ABSTRACT

In some cases of childhood psychosis, especially the severe cases, there is an abnormal parental attitude which is in fact the cause of the illness and which continues as a factor maintaining the illness. In this way the illnesses of child and parent interact, and great distress ensues. In such situations casework aims at relief through the finding of alternative accommodation. A lot of the work of the child-guidance clinic consists in reintegrating the several aspects of the case which have been separated out from each other by the existence of the team. In a sense casework is the human and fallible element that uses the administrative machinery but prevents the machinery from using the client. Casework obviously becomes the main feature when a child is mentally ill and at the same time there is an environmental deficiency which has to be made good.