Abstract
This chapter provides an overview and update on Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT; www.afcbt.org) an evidence-based intervention that has been adapted for family conflict and coercion, emotional and physical abuse, and child behavior problems (version 3.0, 11-1-2011). We review some of the conceptual underpinnings of this intervention model, the purpose for the intervention, common risks for and consequences of exposure to abusive or coercive behavior, characteristics of the population, and an update on research support for the model. The chapter includes a description of the screening and assessment measures recommended for use in AF-CBT and the content of the intervention program. A recent case application with an 11-year old boy is presented to highlight the application of the protocol to these various clinical domains. The chapter concludes with a summary of some of the benefits and challenges to using AF-CBT, and some recommendations for future work.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Brown, E. J. (2005, June). Efficacy of a parent-child intervention for physically abused children and their caregivers. Paper presented at the annual colloquium of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, New Orleans, LA.
Foa, E. B., Johnson, K. M., Feeny, N. C., & Treadwell, K. R. H. (2001). The child PTSD symptom scale: A preliminary examination of its psychometric properties. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 30(3), 376–384.
Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., & Bailey, V. (1998). The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 7(3), 125–130.
Herschell, A. D., Kolko, D. J., Baumann, B. L., & Brown, E. J. (2012). Application of alternatives for families: A cognitive behavioral therapy to school settings. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 28, 270–293.
Kolko, D. J. (1996a). Clinical monitoring of treatment course in child physical abuse: Psychometric characteristics and treatment comparisons. Child Abuse & Neglect, 20(1), 23–43.
Kolko, D. J. (1996b). Individual cognitive-behavioral treatment and family therapy for physically abused children and their offending parents: A comparison of clinical outcomes. Child Maltreatment, 1, 322–342.
Kolko, D. J. (2002). Child physical abuse. In J. E. B. Myers, L. Berliner, J. Briere, C. T. Hendrix, C. Jenny, & T. Reid (Eds.), APSAC handbook of child maltreatment (2nd ed., pp. 21–55). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Kolko, D. J. (2003a). Individual child and parent physical abuse-focused cognitive-behavioral treatment. In B. E. Saunders, L. Berliner, & R. F. Hanson (Eds.), Child physical and sexual abuse: Guidelines for treatment (Final report: January 15, 2003, pp. 43–44). Charleston, SC: National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center.
Kolko, D. J. (2003b). Physical abuse informed family therapy. In B. E. Saunders, L. Berliner, & R. F. Hanson (Eds.), Child physical and sexual abuse: Guidelines for treatment (Final report: January 15, 2003, pp. 84–85). Charleston, SC: National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center.
Kolko, D. J., Baumann, B. L., Herschell, A. D., Hart, J. A., & Wisniewski, S. (2012). Implementation of AF-CBT by community practitioners serving mental health and child welfare: A randomized trial. Child Maltreatment, 17, 32–46.
Kolko, D. J., Brown, E. J., Shaver, M. E., Baumann, B. L., & Herschell, A. D. (2011, November 1). Alternatives for families: A cognitive-behavioral therapy: Session guide (3rd ed.). Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Kolko, D. J., Campo, J. V., Kelleher, K., & Cheng, Y. (2010). Improving access to care and clinical outcome for pediatric behavioral problems: A randomized trial of a nurse-administered intervention in primary care. Journal of Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics, 31, 393–404.
Kolko, D. J., Campo, J. V., Kilbourne, A., & Kelleher, K. (2012). Doctor-office collaborative care for pediatric behavior problems: A preliminary clinical trial. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 166, 224–231.
Kolko, D. J., Dorn, L. D., Bukstein, O. G., Pardini, D. A., Holden, E. A., & Hart, J. D. (2009). Community vs. clinic-based modular treatment of children with early-onset ODD or CD: A clinical trial with three-year follow-up. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37, 591–609.
Kolko, D. J., Herschell, A. D., Baumann, B. L., & Shaver, M. E. (2007). Abuse-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy: Session guide (2nd ed.). Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Kolko, D. J., Iselin, A. M., & Gully, K. (2011). Evaluation of the sustainability and clinical outcome of Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) in a child protection center. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 105–116.
Kolko, D. J., & Kolko, R. P. (2010). Psychological impact and treatment of child physical abuse. In C. Jenny (Ed.), Child abuse and neglect: Diagnosis, treatment and evidence (pp. 476–489). New York: Elsevier.
Kolko, D. J., & Swenson, C. C. (2002). Assessing and treating physically abused children and their families: A cognitive behavioral approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Milner, J. S., & Ayoub, C. (1980). Evaluation of “At Risk” parents using the child abuse potential inventory. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 36(4), 945–948.
Ondersma, S. J., Chaffin, M., Mullins, S., & LeBreton, J. (2005). The brief child abuse potential inventory: Development and validation. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34, 301–311.
Pynoos, R. S., & Em, S. (1986). Witness to violence: The child interview. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 25, 306–319.
Runyon, M., & Urquiza, A. J. (2010). Treatment of physically abused children and their families. In J. E. B. Myers, L. Berliner, J. Briere, C. T. Hendrix, C. Jenny, & T. Reid (Eds.), The APSAC handbook of child maltreatment (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Saunders, B. E., Berliner, L., & Hanson, R. F. (2003). Child physical and sexual abuse: Guidelines for treatment (Final report: January 15, 2003). Charleston, SC: National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center.
Shelton, K. K., Frick, P. J., & Wootton, J. (1996). Assessment of parenting practices in families of elementary school-age children. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 25(3), 317–329.
Sugaya, L., Hasin, D. S., Olfson, M., Lin, K., Grant, B. F., & Blanco, C. (2012). Child physical abuse and adult mental health: A national Study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(4), 384–392.
Acknowledgements
Preparation of this chapter was supported, in part, by grants from the NIMH (074737) and SAMHSA (SM54319). We acknowledge our AF-CBT team colleagues, Barbara Baumann, Elissa Brown, Amy Herschel, Kevin Rumbarger, Komol Sharma-Patel, and Megan Shaver.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kolko, D.J., Simonich, H., Loiterstein, A. (2014). Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: An Overview and a Case Example. In: Timmer, S., Urquiza, A. (eds) Evidence-Based Approaches for the Treatment of Maltreated Children. Child Maltreatment, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7404-9_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7404-9_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-7403-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-7404-9
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)