"The timing of the publication with the revised Working Together guidelines could not be more advantageous. This book is a unique and important contribution to child care literature. No agency should be without." - Child Abuse Review Professionals concerned with the protection of children face many challenges. This work demands knowledge from several disciplines, a wide variety of skills, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The editors, Howard Dubowitz, a pediatrician, and Diane DePanfilis, a social worker, together with over 70 experts in this field offer what is known about how best to work with maltreated children and their families, in a very practical, concise, and user-friendly way. Structured to follow the life of a case from the time a report of child maltreatment is made through the various pathways in the child protection system, this edited volume synthesizes the best practice principles for responding to reports of child abuse and neglect; engaging children and other family members in intervention; developing cross-cultural practice competencies; assessing risk, evaluating safety, and conducting family assessments; defining outcomes and planning intervention; evaluating risk reduction; and making permanency decisions; and discusses the unique legal, medical, ethical, and other practice issues that work in the child protection field involves. Professionals facing tough dilemmas in practice should find valuable guidance in these pages.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: REPORTING AND SCREENING How Do I Decide Whether to Accept a Report for a Child Protective Services Investigation? - Susan Wells What Criteria Are Most Critical to Determine the Urgency of the Child Protective Services Response? - Susan Wells What Is Neglect? - Howard Dubowitz What Is Physical Abuse? - Howard Dubowitz What Is Sexual Abuse? - Lucy Berliner What Is Psychological Maltreatment? - Marla R Brassard and Stuart Hart PART TWO: ENGAGEMENT How Do I Connect with Children at Different Developmental Levels? - Brenda Jones Harden How Do I Develop a Helping Alliance with the Family? - Diane DePanfilis What Principles and Approaches Can I Use to Engage Clients across Culture? - Veronica D Abney How Can I Use Authority Effectively and Engage Family Members? - Ronald H Rooney How Do I Manage Difficult Encounters with the Family? - Ronald Zuskin How Do I Respond to Feelings (Mine and My Client′s)? - David Corwin PART THREE: INTERVIEWING How Do I Interview Young Children about Suspected Sexual Abuse? - Kee MacFarlane How Do I Interview Older Children and Adolescents about Sexual Abuse? - Lucy Berliner What Tools Are Appropriate to Facilitate Interviews with Children? - Barbara W Boat and Mark D Everson How Do I Interview a Child about Alleged Physical Abuse? - David J Kolko How Do I Interview Non-Maltreating Parents and Caregivers? - Denise Pintello How Do I Interview the Alleged Perpetrator? - Donna Pence What Kinds of Questions in My Initial Assessment Interviews Will Generate Solutions and Enhance Safety? - Insoo Kim Berg PART FOUR (a): INITIAL ASSESSMENT - GENERAL How Do I Differentiate Culturally Based Practices from Child Maltreatment? - Sherri Y Terao, Joaquium Borrego Jr and Anthony J Urquiza How Should Child Protective Services and Law Enforcement Coordinate the Initial Assessment and Investigation? - Charles Wilson and Donna Pence How Do I Screen Caregivers′ Use and Abuse of and Dependence on Alcohol and Other Drugs and Its Effects on Parenting? - Ronald Rogers and Chandler Scott McMillin How Do I Screen Caregivers if I Suspect that They May Be Dangerous to Themselves or Their Children? - David Corwin How Do I Decide Whether to Substantiate the Report? - Brett Drake PART FOUR (b): INITIAL ASSESSMENT - NEGLECT How Do I Determine if a Child Has Been Neglected? - Diane DePanfilis How Do I Determine if it is Medical Neglect? - Howard Dubowitz How Do I Determine Whether a Child′s Nutritional Needs Are Not Being Met? - Howard Dubowitz What Is Inadequate Supervision? - Diane DePanfilis How Do I Assess Neglect among At-Risk Adolescents? - Margarete Parrish PART FOUR (c): INITIAL ASSESSMENT - PHYSICAL ABUSE How Do I Determine Whether a Child Has Been Physically Abused? - Howard Dubowitz What Medical Evaluation Is Needed When Physical Abuse Is Suspected? - Howard Dubowitz How Do I Interpret Medical Tests for Physical Abuse? - John M Leventhal What Conditions May Be Mistaken for Physical Abuse? - Charles F Johnson What Are the Tell-Tale Differences between Abusive and Non-Inflicted Injuries? - Charles F Johnson What Is Shaken Baby Syndrome? - John M Leventhal How Do I Assess Possible Histories of Physical Abuse Among Assaultive Adolescents? - Margarete Parrish PART FOUR (d): INITIAL ASSESSMENT - SEXUAL ABUSE How Do I Determine if a Child Has Been Sexually Abused? - Joyce A Adams What Developmental Factors Should Be Considered in Interpreting a Child′s Disclosure of Sexual Abuse? - Nancy Davis How Should I Interpret Sexualized Behavior in Children? - Esther Deblinger The Medical Evaluation for Possible Child Sexual Abuse - Robert A Shapiro When Is It Needed, Who Should Do It, How Should One Prepare for It, and What Will Be Done? How Do I Interpret Laboratory Results for Sexually Transmitted Diseases? - Robert A Shapiro How do I interpret Results of a Child Sexual Abuse Examination? What Conditions May Be Mistaken for Sexual Abuse? - Robert A Shapiro How Do I Evaluate Suspected Sexual Abuse in the Adolescent Female? - Joyce A Adams When Does Sexual Play Suggest a Problem? - Barbara L Bonner PART FOUR (e): INITIAL ASSESSMENT - PSYCHOLOGICAL MALTREATMENT How Do I Determine Whether a Child Has Been Psychologically Maltreated? - Marla R Brassard and Stuart Hart Under What Circumstances Is a Child Who Witnesses Violence Experiencing Psychological Maltreatment? - Ronald Zuskin PART FOUR (f): INITIAL ASSESSMENT - RISK ASSESSMENT AND SAFETY EVALUATION How Do I Assess Risk and Safety? - Wayne Holder How Do I Consider Cultural Factors When Assessing Risk and Safety? - Sheryl Brissett-Chapman How Do I Assure a Maltreated Child′s Safety in the Home? - Wayne Holder How Do I Protect Children When There Is a History of Domestic Violence in the Family? - Ronald Zuskin How Do I Protect Children When Caregivers Have Chemical-Dependency Problems? - Ronald Rogers and Chandler Scott McMillin How Do I Protect Children from Hazardous Home Conditions and Other Poverty-Related Conditions? - John R Lutzker When Do Family Preservation Services Make Sense, and When Should Other Permanency Plans Be Explored? - Kristine Nelson How Do I Decide Whether to Remove the Offender or to Remove the Child? - Barbara L Bonner How Do I Assess Risk of Maltreatment in Foster Care and Kinship Care? - Wayne Holder PART FIVE (a): FAMILY ASSESSMENT - EMPHASIS ON THE CHILD How Do I Assess Child and Youth Behavior? - Becky Frink Sherman and E Wayne Holden How Do I Assess Child and Youth Development? - Becky Frink Sherman and E Wayne Holden How Do I Assess Child and Youth Emotional State? - Becky Frink Sherman and E Wayne Holden How Do I Recognize and Assess Common or Important Mental Health Problems in Children? - David J Kolko What Preventive Pediatric and Dental Care Should Children and Youth Receive? - Charles I Shubin How Do I Assess a Child′s Health Status? - Howard Dubowitz How Should I Assess a Child′s Social Support System? - Ross A Thompson How Do I Assess a Child′s Behavior Related to Separation and Visitation? - Caroline L Burry PART FIVE (b): FAMILY ASSESSMENT - EMPHASIS ON PARENTS/CAREGIVERS How Do I Assess a Caregiver′s Personal History and Its Meaning for Practice? - John Curtis McMillen How Do I Assess a Caregiver′s Parenting Attitudes, Knowledge and Level of Functioning? - Sandra T Azar and Champika K Soysa How Do I Assess the Care of Children with Major Medical Problems? - Prasanna Nair How Do I Assess the Caregiver′s Strengths and Treatment Needs? - Marsha K Salus How Do I Assess a Caregiver′s Motivation and Readiness to Change? - Diane DePanfilis What Do I Need to Know about Care Needs and Parenting Capacity in Caregivers with HIV or AIDS? - Prasanna Nair PART FIVE: FAMILY ASSESSMENT - EMPHASIS ON FAMILIES How Do I Assess the Strengths in Families? - Diane DePanfilis How Do I Conduct an Ethnographic Interview to Learn about the Family′s Culture? - Julia Rauch How Do I Assess Family Functioning? - Vanessa G Hodges How Do I Assess a Parent-Child Relationship? - Maureen M Black How Do I Assess the Treatment Needs of Children Affected by Domestic Violence? - Ronald Zuskin How Do I Assess the Likelihood of an Intervention Succeeding? - Vanessa G Hodges PART SIX: SERVICE PLANNING How Do I Match Risks to Client Outcomes? - Diane DePanfilis What Outcomes Are Relevant for Intervention? - Mark Courtney What Is Strengths-Based Service Planning? - Vanessa G Hodges and Peter J Pecora How Do I Develop Measurable Goals and Objectives That Match Client Intervention Outcomes? - Peter J Pecora What Is Concurrent Placement Planning and How Do I Do It? - Caroline L Burry How Do I Use Family Meetings to Develop Optimal Service Plans? - Lisa Merkel-Holguin How Do I Involve Fathers? - Geoffrey Greif How Do I Develop a Collaborative Intervention Plan with the Kinship Network? - Maria Scannapieco What Do I Need to Know to Plan Effectively across Child Welfare Programs? - Richard L Norman PART SEVEN (a): INTERVENTION - EMPHASIS ON THE CHILD What Types of Mental Health Treatment Should Be Considered for Maltreated Children? - Mark Chaffin What Are Effective Strategies to Address Common Behavior Problems? - Barbara L Bonner How Do I Help Children Adjust to Out-of-Home Care Placement? - Brenda Jones Harden How Do I Help Children Maintain Their Cultural Identity When They Are Placed in Out-of-Home Care? - Sheryl Brissett-Chapman What Kinds of Pediatric Care Should Abused and Neglected Children Receive? - John M Leventhal PART SEVEN (b): INTERVENTION - EMPHASIS ON THE PARENT OR CAREGIVER How Can Parenting Be Enhanced? - Sandra T Azar and Monica H Ferraro What Interventions Are Available for Nonabusive Parents? - Mark Chaffin How Can I Help Parents and Caregivers Develop Social Skills and Make Positive Connections to the Community? - Ross A Thompson What Treatment Is Recommended for Sexual Abuse Perpetrators? - Melissa McDermott What Treatment Is Recommended to Address Physically Abusive Behaviors? - David J Kolko What Is the Most Effective Treatment for Depression? - David Corwin What Interventions Are Most Effective in Addressing Domestic Violence? - Ronald Zuskin What Are the Treatment Options for Parents with Alcohol or Other Drug Problems? - Ronald Rogers and Chandler Scott McMillin PART SEVEN (c): INTERVENTION - EMPHASIS ON THE FAMILY What Do I Need to Know about Family Therapy? - Geoffrey Greif How Can I Support Biological Families after a Child Has Been Removed from Their Care? - Anthony N Maluccio, Robin Marsh and Barbara A Pine How Do I Facilitate Visits between Foster Children and Their Biological Families That Support the Goals and Objectives of Intervention? - Caroline L Burry How Do I Build Families′ Financial Management Skills? - Richard Bolan How Can I Best Manage the Intervention Process When Multiple Service Providers Are Involved? - Charles Wilson What Is ′Family to Family′ and How Does It Support Permanency for Children? - Lorelei Schaffhausen Foster and Kinship Caregivers - Maria Scannapieco What Are Their Support and Intervention Needs? What Are the Unique Roles of Religious Institutions in Supporting and Strengthening Families? - Lorine L Cummings PART EIGHT: EVALUATION AND CLOSURE How Do We Measure Risk Reduction? - Dee Wilson When Is Termination of Parental Rights and Adoption the Best Permanency Option? - Thomas D Morton When Can a Child Be Safely Reunited with His or Her Family? - Thomas D Morton Preparing Youth for Independent Living - Maria Scannapieco What Are the Best Methods for Reaching Self-Sufficiency? How Do I Prepare Families for Case Closure? - Esta Glazer-Semmel PART NINE: LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES What Rights Do My Clients Have to Information in Their Case Records? - Dennis Ichikawa How Do I Avoid Being Sued? - Rebecca J Roe What Is the Role of the Caseworker in Juvenile Court? - Linda Spears How Do I Feel Comfortable Testifying in Court? - Paul Stern How Do I Help Children Be Comfortable in the Legal System and Improve Their Competency as Witnesses? - Julie Lipovsky Why Is Communicating with Lawyers so Important and so Difficult? - John E B Myers How Do I Work Effectively with Guardians Ad litem , Court-Appointed Special Advocates and Citizen of Professional Case Review Panels? - Howard A Davidson PART TEN: CHILD PROTECTION PRACTICE - SPECIAL ISSUES FOR THE PRACTITIONER What Are the Core Competencies for Practitioners in Child Welfare Agencies? - Joan Levy Zlotnik How Do I Protect My Personal Safety in the Community? - Caroline L Burry How Do I Prevent Burnout? - Richard L Norman How Can Critical Thinking Contribute to Informed Decisions? - Eileen Gambrill What Can I Do to Cope with the Death or Serious Injury of a Child on My Caseload? - Norma Harris How Do I Balance Common Sense, Personal Values and Agency Constraints? - Joan R Rycraft How Do I Use the Case Record to Guide Intervention and Provide Accountability? - Diane DePanfilis