ABSTRACT
Chapter 11 tells the story of Intensive Family Services and research on the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) with families in the child welfare system experiencing a complexity of issues, including addiction, mental health, developmental disabilities, poverty, parenting deficits, child behavioral problems, hopelessness, domestic violence, and the risk of children being placed into therapeutic foster care. The best outcome for a child is to see their family make positive changes to create a safe and nurturing experience for that child. Children separated from parents typically experience lifelong emotional trauma including attachment disorders, emotional disorders, and behavioral disorders. Jails, prisons, mental hospitals, and homeless camps are populated with children who were once in foster care. Crimes of trafficking, prostitution, and other forms of victimization are disproportionate among foster children. Research revealed new ideas and strategies in SFBT for family assessment; collaborative engagement; in-home family therapy; neurolinguistics; goal setting; scaling; fast-forward, coping, and miracle question sequences; and tasking. Client stories address in-home therapy under challenging conditions such as poverty and gang-riddled neighborhoods.
