Clinical Competencies Specific to Family‐Based Therapy

Abstract

Research has indicated that traditional office‐based family therapy services are not always effective with at‐risk families and that there is an increasing trend toward home‐based delivered services (W. Snyder & E. McCollum, 1999). In this qualitative study, the author explored experienced home‐based family therapists' perceptions of the competencies most salient to the provision of family‐based therapy. Several themes emerged from this study. The author presents 2 central themes: joining—including joining with the family, the family's community, and school personnel—and bridging the gap between academia and current community‐based programs.

A Qualitative Analysis of Home‐Based Counselors' Experiences in a Rural Setting

“…Equally important, a home-based counselor practices within a setting that is determined by the client or his or her family (Macchi & O'Conner, 2010;Mosier et al, 2001;Stinchfield, 2004). In turn, a home-based counselor may conduct a session in a setting that includes multiple distractions and safety concerns (Gale & Austin, 2003).…”

“…Home-based counseling was created principally as an alternative to out-of-home placement for at-risk youth (Cortes, 2004;Macchi & O'Conner, 2010;Stinchfield, 2004). It gained wide recognition beginning in the 1990s (Hammond & Czyszczon, 2014), and home-based counseling is currently one of the fastest growing segments of mental health services (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2011; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014).…”

Common Components of Home-Based Family Therapy Models: The HBFT Partnership in Kansas

“…Several studies have suggested that a home-based approach has demonstrated reasonable degrees of effectiveness in addressing the following clinical issues: children identified as "seriously emotionally disturbed" or as having a "serious emotional disturbance" (Cherniss and Herzog 1996;Curtis et al 2004;Fuller 2004;Schmidt et al 2006;Sexton and Alexander 2000;Stinchfield 2004;Woodford 1999;Woolston et al 1998;Zarski and Fluharty 1992); children and adolescents exhibiting antisocial behaviors, juvenile delinquents, and those involved with Juvenile Justice Services (Cherniss and Herzog 1996;Curtis et al 2004;Sexton and Alexander 2000;Woodford 1999;Woolston et al 1998;Zarski and Fluharty 1992;Zarski and Zygmond 1989); children with autism (Cottrell 1994); children in need of foster care (Fuller 2004); and families more broadly defined as multiproblem, at-risk, or multi-challenged (Adams and Maynard 2000;Cortes 2004;Johnson et al 2002;Schacht et al1989;Slattery and Knapp 2003;Snyder and McCollum 1999;Zarski and Zygmond 1989). Each of these articles has revealed that families involved in HBFT have experienced greater benefits than those who engaged in traditional, office-based treatment approaches.…”

Home-Based Therapy for Young Children in Low-Income Families: A Student Training Program

“…For example, the clinician may become more involved with the entire family and community, creating potential boundary issues and anxiety over the clinician's role (Stinchfield, 2004). Additionally, there are distractions in the home, which can make it more difficult to manage sessions (Snyder & McCollum, 1999) and there may be potential safety accessed by following the link in the citation at the bottom of the page.…”