Main description:

Written by a psychologist who has worked with families and foster children for 11 years, Treating Families andChildren in the Child Protective System is designed for therapists, social workers, family preservationists, court officers, attorneys, judges, and others caught up in the interplay of child protection. Using theory and compelling case studies, the author posits child abuse as an ultimate form of family injustice, requiring intervention at every level of the system. The author proposes a critically optimistic stance, approaching each case as a family-friend with practical and powerful tools to direct the overwhelming power of the system into a force for the restoration of family justice.

Contents:

Table of Contents. Acknowledgements. Introduction. Turning Points. Justice Themes in Family Therapy. Curative Factors and Obstacles to Change. Contrition, Forgiveness, and the Restoration of Justice. The Power of Apology. I Never Heard You Cry Before. Navigating the Child Protective System. Family-friendly Therapy and Evaluation: Priorities and Process. Tracks and Strategies in the Foster Care Crisis. You Can't Fight the System. Defending September. Ringing the Bell: Integrating Contrition into an Existing Program. Epilogue. References