behavioral health, and family services to use alone or with case managers. It can also be given to families to view at home.

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Parent Training Programs that Address Behavior Problems in Children and Adolescents
Scientific Rating NR

Parent Training Programs that Address Child Abuse and Neglect
Scientific Rating NR

Substance Abuse Prevention (Child & Adolescent) Programs
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

High

ACT Raising Safe Kids

ACT Raising Safe Kids Program is a universal parenting program designed to promote positive parenting and prevent child maltreatment by fostering knowledge and skills that change or improve parenting practices. The program is delivered by trained and certified ACT Facilitators in 9 sessions of 2-hour each on average. The ACT program has a universal public health approach and aims to reach to all parents of young children in a given community. The ACT program addresses parents' use of effective, nonviolent discipline and nurturing behaviors. It addresses parental knowledge of child development, discipline methods, and media literacy. It also addresses parents' anger management, social problem solving skills and their ability to teach/model these skills to children. By promoting effective parenting practices, the program also addresses children's aggression and behavior problems. ACT also provides a supportive community of parents who help and support each other during and after the program: it builds community.

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Topic Areas

Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Primary) Programs
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® System

The overall Triple P program is a multi-tiered system of 5 levels of education and support for parents and caregivers of children and adolescents. Although Triple P can be used in parts (e.g., using only one level of the five or a group version versus standard), this entry on the CEBC reviews System Triple P as a whole (i.e., using all 5 levels) in its standard version and only reviewed research evidence that evaluated the whole system. The CEBC also evaluated Triple P Level 4 as a separate program and it is rated a "1 - Well-Supported Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale in the areas of Parent Training Programs That Address Behavior Problems in Children and Adolescents and Disruptive Behavior Treatment (Child & Adolescent).

As a prevention program, System Triple P helps parents learn strategies that promote social competence and self-regulation in children. Parents become better equipped to handle the stress of everyday child rearing and children become better able to respond positively to their individual developmental challenges. As an early intervention, System Triple P can assist families in greater distress by working with parents of children who are experiencing moderate to severe behavior problems. Throughout the program, parents are encouraged to develop a parenting plan that makes use of a variety of System Triple P strategies and tools. System Triple P practitioners are trained, therefore, to work with parents' strengths and to provide a supportive, non-judgmental environment where a parent can continually improve their parenting skills.

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Topic Areas

Parent Training Programs that Address Behavior Problems in Children and Adolescents
Scientific Rating 3

Parent Training Programs that Address Child Abuse and Neglect
Scientific Rating 2

Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Primary) Programs
Scientific Rating 2

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Seeking Safety (Adult version)

Seeking Safety is a present-focused, coping skills therapy to help people attain safety from trauma and/or substance abuse. The treatment is available as a book, providing both client handouts and clinician guidelines. The treatment may be conducted in group or individual format; with females and males; and in various settings (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, residential, home care, schools). Seeking Safety consists of 25 topics that can be conducted in as many sessions as time allows, and in any order. Examples of topics are Safety, Asking for Help, Setting Boundaries in Relationships, Healthy Relationships, Community Resources, Compassion, Creating Meaning, Discovery, Recovery Thinking, Taking Good Care of Yourself, Commitment, Coping with Triggers, Self-Nurturing, Red and Green Flags, and Life Choices. Seeking Safety is also rated on the CEBC in the Substance Abuse Treatment (Child & Adolescent) and Trauma Treatment - Client-Level Interventions (Child & Adolescent) topic areas, click here to go to this entry.

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Topic Areas

Substance Abuse Treatment (Adult)
Scientific Rating 2

Trauma Treatment (Adult)
Scientific Rating 2

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Seeking Safety (Adolescent version)

Seeking Safety is a present-focused, coping skills therapy to help people attain safety from trauma and/or substance abuse. The treatment is available as a book, providing both client handouts and clinician guidelines. The treatment may be conducted in group or individual format for adolescents (both females, and males) in various settings (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, residential, home care, and schools). Seeking Safety consists of 25 topics that can be conducted in any order and number. Examples of topics are Safety, Asking for Help, Setting Boundaries in Relationships, Healthy Relationships, Community Resources, Compassion, Creating Meaning, Discovery, Recovery Thinking, Taking Good Care of Yourself, Commitment, Coping with Triggers, Self-Nurturing, Red and Green Flags, and Life Choices. Seeking Safety has been also rated by the CEBC in the areas of Substance Abuse Treatment (Adult) and Trauma Treatment (Adult), click here to see that entry.

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Topic Areas

Substance Abuse Treatment (Adolescent)
Scientific Rating 3

Trauma Treatment - Client-Level Interventions (Child & Adolescent)
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Motivational Interviewing

MI is a client-centered, directive method designed to enhance client motivation for behavior change. It focuses on exploring and resolving ambivalence by increasing intrinsic motivation to change. MI can be used by itself, as well as in combination with other treatments. It has been utilized in pretreatment work to engage and motivate clients for other treatment modalities.

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Motivation and Engagement Programs
Scientific Rating 1

Substance Abuse Treatment (Adult)
Scientific Rating 1

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium

Parents as Teachers

Parents as Teachers™ is a home visiting model that promotes the optimal early development, learning, and health of children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers. The home visiting model can be offered prenatally through kindergarten and can be replicated by various types of organizations including health departments, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, and school districts.

The Parents as Teachers model offers a cohesive package of services for families with young children and is framed around four dynamic components: Personal Visits, Group Connections, Child Screenings, and Resource Network. These components are guided by explicit fidelity and quality standards that guide program service delivery and replication of the program.

Parents as Teachers home visiting professionals meet families where they are comfortable; each personal visit includes a focus on parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting, and family well-being.

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Topic Areas

Home Visiting Programs for Child Well-Being
Scientific Rating 3

Home Visiting Programs for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
Scientific Rating 3

Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Primary) Programs
Scientific Rating 3

Child Welfare System Relevance Level

Medium