Working with Families of Psychiatric Inpatients

by Heru, Alison M.

• ISBN13: 9780801885778
• ISBN10: 0801885779
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-03-01
• Publisher: JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV PRESS

Summary

Working with the families of inpatients is one of the most important -- and most challenging -- aspects of practicing clinical psychiatry. Clinicians are responsible not only for the well-being of their patients but also for the education, guidance, and at times management of the patient's family. In this book, Dr. Alison M. Heru and Laura M. Drury offer a step-by-step guide to developing the skills necessary for working successfully with families. Research data, outlined in the beginning chapters, demonstrate just how essential families and evidence-based family treatment are to effective patient care. Following chapters use clinical case studies to illustrate the skills necessary for successful family assessment and treatment. Psychiatric residents will enhance their knowledge of the family as a social context within which the patient lives, how to conduct a family meeting, common mistakes to avoid, and when to refer. The authors also describe specific strategies for intervening with difficult families and for overcoming some fears and anxieties common among residents. The authors conclude by discussing the challenges of working with families. They provide practical suggestions for risk management and valuable insights into the perspectives of families and patients. Keyed to the new requirements articulated by the American College of Graduate Medical Education, this handbook is a tool no psychiatric resident can do without.

Author Biography

Alison M. Heru, M.D., is an associate professor (clinical) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University Medical School and the director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Butler Hospital. Laura M. Drury, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., is a senior teaching associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University Medical School. She is also chief of social work and codirector of the Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic at Butler Hospital.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Abbreviations	p. xi
Key Concepts
What It Takes to Work with Patients' Families	p. 3
The Biopsychosocial Case Formulation and Treatment Plan	p. 15
Research on Families and Family Treatments
Research on Families	p. 27
Family Treatments	p. 43
Mastering Skills
Abbreviated Assessment of the Family	p. 63
Managing a Family Meeting	p. 89
Other Inpatient Interventions: Multifamily Psychoeducational Groups and Genograms	p. 106
Challenges in Working with Families
The Resident's Perspective: Attitudes and Fears	p. 117
The Family's Perspective: Sources of Anxiety	p. 127
The Larger System
Risk Management and the Family	p. 139
Family-Based Services after Hospitalization	p. 149
GAP Checklist for Evaluating Competency in Family-Interview Skills	p. 155
References	p. 157
Index	p. 173
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