Catalog

Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) is designed to improve the relationships between school-aged children and caregivers in families who exhibit or are at risk for problems with anger, aggression, frequent conflict, physical force/discipline, and/or child physical abuse. AF-CBT provides parents and children with intrapersonal and interpersonal skills development such as managing angry outbursts, child social skills, safe and appropriate discipline strategies, healthy family problem solving and communication, and positive coping and self-control. AF-CBT can target the caregiver, child/adolescent, or family unit. AF-CBT services can be provided in the home, an outpatient clinic, a hospital, residential facility, schools, and […]

The AMIkids day treatment program provides interventions that allow at-risk or delinquent youth to reside at home while attending daily services to improve academic achievement, vocational achievement, school attendance, and reduce problem behaviors. Services provided address issues both in the home and neighborhood by working with each youth and their family together. Different program settings can include day treatment centers, wilderness camps, home-based family counseling, residential programs for male adolescents, gender-specific programming for female youth, and alternative schools. The programs are small, located near the youth’s home, and operate from 8 am – 6 pm Mondays through Fridays. Average length […]

Individualized Trauma Services (ITS) helps youth or adults who have a history of trauma or attachment disruptions, who exhibit challenging/disruptive behaviors or cannot develop meaningful relationships. ITS can help clients process trauma with a therapist or it can be a stand-alone service. ITS Resiliency Specialists work with clients weekly or bi-weekly to provide education about trauma and attachment and how those experiences affect the body and mind. They also teach clients coping and relaxation skills, emotional regulation, and self-advocacy skills. Services can be provided in the community, homes, schools, or other community-based settings.

Youth Coaching provides youth with individualized services to help build healthy relationships and coping skills. Youth Coaches focus on the following domains: social-emotional development, personal development strategies, communication, healthy relationships, and self-regulation.

Parenting Coaching is a strengths-based intervention for foster, adoptive, and kinship families that teaches parenting skills that promote attachment and strengthen family bonds. Coaches deliver services only to the parents, not directly to the youth or in presence of the youth. Parent Coaches meet with clients weekly or bi-monthly. Duration of service can vary depending on the parent’s capacity of learning. Some client’s needs are met within 4 – 6 sessions, and others may need 12+ months.

Treatment Foster Care Services serve children who have experienced significant trauma, abuse, neglect, or medical challenges. Each child’s needs are assessed to establish individualized programming and matching to a treatment foster home to meet their needs. All foster parents are trained in trauma-informed and strength-based parenting. Services include: (1) Specialized Care: Treatment foster care and respite care for children and youth with complex medical and mental health conditions that might otherwise require institutional care. (2) Respite Foster Care: Short-term care provided by families to relieve foster families caring for children with emotional, developmental, behavioral, or medical needs. (3) Step Down […]

The Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention was developed to help caregivers with three key issues: (1) Re-interpret children’s behavioral signals so they can provide nurturing care even when it’s not elicited. Nurturance does not come naturally to many caregivers, but children who have experienced early maltreatment and/or disruptions especially need nurturing care. (2) Decrease behaviors that may be frightening or overwhelming to the child. (3) Provide a responsive, predictable environment that develops young children’s regulatory capabilities. Sessions are conducted in the birth home, adoptive home, foster/kinship home, or via telehealth. The child is involved in the home visits to […]

ARC is a framework for intervention with youth and families who have experienced multiple and/or prolonged traumatic stress. ARC identifies three core domains that are frequently impacted among traumatized youth, and which are relevant to future resiliency: Attachment, Regulation, and Competency. ARC provides a theoretical framework, core principles of intervention, and a guiding structure for providers working with these children and their caregivers, while recognizing that a one-size-model does not fit all. ARC is designed for youth from birth through young adulthood, youth with a wide range of symptom presentations, and different caregiving systems (i.e., biological, adoptive, kin, and foster […]

BEST Kids seeks to promote better futures for youth in the District of Columbia’s child welfare system by developing and supporting one-on-one mentoring relationships between the youth and caring, consistent adults. All mentors are required to spend at least ten hours per month one-on-one and make weekly contact with their mentee. Peer Group activities are monthly and are usually 3-5 hours long. The recommended average length of contact for the individual matches is 15 minutes for phone interactions and 3-5 hours for in-person interactions. Mentors commit to a minimum of one year. Nearly all of the mentor/mentee matches are sustained […]

The Beyond Consequences is a relationship model that focuses on moving families from surviving to thriving. It is a healing model, not a behavioral model and it is based on 5 main principles: Development, Relationships, Stress and Regulation, Environment and Belief systems. Beyond Consequences Institute offers educational materials, training programs and valuable resources for parents, professionals and teachers working with trauma-impacted children by using positive parenting techniques.