Family‐centered positive psychology: Focusing on strengths to build student success

Abstract

University of Nebraska-LincolnFamily-centered positive psychology (FCPP) is defi ned as a framework for working with children and families that promotes strengths and capacity building within individuals and systems, rather than one focusing solely on the resolution of problems or remediation of defi ciencies. This approach to family-based services is predicated on the belief that child and family outcomes will be enhanced if members participate in identifying needs, establishing social supports and partnerships, and acquiring new skills and competencies, rather than simply receiving services from professionals. In this article, we present a rationale for FCPP, outline its primary principles, highlight one model for working with families that exemplifi es FCPP practice, and illustrate its use through an authentic data-based case study.Positive psychology is defi ned as "the scientifi c study of ordinary human strengths and virtues," which "adopts a more open and appreciative perspective regarding human potentials, motives, and capacities" (Sheldon & King, 2001; p. 216). Much of the literature on positive psychology focuses on the application of principles to the study of individuals in personal life contexts. Attention is provided to the attributes, capacities, and capabilities of the individual. For enhancing the lives of children, however, it is clear that similar strengths and assets must be garnered in the adults who control the environments within which all are interacting. That is, children and youth exist in interlocking contexts that both separately and together affect their functioning. The resources available to the adults who control those contexts are critically important for children's ultimate development. It has been argued that to truly help children, service providers must paradoxically focus efforts and energies on the adults (e.g., parents and teachers) in their lives (Conoley & Gutkin, 1986;Sheridan & Gutkin, 2000). Building strengths, enhancing skills, and coalescing resources for the multiple adults in children's lives are among the benchmark functions for school psychologists. Indeed, notions of positive psychology can be instrumental in our conceptualization of services provided to parents, family members, teachers, and other adults with whom children live. The purposes of this paper are to defi ne family-centered positive psychology, identify its primary assumptions and key principles, present a model by which service providers (e.g., school psychologists) can use its principles to enhance outcomes for students, and illustrate the process with a case example. Defi nition and Assumptions of Family-Centered Positive PsychologyFor purposes of this paper, we defi ne "family-centered positive psychology" (FCPP) as a framework for working with children and families that promotes strengths and capacity building within individuals and systems, rather than one focusing on the resolution of problems or remediation of defi ciencies. The point of contact is the family as the context for growth withi...

The Past, Present, and Future of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation Research

“…The student's compliance increased significantly from baseline to treatment and generalization phases. In a paper describing CBC within a context of "family-centered" services, Sheridan, Warnes, Cowan, Schemm, and Clarke (2004) reported the use of CBC to decrease the duration of tantrums of a four-yearold male attending Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE). Behavioral data indicated that the goal was met quickly upon intervention implementation.…”

Professionalising positive psychology: Developing guidelines for training and regulation

“…Likewise, increasing personal effectiveness is aligned with constructs like self-determination (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Or again, enhancing the quality of relationships between people is central to many PPIs, such as family-centred positive psychology (Sheridan et al, 2004). Thus, already we can see it would not be too much of a leap for PP to incorporate ethical principles such as these.…”

The effectiveness of a partnership-centered approach in conjoint behavioral consultation.

“…As such, intervention models that infuse and promote a partnership orientation may influence outcomes experienced as a function of that intervention. A partnership orientation is counter to one focusing on the sole identification of problems or remediation of deficiencies within the child or an isolated system (Sheridan, Warnes, Cowan, Schemm, & Clarke, 2004). A partnership approach originates from the assumption that "child and family outcomes will be enhanced if members participate in identifying needs, establishing social supports and partnerships, and acquiring new skills and competencies, rather than simply receiving services from professionals" (Sheridan et al, 2004, pp.…”

“…Although general principles of "effective helping" are present in CBC (i.e., "the act of enabling individuals or groups to become better able to solve problems, meet needs, or achieve aspirations by promoting the acquisition of competencies"; (Dunst, Trivette, & Deal, 1994, p. 162), families and teachers who participate in CBC have been found to hold different perspectives on what effective helping entails (Sheridan et al, 2004). Consequently, it is important to understand each perspective in the helping process (Sheridan et al, 2004).…”