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| Intensive Parent-Child Intervention (IPCI) for Caregivers of Young Children |
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| Parents of young children require childcare skills and an “emotional connection” that will help them nuture, support and protect their children. Parents of children in the custody of social service agencies often have difficulty acquiring and demonstrating these kinds of skills. They often do not display an awareness of the developmental and emotional needs of their children. Classroom parenting instruction can be helpful to many parents. However, others require a more intensive approach that involves specific instruction, coaching, and live demonstration of desired parent-child interaction. Intensive Parent-Child Interaction (IPCI) provides parents with an opportunity to work toward the development of parenting behaviors and awareness necessary for successful reunification with their children.
NEOBH has established specific criteria for inclusion in IPCI services:
- A willingness to work with and NEOBH and social services toward IPCI goals.
- Parental completion of substance abuse treatment, if this has been previously indicated.
- Completion of parenting skills training (partial completion of a structured parenting skill training program will be considered, if attendance has been adequate).
- Completion of a Parenting Evaluation or a mental health assessment that includes psychological testing.
- A Case Manager (mental health) and/or an active Family Services Caseworker willing to collaborate regarding session goals, reunification concerns, etc. Caseworkers are typically invited to attend sessions at periodic intervals.
Criteria for being involved in IPCI may also include the following:
- An identified therapist willing to work with IPCI regarding the needs of the children.
Twelve (12) IPCI sessions typically provide sufficient information regarding the degree of parent progress, the potential for additional progress, reactions demonstrated by the children, and the degree of change that has occurred within maladaptive family dynamics. A variety of behaviors are monitored and directly coached during IPCI, including eye contact, touch, child-focused interaction, and parental ability to manage stress while parenting the children. Reciprocity, use of effective discipline, and the demonstration of developmentally-informed skills are also monitored and assessed.
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