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The Chifd GareWorker ssN @sr*lez Vol.l1 No.lOOctober1993 fhe AfiIJilcarcworfier PEACEIN SOUTHAFRICA TOM GUNSTONATTHE8TH INTERNATIONAL FOSTERCARECONFERENCE MEERVANDIEWES.I<RRPSE SEMINMR VIRI(NDERVERSORGERS AIDSUPDATE RESIDENTIAL WORKANDSUPERVISIOiI:A DTTCHVIEW CUREOR HEALING?A MEDICALSTUDENTDISCOVERS 11 PARENTSAND CHILDREN:ATEACHERBECOTIESA LEARNER 12 ALESSION DEPRESSIOII: HOPEFORTHEHELPERS TRIESCHMAN ON DEPRESSIO}.I: A CHILDCAREWORKER'SWAY 13 SOL GORDON'S1I-POINTSURVIVALCHECK.UP 16 Cover Pldure: Laureft Reburc - Jqrnd dthe NationalAsddon of Chlld Carc Wodrers NACCW APlNeuwweek. *e Editorial on pge 2 15 Thereare thingsin our Innd whichare worthanyeffort... I shall probably get into all sorts of trouble from Newsweek,Associated Press and photographer Laurent Re bours, bnt ljnst had to tse that photographforthb month's @ver. For it pttts in a sirgle picture (folget the thou sand words!) the grim prit> tag of our failure to achieve reconciliationand peace in Sonth Africa. It is a pictureof a Muslim yourBsterrunninga'sniper gauntlet' in the Croatian city of Mostar.lt could be one of your kids, or mine, caught on the wrorg side of some racial or religiors divide which somehow turrred into an abyss of hatred and unfrcrgiveness. This is already the experienc€ of milliors of people in our country. With each failure to come to tenns, a tomonow comes closer in which it could be the experierrceof all; with each act of rejection or re' venefe,there b another bullet hole in the fabric of our society; with each piece of cheap political rhetoric and each accusation and counter-a@usation, another breach is blown in the bridges beirg so pairstakingly built by sorne - and more kids will be runnirg in the strcets. TACCW NANONALEXECUNVE Chalrman'AshleyTlrcronsn (SvUBA (Hone),NHCRCC,MICC. 68 Wendtlandt St. Farow 7500.Tel. (H) u21-Q.-276. W) 02 1-462-3960. Fax 021461-0114 Treasurer:Ernie Nightirgale NHCRCC DiptAC(Bus.Admln). Dip. Fers. Men., ACB,AICC.PO.Ebx 28119, Malvernrt055.Phone: 031-44-6555. Fax: 44-1106 Memberc.'ElanieLodge (Irarsvaal), Lionel Woldson (Wes-lGap), Linda Darlow (Border),Cecil Wood (Eastern Provine), Zeni Thumbadoo (Nata) fucucugtlg Vol.l1 No.10 Oclober 1993 Page 2 The tragedy of the cover picture is that it reflecG a situ ation whbh, after all this time, is rpt gettirg arry better. "You think it can't get any worEe?" said a UN official. "Just watch what happers in central Ebsnia ... " A Mtslim soldier: "Bosniawill be like Lebanon, the never-endirg war." Child care workes, more than most people, are skilled at brirgirg hope where there is despair. The startirg point of ourwork is the separation, failure, loss and conflictsr.fferedby children and families,and we manage to help people regain trust and rebuildtheir ft:tures, When we en@urage people to let go of their obsessiors forwinning battles,and to work, rather,at winnirg peace, we speak with the experierrceand krrcwledge tfnt tlrcse thirgs are possible. Every one of us needs to communicate this message, day by day and to everyone we meet. We know the necessity, and the value, of buildirg safe environmentsfor children. We hear these echoes of Bosnia and B€inn,and on W we watch helplesslythe realityof these 'never-endingwars'. lt cannot be that South Africars will also be so damned stupid STAFF Director: Lesley du lirit an (Soc.Sc),Hons BA (SW), Hons BA, Ms(ccA,urcc. PO. Ebx 2&323, Malvem 4055. Tel.031-46$ 1039. Fa,r:(031)44-1106 Asslstant Dlrector (Admlnb stratlon and Flnance): Mlcc. Roger Pitt oip.Theot., Assistanl Dlrector (Prof esslornl Services).' Jacqui MiBA FVD (Hq|s), chael BASoc.Sc., Admin.PO. BOX Adv.Dip.Br.sineos 751013, Garden Vtew 2047. Tef: 01 1-8+1512 Fax 8* 2928 PROFESSIONALCONSULTANTS Natal: Dudu Mofokeng al (Nursins). PO. Box 28323, Malvern 4055. Tel.463-1033 as to want to win their small battles - and so bse the whole war. Waron a secondfrnnt Dr A.E. van der lvbrwe of SANLAM wrote the editorial in the latest issue of AIDS Scan, and his nnssage b the sarne, but on the AIDS front - Sorrth Africa's 'seond fnont' at thb time. Will we allow, he asks, an urpontrolled AIDS epidemb to destroy all of our drearns to achieve tfe education, the horcing, the employment which our people need? See pqe 7. ChiA care wodeercdo it in their life-spaces! As I write I am reminded that in this issuethere is a graphic exampleof how child care workers can achieve the seemirgly impcsible with theirown very special meth AlTiwhrnan ods. At the end of Prcfessor Alessi's second feature on depression, we have publbhed on page 15 some smallextracG from the writirgs of Al Trieschrnan,ore of the great feroes of our profession. Do read his characteristically 'child care', orestepat-atirne, rnethods which help us deal with problems that even the rnct skilled cliniciars stnggle with. ls tfere somethirB here we can learn from - something with which child care workee can make a difierence? The PG Foundation has sponsqed thls loumal ln 1993. NACCW staff aN memberc erpress thelr apredatlon. P THE PG FOUNDATION @ A PUBLICATION SPONSORSHIP Publietions Deprtnent Brian Gannon BAHms),MA, rucc,PO.Elox23199 Clare rnont 7735. Phone/Fax @178&3610. ElelteleA2rc. REGIONAL SECRETARIES Transvaal: Val Lodge, Box 751013,Garden Vtett 2047. TeUFax:48F-r298. NaEl: Anre Piene, Box 19194,Donneton4O15.Tel: 031-28-4187 Bqd*: Sarah Burger PO, Ebx 482, Kirg Willians Town 5600. Telephorn: O433-21932 Weslern Cape: Dave MacNamara, 3 Waterloo Rd, \{rr berg 78O0Tel:021-633 18e Eadern P rovl rrce: Christine Wilson, Nerina,Thornton Road, Port Elizabeth6001. Telephone(041) 43-22@ CONTACTA IN OTHER AREAS: Suld-l(ap.' Echrin @llant, PO. Ebx 3591,GeorgeIndtstria 6536 N amaqualand: Fr Anthorry Cloete, RC Sendirg Kin derhuis, lGmieskrmn @A1. Telephorn: (@57)608 Kmberlry: Derek Swartz, Private Bag X50O5,Kimberley 8300. Tel. (0531) 73-2321 The lntematirnd Fcdcrdion of EducativcCommur*fics >wJ t& Thc IntcmdionC Aseocidion of Workcrs with Troublcd Childrcn In a report of considerable interest to cll involved in the child ccre service in South Africa, Cape Town Child ldelfcre Society's TOM GUNSTON picks out the highlights of a recent visit to Dublin, Irelqnd, during which he was a delegate to The 8th Internattonal FosterCareConference This conference carne at a very opportune time for our team of foster care specialists because we lnve been wrestling with the problems of how to provide effective feter care servicesin a third world settirp, i.e.,with high caseloads, a shortage of workers and a shortage of morrey,and our team fns, over the past two years or so, been developirg a model of ficster carc s€rvbes that seemsito meetsome of tfrese challerges. Howevei we reeded expert feedback on whetheror not our rnodel b valid in terms of the theory of fcter care, and is applicable in any other situtiors tl'nn our own, as well as on how it can be improved and made more effective. This conference has also corne at an opporturn time for our agency, as we are grapplingwith serious prob lems of worker overload and are lookirg for newways of approachirg ourwork so as to alleviatethis situation. There are ideas that come from tfre conference which we think can felp us in this way. However,at arry time it is stimulatirg, refreshirg and cfnllerging to attend a conference like this where ore not only gathes new ideas and confirmation of cunent prrctice, but experierces support and solidarityfrom being with hundreds of people from around the world who are wrestlirg with problems similar to one's own, ard for whom one's specialityis also the focus of their work or even of their life. Slovenija, Germarry,the tlletfF erlands, Finland,the uSA, Canada, Uganda" the Camerouns, Horg l(org, At"stralh, and the UK. These delegates included foster children,foster parents,child care workers, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and academics who focr.s on fcter care and related arcas. Each day sarted with a plenary session, nircty minutes in lergth, d s'hich three speakers preseriled: an ae demic, a prominent practitioner and an ex-fosterchild. This was just one way in which the value of really listen ing to all parties involved in the fostering situation was ernphasized. Durirg the rest of the day there were three workshop sessiors, each an hour and a fnlf in lergth. Cttoosirg which workshop to attend durirg each sessbn was m easy matter. Firstly, because during some of the workshop sessiors there were over 20 worksfiops from which to choose, and secondly, becausethere were a limited number of tickets available for each workslrop (suppliedon a f irst-come-first-served basis). Some of the most valuable times were the times of informal sfnrirp durirg the cotfee breaks and meals. Not only was this an opportunityto make friends, but one felt ore receiveda glimpse into foster care in other lands. It was indeed a thrillirg experience! Tryingto sfnre this is difficult- somethirg like trying to O*"r:." sunrise! The Conference The confererpe was held in Dublin,lreland,on the campr.rsof the UniversityCollege of Dublin.lt was attended by 10O0delegatesfrom 36 countries, ircludirg Russia, For this report I have chosen to focr-rson a number of emphases of the conference and referto speakersor workshoP facilitatorsin the process. Lluentg Vol.11 No.10 Oclobcr 1993 Pagc 3 The value and lmportance of teamwork The value of co-operation, plannirg bgether and really lbtenirB to all parties irwolved in the foster care experierPe - foster children, biologiel parcnts, bster palents, social vrorkee - w6 emphasised many tirnes. Foster parents and ex-fosterchildren vrerc included with world hmous expeils on bster care, as plenary speakes. Sorne of the worfshops w€le cor> ducted by socittlrvorkers together with bster parents or biological par€rts. At the openirg oEt€rnorry,Charles Confer, Presldent of the International Foster Care Organis* tion, gane credit to psychi* trbts, psycfngbts and social workers, hr said that the place where tE best therapy takes plm br the foster child b in the foster horne its€lf. Foster parcrts and natural parents and foster cl'tildren qre to be respected and taken Ceriouslyand really lpard, s well as involved. The values of this include the followirg: 1. Biological par€nts are less likelyto feelporerless and/or angry, and are less likely to witMraw, and so foster children are les likely to have m contact with their natural parents and feelthe devastatbn of abandonrneril; 2. Elatterdebbrs are rnade in resoect of the child; 3. The foster child feeb less like a "case" or "number" and more like a person who b of value and b cared about; 4. The likelihood of the return of the foster child to her bio logicalfamily is enharrced; 5. Foster parerE and prospective ficsterparents can improve (and ease for social workers) the process of screenirg and trainirg recruits for fosterirg if social workers errcouragedtheir Par- ticipation in these tasks (self assessment could be part of the screenirg process); 6. Foster children would often be rnore conrfortable beirg taken frora nredical examination by an adultthey krnw well and tnst. Speclal needs of the loder chlld Appeals to take these reeds serbr-sly and foctts on them in the trcatrnent proglamrne, werc rnade on numetous oc! casiors. The fcter child must be placed entrestage in foster carc seruices. Sorne of the special reeds emphasised were: "roo\" 1. To develop strorB '\rirgs" (a sense of conti-' and nuity and a fppe forthe fu ture). Robbie GillQan,senior lecturer in SocialWork, Trinity College, Universityof Dublin, stressed thb, and added that lack of early secure attach ments do not condemn orp to a life of poor self-rrorth; foster care can rnake a difrererrce. Howeve[ children's links with their own families are vital. 2.To develop self esteemand to solve (or alleviate)self esteern-related prcblems. Gilligan nnntioned Rutter's assertbn that it b protedive to have a strorg serse of orn's own worth asia Peeon, and corfidence that one can cope with lib. 3. To develop sociability and relatiorship skills; these children have usually had poor role rnodels in respect of. formirB and rnaintainingcorr stnrtive relatbrs hips. 4. To develop self efficacy, competerrce and a serse of resporsibili$. 5. To corne to tenrs with lcs and separatbn (but preferably, of @urse, to lnve cotl tad with bblogical parcnts and siblirgs wherever pcsible). 6. To ns@verfnomabuse. Dr Alice Swann, Manager of a multid isciplinary team treating sextnlly abused childrcn in Belfast,while recomrnending several treatrnert ap prorches, said thatthe therapeutic effecG on the child who wc abrced Prbr to foster cane,of simply livirg in a bster horne in which therc b rp abuse, should never be underestimated. 7. To deal constrrc:tivelywith anger. The ctrallenge of dlsruptlon and breakdown of loster placements The terms disruption, failure to achieve the specific aims of a particular placement, and unplannedterminationof a placemeril, have replaced the term 'breakdown' for some, but, as one foster father re marked, tfe severe serse of failure and treartbreakexPerienced by thce at the centre 'breakof th's, makes the term down' more approPriate. A realistic approach was taken towards breakdown it b to be expected! ObvioLlsly,this is not an attemPt to minimize the negative resultls, and every etfort should be made to prevent breakdown. BrJtit is recognised as Part of the reality of foster care. Breakdowns c€ln be Pre dicted. The cl'rarpes of breakdown in a foster placement are enhancedwhen: 1. The foster mother is under 40 years of age; 2. There is an own child in the home approximately the same age as the fcter child (or urr der 5 years of age) and the same sex as the foster child; 3. The foster parents are irexperierrced (tfrereare 4 times the number of breakdowtls amorg foster parents with less tfnn one year's exPerF ence); 4. The foster child is separatedfrom her siblirgs; 5. The foster child lus to cl'nrge sclrools when comirg into tfe placement (this dou bles the breakdown rate). On the other hand, breakdowns can be redrced if, fror example: 1. Childrenare placed in a residentialsettirg prior to long term foster care (rather tl'nn beirg transfered directlY from home to the foster Plaement, orfrom one placement to arnther); 2. Clnnges and separatiors are kept to a minimum when childrenmove; 3. Childrenare in care on a voluntarybasis ratherthan un der court order; 4. There is frequent contact between the social worker and the biofogicalparent(s); 5. Contact exists between foster children and their own parents. The importanceof the social worker-fosterchild relationship was again emphasised in furry,crlrg Vol.11 No.l0 Oclobcr 1993 Pagc 4 this connection. When there is rp natural parent contd (as with 75% of our children) and the bster plrement breaks down, then (f therc b m meaningf ul social rvorker-fcter child rehtiorship) the fcter child may have rp one! Some suggestions vYene made in respect of ratirg the success of foster care in con crete tenrs. Questbrs strh as tfrese may be asked: 1. Did the foster child pass at school? 2. Did he find a icb after his foster care experience? 3. Does she have a "family for life" (is her foster family committed to herforthe rest of her life?); 4. ls she inrclved with drug or alcohol abuse? (Well-beirg scales and Satisfaction scales were refened to and tfrese fnve been ordered from the UK.) Much rtone etfott Into ptuventing rcmoval Therewas a plea to help children at risk in less drastic ways tfran renrovalfrom their naturalfamily,that b, to put more effort into preventbn. Current problens at our own agerrcy could be alleviated if we could find ways of re sponding to this plea, but most importantof all, children could be sparcd the devastation of separatbn and lcs. Dr Vera Fahlberg and Anrs O'Donnell,among otfer speakers, verbalised this corr cern very eloqrcntly. One method of preventirg removals, preserted at the con' ference by ttn Banrside Fosterirg Resource team, is Thb irvolves the FosrERsFlARe. recruitment, selection and trainirg of Fctersfnre famF lies who will link up with families where them are children at risk,thts providirg a sort of safety net or support system fortfrese families,and tht-s hopefully preventirg ernoval of the children. These fostershare families are NOT bster parents or e\ren emergency carels, and so they are free to give support to familiesat risk wheneverthis b needed and to promote the care of the children by their own family. They can also model for the family at risk how a stable family functiors. A secondary vah.rcof this Fostersfnre plan is the prevention A commifrrcntto tLc chiW for W... it refenvdb as love-tn-fltffiot-wrut" of fcter care breakdowrs (a Fosterstnre family can be a support system to a frcster family and so prevent burnout and breakdown). lleatment lor the ernotlonally dlsturbed and dellnquent adolescent In a lartly rettlng The Pp-Teen team of foster cares presented at serrcral workshops their pbreerirg work started 5 years ago in lcnt, Enghnd. Their new model of spcialized foster care fns been evaluated Periodkally and bund b be of value. ftey abo rckrnwledge problens hornsUy. Tteir book, Frec to b futyself s rpw available. Pro-Teen irvolves very dose eoperatbn within tfE bam of fcter parerts and social workers, and dns d tb srccessful rcturn tprne of tle ficster child and/ortln yourg p€rson'sdevelopirg so that she can cope with the realities of adult life. Elementsof Pro-Teenwork irr clude: 1, A definite contrrct beirg ne gotiated and agreed on be tween a/l parties (it b sigrnd after a $wek trial perird); 2. A commifnent b the child ficr life (thb irrcluds after carc, prbon vbits and surpgate grandparentlood, and b referredto a "love'ncmatterwhat"!); 3. A bahnce between giving the emergirg aduft independerrceand standirB by them in trouble; 4. Loyalty to and aceptarrce of the disturbed child so that Fe realises,sonretirns for the first tine in his life, that there b sorneone totrallyommitted to him; 5. \,bry careful screenirg of both prospedive fcter children and parents; 6. Verystrorg support (even respite care) for foster parents, by colleagues and social workers; 7. Acceptance of bster parents as full members of the team (thls irnludes adeqtnte remuneration- approximately R5O0Oper child per month); 8. A termirntion contract any party wartirg to terminate the placernert must give at least a month's written rptice, ot.ttlinirgthe problems and reasons frcrtheir decision. It was interestirg to rpte that the rnethods of evaluation used frcrevaluatirg the Pro Teenliodel are difierent from the traditional rnethods of research and evaluation These methods are mlevant to a dynamic, orrgoirB phernrne rpn. This could be of help in evaluatirg our Sable House model of foster care services and the material b beirg sent to us by Prof. Yelloly of Tavistock who led in the evaluation of the Pro-Een i/lcdel. Work wlth angry tcenagers Relatedto the above was ar> other stimulatirg workshop condrcted by Charla Confer, a social uprker from the USA and the Chairman of the International Foster Care Organizatbn. His approach in work with teenagers is cfnracterized by three techniques: 1. Lbtening without sayirg a word, and yet simultaneously fulcrrul''g Vol 1 1 No 10 October 1993 Pagc 5 conveying (rorverbally) that the listener is totally with the angry teenageq and that the listener b not judging or criticizirg him; 2. Agreeirg with sornething the argry teenager says (this may be a small part of what he says, brJttfe agreemert must be horest and withod preterse) and not beirB d all defersive; 3. Givirg them resporsibility forfindirg a soh.ilbn to the sitr,lationthat b rchted b their anger (frorexample, askirg, 'What do you think I can do about this? How can I charge, do you thirk? How do you think we can work together on this?') and so hdf ing them to move to a positionwhere their reasoning ratherthan their emotion is in control. Transraclal losterlng One of the workers from the Netherlands shared wfnt had occurred in her country wfrere trarsracial fostering fras been practised and wfere seriot-s probhms are beirg experierped. lt appears tlnt they have found that it is not ernugh for the foster parerts to love their fcter child of a difierent race and culture; they must understand, respect and take into corsider* tion this culture in their relatiorship with the child. The worker refened to above fras been assigrnd the task of recruiting foster parents of the same race and culture as the children in reed of foster homes. Foster carc In developlng countrles It is apparent tl'st not only in countries of Africa but also in countriesof EasternEurope (Romanie Slovenia,Croatia, for example)and of Asia, those committed to foster care servbes are stngglirg with problemssimilar to our own and are seekirg a model of fcter care services which will arswer these problems. f\4anyof these countries have apparently rpt reached as far alorg the road asiwe have in developing an effective model of fcter care services. However, we fnve mt^chto teach each other. ln sorne of tfpse countriessubstittie care provides for the pl'rysicaland medical needs of children in care, but rpt their emotional and saial reeds. Prof. John Triseliotisreported thb from his experierrcein Rornania Accordirg to Charles Trlhabe, tJganda Foster Care and Adoption Association., over20OOchildren in uganda today need asubstitute farni[, hf they expecnto be able to amarBe for about only 5O children to be bstered per year. It ws possible br me to give a summary of the rnodel of beter care services that b beirtg developed d Cftild WeF fare Society in Cape Town to serreralrcadembs and prrctitioners wfp are either servirg in the abovernentbred couittries or well acquainted with conditbrs thet€, and to discr.rssthe rnodelwith them. Apart from the feedbrck received at the confererpe, further feedback lus started comirB through the mail. The positive response to the model has been rnost errcouragirg, and the suggestiors helpful. iArreover, it has been very gratityirp to learn that the rnodelwe are developigcould be helpful in countries other than ourown. Apart from the irsQfrts recsived about prob lems and progr€ss rcgardirg foster care servies in developirq countries, the arswets we have rec€ived about our own model have been most helptul. This was ore of the mdn reasons ficr attending the Confer€rpe. More etfectlvo seMceg for the blologlcal parents of foa' ter cfilldren The importarrceof involvirp the parents muctt tnonein the plannirg frcrtheir child, both before the child's lenpvaland as well as during plreme( in allotfrer plannirB, was stressed in several workshops. Factors included in the presentatiors and discussiors were: 1. Social workers need to grasp morc fully the crbb of filial deprivation; 2. The relatiorship between social workerc and bblogical parents beforc and at the re moval of their chifd can contribde to their hostility,anger, feelirg of powerlessnessand theirwithdrawal (and even disappeararrce),and can there fore contribute to the aban donmert of their children and of to the traurnaticexperierrce lcs and separationof the foster cl'rild; 3. Spe shouldbe created br the biologbalpalents, theirviewpointshouldbe lbtered to, theirstggestionsre spected; 4. Th€ disappeararrceof the biologknl parents,s vrells theirapdfry, b a rnairr pob lem in rnarrycomtri€s; 5. Theemlmors serse of guilt of fte biologbalrnother who lre failedb carc br her own child,mustbe nnre fully recognized.Particularlyirr si;ltful in thb r€gardwe the presentatbnof PhillitJaSar* bridge, Dircctorof the Fost AdoptionCenfrein london. 6. Fewcl$ldnn would ctpose to livewith parentsotherttan theirown: 7. A child'sgreatestreed is forsecureand stablerelationships- e\r€ryrpve b trau maticfor a child (DrVera were Fahlberg'sprcsentations especiallyhelptulin rnakirg thb dear - her publbatiors incfude HelpingChildren when they Moveari Janmey throughFosterC*), 8. Thercb a needbr supportive per groupsfor bblogical parcrtscwell aaHan& W d FosterCarcespecially for biologknl parents. Fogter c.o. cen makc e dlfferencc Theoptimbmof bsbr care specialistsfpm arcundthe rvorldstill remairswith rne weeksafter returnirg b the pressuesof work. While it b trrc that if the foster child do€snot lind afamily that b ommitted to herfor life and lovesher "rp rnatter what", then,for her,foster care servbes harrefailed, it b also true tlnt we must rpver underestirnatethe therapeutb valueto the darnaged child of a stable,commi$ed foster horne.Dr AlioeSwann rnadea movingcall br ueto help damagedchildrenrnain tain their expectatiotsthat can thev r':' , The Conbtgrpe t?llori,€d the "A Journey through therne Fosterirg". YVew€rB taken over the 'Rocky Roads'and the 'Hills and Valleys'.But we wef€ also shown 'NlewHori' zons' and the 'Rainbows'! Nog tmc bydrae by dle onlaqgse PralS aangebledla Sendnaarwat deur dle NVK r lUec'lGapo Forum vb. wre. Voorlen, 6 'n seun ors inr[tirB verlaat,ws ek versekervan'n brief,rnaar rpu sal ek nie eersdie sem herftenas ek hom weer rno€i raakloopnie. Ek het gevoelkindercorgb 'n ls, en daar is geentoekorns vir my in die prcfessienie. in Kindersorg Myondervinding by Ek b'n kinderversorger HuisBonnytoun.Ebnnytoun funksbreeras 'n plekvan be warirq; daarreem ors velskillendeseunsop met veskillendeverwysirgs.By di6 inrigtinghet ons 'n span,wat terapeutiese bestaanuit sielkundrges,'n arbeidsbnape@rnedise suster Die eook kinderversorgers. oog van die span b om die seunsse aanpasirgasooksy gedragsprcbleme en sy positiewehoudirg uit te beelden te evalueer.Ors bied ook vervir die skillendeprogramrne seunsaan, bv.geestelike, sciale en opvoedkundige, sport. Aargesienors inrigtiq, oorheersrvordrnetveralseuns, kanhierdieprogrammenietot sy reggekied nie. Dieterpaeutiesespan kon ook a.g.v. dievinnQein en uit bareging van die seuns,nieten vollesy funksievemb nie.Assesserirg kon ret tot'n mindere mateplasvind. Dit hetalhs rng verergernnt dieskielikeopnamevan Xfpsa sprekendeseurs. Dit het nryskoononkantgevarg, sowelasvir die anderseuns. Die)(lpsa sprekendeseut het nurvevesorging rnetodes na \rorehat kom.Vir hulle was dit ook 'n aanpassirg om by Hub Bonnytoun op aaft houdirg te vYees.Ander problerne het daarvolgers ontwikkel. Konmunlkaele Omdat ors nie Xfpsa spr€kend b nie, was kommunil<asie'n groot probleem. Daarvan kon effektiewe kindersorg nie geskied nb. Dit het 'n rnoedeloosheid en gespanrn atmosfeer by die seuns laat ontstaan. Die be hoefte aan Xhosa sprekende kinderversorgershet dadelik by hoofde se aandag gekom. Asook die behoefteaan'n kursus in di6 taalvir nb)(lrca spre kende kinderversorgers. Dit het die probleme gedeeltelikopgelos. Aanraklng op versorger Dit was iets nuut wat sy kop uit gesteek fpt. Dit het alles gegaan oor die seuns se fnstrasie,sy args en sy orr bekende situasie by die inrigting.Dit was al manier wat hulle kon gebruik om ons te laat weet dat hulle orseker b van hulsake by Huis Ebnnytoun. Die gevolg was dat'n vesorg ingsbeampte aartgerand was so dat seurs kon dros. Ors drostersyfer het ook geweldig gestyg. Die meeste van die aanranding was gedoen deur ouer seuns. Hulle is oler as wat hulle voorgegee fret op die Hof. Di6 volwasse mars was die wortelvan rpg ander kwaad: bv. opstokery bende aktiwiteite, tatoe6rirg. Dit het nie net by die Xhosa seuns nie maar ook by dieander plaasgevind. Ek dinkdit is 'n situasiewat met jnstisieuitgeklaar moetword. Dievinnigein en uit bewegirghet ook bygedradat ors plekvan be warirBnieten vollesy funksie konverrignie. furrerl'fg Vol.11No.10Octobcr1993Page6 PereoonllkeIndruldte DieskielikevinnigebeurcgirBs vanseunshet nryas kin denrersorgerbaiegeraak. Effektieweversorgirgkon nie geskie<lnie.Ek, G mert was uitgeput,en kon die druk voel.Wanreerek huistoe gegaanhet w6 dit rnoeilik om van die inri;ting situasie af te skakel,want die span nirg waste fpog. Dieadmir> btratiewetake kon rpoit voltooiword nie.Sodoende be hetek in die rnoeilikheid land by my supervisor.Die befpefte aanverhotdirg bou net die seunsws daar,maar kon ret niegeskiednie.Dit was 'n traumatiesetydperkvir my.F{cetraumatiesrnoetdit nievir die seurs weesnie? Die krimirelestprna wd aan 'n plekvan bewaringkleef, het oor lcu as mensse gerroelers'nkmu gegee.Jy kon nie doen soos iru hart voel nie.Ek hoopors kan in die toekons weer m die dag terugkeerwaardaar'n beter verhoudirgtussenseunen Wenr vlr dle toeltomr Ek sienuit om meerveseker te weesvan 'n brbf as 'n seun ors inr[ting verlad. Dat ir^stbieors (Bonnytoun)'n larger tyd gee om die funksie van E}cnnybunten rolle in rverkirgte kansit. Om kwaliteitversorgirgaan die seunte gee. Om ook die seun 'n bebr ircig van die nuwe SuidAfrikate gee,wantors kan nieweg van die bit dat die politiekesituasiein ors b vir die landverantvvoordelik skielikevinni;e bercging by HuisBonnytounnie. Posltlewc opmeddng Vrleersdie vinn(7ein en uit beutegirghet ek as kinderuersorgerg€groeiin die sin dat ek mu tot beterirspte gekom het om onveruagsE gebewtenbserneertakt\tol kanaanpaken ook in die prosesis om derdetaal rnagtg te word. Daarhet ook 'n nuw€h.rsvir kinderversorgby my ontvhm. ng Assesseri Die doelvan asseserirB is om vas te stel of die kandidaat geskik b vir'n irriTtirB, en ook om daaruolgers 'n behandelirgs phn op te trek. 'n Multidisiplir€respan wat deel uit maak van maatskaplike werkes, verpleegkundQes, ve rsorgirBsbeamptes, onderwysers sook die e ksterne rnaatskaplike werker kom by rneloarwaar die geval besprcek vrord en idees uitgeruilword. Wanreer rnoontlik kan die kandidaat se ouets ook inkom. Elke komponent van die "m'n span" stel voorop gestelde verslag op rndat hulle in onderhoudvoerirB met die l€ndidaat was, en dit word dan ter tafel geE tyders assesserirg. Na affEndelirgvanvetshglesirg word die gevalb+ spreekten eindevaste stel of die kandidadgeskikb vir 'n inr(7rtirg.Tenlaste nord die behandelirgsplanop getrekna aanleidirBvan die kandidadse problennwat gelei het bt opnamein die veiligheidsplek. Aanbevelingsword mk ge rnaakindiendie kandidaat kirr rE'n nywerheldskool, derhub,plegsorg, d terug hub be npet gaan. Dieeksternernaskaplike rruerker se phgverderb om rekorstdcsie ruerktudste gaan lewer. 'n DaturnYir'n oprclg asesserirB word ook dan vasgestelwenrer die span danneersalrcrgader. - HubVrcdeluc Span /drllcltti4qtgtrs. b A/DS Sca/? Futurc AIDS Care ln Scufh Afrlca Editorial in NDS Scan, Seg tember 1993,$ Dr A.E. van der Merwe of $t'll4tt Sincethe late 1980'sSouth Africa fras experierrcedthe corr sequences of an ever increasirp AIDS epidemic. Lookirg back at past experience, several pertinent lssues requireour attention. The first issue is whetherwe, as Sor.rthAfricars, have learnedfrom what has already l-nppernd, and if we as a society are implementirgallthe necessary precautionary measuresto limit the impact of this disease? Loglcal reasonirg predicts that arry resporsible society will take notice of the potential disastrots effects of an utrcontrolled epidemic, and try to prevent it wherever possible. Unfortunatelyour track ecord in this respect leaves room for improvementbut it will serve rp purpGe to blame past errors. We canrpt change what is history howeve[ the future belorgs to r.rsand the future is our resporsibility. All Sonth Africars must ther+ fore take up the challenge and accept personal resporsibilityto preventthis disease.lt is in the interest of everybody to contain this epidemic as far as possible. This b regarded not as a matter of choice, butt as a matterof survival. A further question that currently remairs unarswered, is whether we realise what the full extent of the fr.fturefinan cial needs will be for the AIDS fulrrcurlg Vol.l1 No.l0 Odobcr 19S! Pagc 7 epidemic and its consequences. Finarcial requirements forthe medicalcare of AIDS victims,forthe social care of dependants, and for the care of AIDS orphars will have a significant impact on available moretary resources. Only when one starts to qr.rarr tify these finarpial effecB does ore realbe hor urgent resporsible action by society has becorne. Accordirg to human nature we would like to give the best possible care and support to unfortunate AIDS victims and their dependants.Howevef the realityof South Africa's economic ability to pay for all th's will unfortunatelybe the determinirg factor. The aim will be to managethe AIDS epidemic and to provide carc and support according to the same standards that we see in first world countries. The reality, howeve[ is that unless we can increase economic growth in South Africa to levels where a msitive real GDP per capita growth can sustain real increasedspending on health care and social suppoft, very few of our dreamswill materialise. o The messageto allof tts is clear.Withorlt realeconomic growth we canrpt expect to implementfirst world standardsnorwillwe be able to apply first world criteria with respect to AIDS in South Africa. We will have to develop our own standardsand criteriawithin the finarpialcott straints tfnt we face. o All AIDS related matters, be they medical treatment, testing and screenirg requirements, hospital c€rre,coursellirg seruices,edrrcatbn prog rElmrnes,social support rne€rsures, etc. will be subject to the economic reality and the ability of our country's economy to pay for it. Orpe we fnve come to terms with this Fnrsh reality, many of the issuescunently surroundirg AIDS will take on a rew perspectiveand highlight new priorities,and the dfficult bttt essentialdecisiors tfnt we will fnve to face up to will become obvious. One of tfpse will be to improve the current negativereal GDP per capita growth of 4.3% to substantial positivelevels.As lorg €rswe try to gnore economic reahty or prctend that financial con straints do rct exist, it will remain impcsible to find workable solutbrs for the AIDS problem and related issues. South Africa needs education for its children, it needs hottsing for its people, it needs job creation for its workers and it reeds the moretary r€sources to financethis. Will vre allow an uncontrclled AIDSepidemic to destroy our dreams to achievethis? The willto achieve real economic growth and the will to preventAIDS from destroyirg this will be two essentialelements in obtaining a better future for all. .llnov tour Parencrt safer scx Suldellne noe helpful In rcduclng rlslr cf cxPcsurc In collcgc students Heafthexperts are increasinglycorcerned about HIV in fection amorg college students because students are corilinuirB to engage in high levelsof ursafe sextnl behaviourtfnt puts them at risk for infection.In America there already are appreciable levels of HIV prevalence amonefcollege students. In order to reduce the amount of unsafe sex exhibited by marry college students, it is necessary to understand the dynamics associated with their unsafe sexual behaviour. This study employed foctts group techniquesto explore the dynamics of freterosextnl college students' safer and urr safe sexual behaviour.The results strorgly indicated that respondents have a well developed and generallyaccepted set of ideas regardirg which potential sexual partners are risky and which not. From findirgs, it is clear tl'nt college students appear to judge the riskinessof sextnl partners based on characteristics tlnt are not related objectively to HIV status specifically,whetherthey know and like the partnerand whether a previottslyun known partner lns certainsu perficialtraits. Perceived relationships amorg characteristics, sttch as the perceP tiontlnt a partnerwhom one knows or who is from a small town is not risky, are called implicit personahtytheories. Clearly,college studentsare using an implicit personality tfreory to determinethe riskiness of sexual partners, rather tfnn corsistently practicirg safer sex. Implicit personality theories are often adaptive, even if they are not entirely accurate, because they allow people to interprettheir social world. However,the use of an implicit personahtytl'eory for ascertainirg a partner'sAIDS risk is extremelyunreliable and potentially fatal. Because the only way to accurately determine someone's AIDS risk is through knowledgeof tfnt person's HIVstatus,the use of any other cues to assess risk will often providea dangeroLls,false serse of secu rity. Therefore, health education efforts to reduce AIDS risk behaviouramong college students (and perfnps others as well) must expose the ineffectivessof their tse of implicit personality theories to assess the riskiness of partners or potential partners.Furthermore,it must be emplnsized tl'nt, in the absence of specific knowledge regardirg the partner'sHIV status, knowirg one's partner and beirg monogamousdo not corstittfte safersex. lronically,one of the safer sex guidelinesthat has been widely promoted in many large circulationpamphlets such as the Surgeon General's Reporton Acquiredlmmune DeficiencySyndrome (US Department of Health and Human Seruices,1986)is the "krnw your exfrortationto partner." Althotgh this guideline is intendedto referto knowirg one's partner'ssexml history (and, of @urse, actirg on tlnt krnwledge), college students,and prob ably many others as well, ap pear to have misinterpretedit. In effect,they are usirg the guidelineto strergthentheir beliets tfnt they are not being unsafe if they know their partners, even if the ways in which they know them are entirely inelevantto AIDS risk. Furthermore,even if one does consider one's partner'ssex- r.ralhistory it b dangerousto infera regativeHIVstatus froma rpn promiscupr.ssext.talhistory.Clearly,the "know your partner"guidelineshave backfiredand shouldbe abandoned. Evenlesscrypticsafersex guidelinesstrchas the advice to "take precautiorswhen everyou havesex outsidea long-termmonogamousrelatiorship' createproblems.Collegestudentsseemto m'sinterpretsuch aclviceto meanthat morpgamyitself corstitutessafersex,evense rial nrcrogamyin the abserrce of objectivekmwledge regardirgone'spartner'sHIV status.Therefore,str.dents oftenappearto be usirg such advioeto bolstertheirbelieb tfnt they needto rse condomsonlywithpartners whomthey do not know.Unfortunately,pamphletscontainingthe "knowyour partrnf and "tiakeprecautiorsoutside a lorg-termmonogamousrelatiorship'g uidelinesarestill beirg widelyused. ZlmDabvean studt amcng hlgh schccl students hlghllghts nccd for beeter teacher tralnee prcerammcs cn adclescena scxualltt Followirg various educational strategies by governmental and rnrgove rnmental organisatiors to educate youths and schoolteachers about HIV infection and prevention, this KABP (Krnwledge, Attitude, Behaviour and Practices) survey w.rs lsed to evaluate the results. The study sample of 478 high school students was drawn from four randomfy selested schools in Mashonaland and Matabelelandircludirg hrgh and low dersity, government and mission co-educational schools. The sample was ran domly selected and stratified to represent sex and grade level.The KABPself administered questionnairewas used. The paper analyses the relatiorship between the knowledge aM datirg pattens. Generallyrespondentsdemorstrated a 5O%to 8096accu racy of factual krnwledge. Of fulnIcnl'tg Vol.l1 No.10 Odober 1993 Pagc 8 the pupils who dated (66% Forms lto lV), 3O%preferred only sexrnlly involved relation ships and a small number con sidered the possibilityof HIV/AIDSinfection. A tleoretically based tripartite coalition involvirg the scfrool, the family and health care servbes for edrrcation, guidarrce and support to promote resporsible behaviour throughout childfrood was suggested. Reascns fcr laclr cf ccndorn uso amcng hlgh schccl students ln laeal This exploratory q ml itative study was undertaken to identify barriers to condom use among high school studerG in Natal. Phase 1, a group discussion with 5Ohigh schml students of all races from 10 schools, revealedthat 17 (34%)were sexully active,8 (47%) of these had used a condom at least orrce, but none I'nd used condons in every sexual encounter. Phase 2 comprised 36 focr.rs group discussiors involvirg about 650 black high scfrool students. These discrlssbrs confirmed the finding of Phase 1 that high schoolstu dents were not usirg con doms to arry significant degree.ln their opinion,con doms limitedsexual pleasure, indicated a lack of tnrst in the partner's faitfrfulness,challerged the mde ego, and wer€ associated with sexttally transmitted diseases. Their contrru ptive prope rties were viewed with strspicionand corsidered undesirable by those teenagers who wished to prove their fertility.In addition, condom use was rpt strfficiently well understood and condoms were not accessible or availablewhen required. The authors rc@mmend that condom promotion strategies should include an adeqtnte explanationof how condoms work and detailed irformation on their local availability.They should be availableat a gove rnment-subsidised prbe through more accessibleoutlets; popularfigures and recognised leadersshould be encouragedto support antiAIDScampaigrs and condom use, particularlyin the public media. N,ATlO,tlALASSOCIATION OF CHILD CARE WORKERS 1. Liaisonand Manager Communications M4q tastarnas lncftdc: Liabon and retvrorkirg with natbnal and regbral lrlGO's; represert NACCI / d seminas, conbrerrces and meetirgs of orgmbatiors with uhom we are dfi lbted ; corsultarrcies ; corrse eordination ; traininglof spe cblised @uses Ddalls: r To Sart Janmry 1994 r Full-timepo.st r Salary negotiableaccordingto qualifications& experience r 1Sh cheque r Based at NationalOffice, Natal r Requiredto travel nationally r Requiredtohave own transport Qttdlt c:lttotp rqulredl: Degree in social vrcrk; qualilication in child ard yorlh carc; a mirtmurn of 4 yeae direct experierce in the child ard yorth care field; registeredas a child and yor.rthcarc probssbnal NaAild Olfrcr Apf,lc:d,ncnlqnt tc atrlilailelrctmthe andtfier $ould b rcnnlrldtoTlto Dlrdor, |{/,CCW aplle 4055 Clalng &efq P, O W,2gt&,llatyqn tlon:30 Norrr.lDpr tggt 2. Professional Consultant: Transvaal tt$q tasf areas lnclu&: Marnge the regional office; dan, coordirnte and adminlster MCC\ / counies; teach cfild md yor.rthca€ @urs€s; offer corsultation to child care organisdiors; liaisewith and support @brnl Executive Detalls: r To slart January/February1994 r Hours negotiableaccordingto qualifications& experience r 13h cheque r Requiredto travelthroughoutTranwaal and to Kimberley r Orn transportessential Qudrr/rrldorrs.' tvbtricdatbn certifbate ; q uallfication in child and yor.rthcare; regbter€d ctild and yottth care profussional; a minimum of 3 years direct experierpe in the child and yotth carc field Prcterencr wlil b glrlan totlp follurhrg: bst matric qualilicdion in child and yor.rthcar€, socialwork, psychology oredu cdion; experierrcein addt educdion; a workirg kmwledgeof Sotho &pilcxiilon lqnrs arc awllaile lrom the Trwpvad dlle q tltp NaUqlpll dlb and rlpttld b rrttmdtoThcAsC+ tant Dhedor', Messlottd Servfces, M,CCW P, O. Bq, 751013, @rden Vlew, 2U7. Clclng He fq afl/c:dorc 31.12.19!R NACCW THE NATIOI.IALASSOCIATIOI.IOF CHILD CARE YVORKERS lS AN INDEPEND€NT iION-RACIAL ORGAI,|IS TION WHICH PROVID€S THE TRAlNltlG AND INFRASTRtrcruRE TO IMPROVE STANDARDS OF CARE AND TREATMENT FOR CHILDRENlN RESIDEiITIALSETTINGS Thlr addrcss wae dellveredat an FICEllay ConfenonGlIn [uHlana, Slownla, by Dr Feter van den Bef$ ol the Oentn for Spec{d Educatlon and Chlld Carc at Lelden thlyerstty In the t{ethedandr Residential Workand Supervision At pleent t€m'and tern work'ale erinl conepts in residentialchiH and youfl carc in the hleherbnds. Teamwork b rnorcttnn just the sum total of tfe rvorkof the irr dividualrnembeeof a team.lt rnearEthat fF uhole team mrst be bctJss€don the goalsof an oryanisation,and tfnt pesond interestis of lesserimportarrce. Thb paperwillfocrson supervbion of tl'e teamof ctrild careworkersin a rcsidenthl irstitr,rtion.Ore of the waysof supportirpthe bam of residentialcate rcilers is supervbion. I would liketo begin withtwo rernarks. First,we mustrnakeclear what b meantby the word 'srr pervision'.In dealirg with residentialgroupcale workers, supervbbn is a prooess focr.ssedon betterpofessioral workingwithchildpn. Whenyou don't bearin mind the perspectiveof their prob+ sbnalwort, sr+erubbn be @mes menesersitivity trainirgor thempy.SuperuF sion,thor.rgh, does indude epectsof courselling,of guklane and of self-reflec' tion. In a residentialirstitntion, supervbbnb bcr.sed on the self-edrstbn of the residen tial socialworfier. Se@nd,I am speakingspe ciallyof supervbionin residen tiel cfiild car€. ib\retherless, the prirpiphs of supervisbn in thb fieldcan be gercraF isedb arrywork sih.rdionin ctrildcare. BeforeI ontirue this papeqI rvouldliketo sketchthe on text of rcsidertialcarc in the f\btfprlands, beause it b sornetirns ditfpult to understandeachourtry's cfrild caresysilem. Resld€rillalchlld care ln the Nethcdandr In the hletherlands we havein gernnalfour typesof child cale: fuIlctcrl'g Vol.11 No.10 Octobcr 1993 Page 9 1. NnEHrory cqu. Withthb typ€ d carc the child emains in hb mnnalervipnrnert usualf withthe hmily, and rnay lnve appoinfinerftswith a therapbt 2. Dayoare.Thechild attends a day care irstitr.rtionregularly for part of the day. 3. Residentialare. Thechild b plred in an irstitntion wheredayand nigfrtcarc b given 4. Fcter are; A bster hmily takescare of a child. llow do chlldrcn ome Into the chlld carc eystem? Ebforeplacernentin a rcsidential irstitr.rtion or fcter cane, therehavetsually beenvery manyproblens in the yourg peson's sittatbn. ttlostly,am bulatoryhelp or daycare havebeentried. f tfs€ kinds of help don't woil(,then ple rnentin a sefrirg otfer tfnn his own famitywill be corskF ered.I will estrict rnyselfto a discr-ssbnof residentialcare. ResidentialCarecan be dlvided in fow categodes: 1. Theso called'rprmal'institutiors: thb rnearcthatthe irr tellQenceof the childrenmust fall irtrothe mrmal rarge. 2. Treatrnentirstitr.ftbrs : theseservbes havernore therapistsand rnoresocial workersin the staffgroup. 3. Z.l.B.'s,whichareirstitu tbrs offerirp \bry Intersive Treatrnent'. 4. Stateirstitr.rtiors. As you can seo,tfpse irstitu tiors havebeenlbted in ccendirg orderof severityof probbm behaviour. Plrerneri in residentialcarc can be on a volurilaryor on a judicialorlegalbesb.The Dr.tchjwenile justbe sysbm restson tvropilhrs: civil law and penallaw,bu by tnadition the systemas a wholeb best charrclerbed by a care and protectionphilosopfry.Theiuvenilejt-sticesystemb based essentiallyon a welfare model. All decbbrs conemirB yourp offendes, be it on the basbof peralorcivil law,ale taken'in the bestintersts of tlF cfiH'. Thb rnens tm it b rpt so mucfi the rct or the ofbrrce commitbd, bU also tfE psycfrologbaland edue tbrnl circunstarcs, tlp farnily bad<grcund,etc.,which will dect dbcr.ssbrs and decbiors on howto handlea c6e. Both policeand public prGe cuior rnakefrcqmrt use of the possibilityof dbmbsirg a cse and refenirBthe child conerpd to the Child Pnotctbn Courpil,especiallyin c6ea uf,ere there is a problemdb socialbrckground. In its tun the Child Protction Courcil imrcstiTds the situ dbn and issls a SocialIn quiry Reponto the jurcnile court judge. The rcport can take the brm of a te@mmerr datirn b tnndle ttn case by civil prcceedirBsand b order a rrcur€ of child prcbctbn. 14and 17years. 3. The averagelengthof stay at a sirgle reidential facilityb 12to 15 rnontts. 4. The rnaprnyof yourgsters in residentialcarehaveexperierped at lest orn prcvior.rs plrennnt 5. Br€akdovvnsin fostercare reunt br an irrcreasirg numberof admissiorsto resid€nthlcarc. 6. lt/lorctfEn O% of children in rcsidentialcarehavernanifsdy seriousbehaniourproblernsand havemultipledisadvantagedfamily backgrounds. A can 'pec*age' In recert yeamthe provbbn of altenntivesto r€sidential cane,srrchas independentliving undersupervbbn,phcernentat horne,or day carc centr€s,hs incresed. At presentgreaterattentionb givento the prcoessof admission to rcsidentialcare.Thb has irduded the introdrction of irtake teans, intakerneetirBs, and preparatoryintervievrcwith papnts and childten(lGprth,1S7, \bn denBeqh, 1S1). Slowlywe are anivirg at an irr tegratedserubewhereambulatory day care and reidential care irstitutbrs are irtegrated.Atthat point w€ can talk about multi-furp. tiorEl irstihrtbrs. Thereis abo a growirg tecognitbn tfnt rckjertialcarc can only be efbctive when it b paft of a padrageaimedat Numberu Bdreen 1978and 1987there helpirBthe family6 a whole, was a edtrtion of 47Tcin the and where parcntsale irr overallcapac*tyof msidential vohpd in all spects of the irstih.ltiors.In the Nldherlands car€ Prooess. todaytherearc aboutten Firally therels a corsiderable thocand young peoplein conoErnaboLtthe needto providedter carebr cl'rildren resldentialcare bsuse of psychosocial problens. The and theirfamilies(Smit 19S), rnaloritylive in privatelnstitu tiors which are apprcvedand Tho terk.nd tuncllon ol subskJbedby tfn gov€rn nddontlal calr wotlren "Cf*ldrenin rcsidertialcarc rnert A small nrnber of yourBstes ate remrtofave severcpsychesochl prcbbns; a spcific ap dated in state irdildions. proach b rnessary to rneet Th6€ arc regardeds a 'sdety rnt' br the rnct diffr tfs€ poblerns and to create cr.rltor dbturbed yourBsters. rel possibilitiesbr develop Sornechamderbtics of ow rnerl and grcwth.lt rcguircsa residentialcfriH carc serui:s: reidential socialnorfier who 1. ln our psidentialirstitu can act with expertbeand re tbrc the distributionmrdlledbn, and s'ho tEs hb irg to sex b @% boys and heartin the rpm plae. Thb girls. 4O96 mgil qede a kindof a paradox the soclalrvor*erb 2. The largestcategoryof yourg peoplein residential facedwithtte tck of develop and*. care (60%)b aged between irg a wellthonght-out counbcl-'fortreatment plan; but in its executbn he should, a mrch as pcsible, break 'planrnd' way of through the workirg with the children and be as fhxible as possible. (l{omp & Van Oeffelt, 1978). Fbweve[ in recent years the idea has gained ground that tfese two approacfns arc rpt opposed to each other: phrF nirg and goal-oriented aclion do not exclude creating a home environrnentthat b as natural a possible. Jt/lcrcover, it b true that plannirg and goal orientation are rnoessary bsr.resin order to justity the social Yvorker'sinterventiors aftenrards (ct Bryeq 1988; Krprth & Smit, 1990).' (p. 9/10, Klomp & lfnrth, 1W). The heart of residentialwork, of helpirp people by sharirg their daily lives, lies always in a unirqueencounter between human beings. The central task of the residential care worker is the personalcare forthe children and the daily contact with the children. That care is realisedin a group of children. For the group, a livirg situ ation is corstituted. Hence, the residentialsocial worker b tfre key-figurein the residen tial care proc€ss. Eleveloprnents There have been several de velopments in the context of the residentialcare worker in the t\,letherlands: 1. The number of residential care workers in a group has increased from two to 4,5 social workers per group; 2. The size of the group has decreased from 3Oto (on average) 10 children per group; 3. The edtrcation of the residential care worker has grown over the last 30 years. Formerly the residential care worker was untrained; at present the residentialcare worker is at the middle hvel of professionaltraining and some of them are at the high levelof professionaltrainirg, Summarising,we see in the Netherlandsa morc and more professionalised residential care worker with a limited number of children in the group. But in this context, let me not keep from you two recent empirical resultrs(Van der Ploeg, 1s2): careworkFirst,theresidential fulanwq'tg Vol.l1 No.10 Odober 1998 Page 10 ers are spnificantly dysfurrtional when the residential irr stittrtion has a strong authoritarian org anisational strlrclure; Second, when the children in the group perceive the group climate 6 rpgative, the residential care worker furrctiors very irnffectively. Why supervlalon? To arswerthb question, I can list rnany theories, especially tfeories of organbational de veloprnent. But br np there are three main reasons. 1. The work of a residentialso cialworker is mostty intuitive. The disadvantage of acting intuitively b tfiat it b not easy to explainyour workirg methods to other persors. Also, if the workirg method fails, it is very difficultto analysethe situ ation and to find othersolu tiors. 2. Empiricalresearchpoints out that too littlesupport within a team leads to dysfunctionirg of the team. The furntionirg of the team is pcF tively inlluencedwhen there is a social network of colleagues on whom one can build. 3. The problematic behaviour of the child is an importantfactor. In a large-scale study (Van der Ploeg & Schotte, 1988)a comparisonw€tsmade between the characteristics of a representativegroup of con temporary inmatesof Dutch child care homes for mirprs with psychosocialproblens, and the cfnracteristics of residents of similar homes ten years earlier (Vander Ploeg, 1979).One migfrt summarise the findings by sayirg that in recent years young people in children's homes have be come more problematic,notiably in relationto more pro blematic family situatiors, rnore problematic relatiors with significantothers, and longer and more traumatic case-histories.This is not exclusivelya Dutch trend. Nevertheless, in spite of this, residential care is corstantly threatenedby financialcutbacks, sometimes clouded in masked terrns such as 'substitution', that is, replacirg expersive, intrusiveresidential care with less expersive and less intrusivealternatives.At the same time, the need is felt for a more systematic ap proach to residential treat- rnent (lGprth & Smit 19S) and there b at the sarne tirne great pressure both to irnprove the qulity of rvork and to demorctrate its effective ness. In corrclusion we can say that residential group care for children with psycfnsocial prob lerns b a field under stress. Socialworkers have to deliver a quallty producl, whereas they arc forced to do their lobs with ever-decreasirg finarpial rneans. (Van der Ploeg&Smit, 1S2). Modelg of superulelon Workirg with children in a residential irstitr.ttionrequires morc than irsiTht into tfe problens of a child. The goab of the self-educatbn of the residentialsocial worker can be classified in: 1. Theorybuildirg, with respect to the problens of children; 2. Skillstrainirp, in child care methods: 3. Personalgrowthand personal education of the residerr tial worker beirg an important resourae and influerpe in contacts with children. (cf. Kok, 1973;Klomp,1$4). Supervisionhas to be linked, in my opinion, to these three goals. From this we distinguishthree roles or models of supervbion: 1. The expert model or role ; 2. The problem-solverrnodel ; 3. The coursellor model. I shall describe these roles briefry. The erpert rcle With regard to content, thb b an advisory model. The supervisor shows wl'nt should be done. "Here speaks the expelt". Methods r.rsedby the supervisor are: lnstructing the team. The su pervisorsays: You should do it in this manner. Convirrcingtlp team. The su peruisorsays: lt is better to do it this way. Adrrisingthe tam. The supervisor says: In your phce I should do it like this. &rggesting ideas and alterrntives. You could do it this way, but it is also possible to do it anotherway... The problem eolver rcle The task of the supervisor in this model is to promote the Tlu luart of rcsidcntiolworh of lulping peoplcby sharhg tluir daily lives,lies alwaysin a unw encounter bctweenhwnan behtgs.Tlw central task of the rcsidentiol care worloerii tlu personalcorefor tlw children urd tlu doily contactwith t re children. Tlrat care is realisedin a goup of chilben. - probssionalism of the residen tial socialworker. So the su pervisor fras to develop in the team a self critical attitude. How do you tackle a prob lem? You reed a'birds eye' vbw - a higher perspective on tfe problem. Methods used by the supervisor are: $rdegic thinking around the problem: diagncis; planning (the strategy); treatnent; evaluation Functional analysis of pr&lem atic situatioruf; a means of strategic thinkirg. What b the problem; what b trp history of the problem; in which situation; under what circumstances; - how can it be tackled? Realttytes0rp; often it b rpt clear what the real aclivity or practice method of a residen tial vrorker is. The workes have poorly defired impressbrs of each others'furrction ing whicll can lead to mbunderstandi rgs. Fler€, tfese impressiors have to be verified. The counrllor rcle The residential child care worker must rvork on hb own, supported by tfp team and the superubor. Supervision at this st4e can be individual or individual-withintheteam. A certain kind of self-rellection b the bcus - upon yourself as a peFon. Metfpds r.rsedby the supervisor are: lnterprcting Cutfrofting Refleding Lbtening Thes€rnodebor rolesof su peruisionoftenrcprcduceor followthe development stagesof a team.Theyare cyclics+ages. As an ilh.rstntbn,I shallgothroughthe s@es of the developmentof a team, andthe divbbn of supervisbn intoerch of ttese stages: 1. The ognltlvr tage At this sbge tl'e team seelcs its own sfucture. Oftenthere b - littlecohesionof the team; - irsufficientand ursatbfac. torycommunintion; - m clearruls for adirg withthe children. Theteamb lookingforcognitivesafety.Herethe supervisor hasto be an upert. 2. The affec{lw and rclatlonal dage At this stagethe team develops an interpersonal solidarity.Teannrorkrequiresrnt onlytunirg intothe goab of the irstitr.rtion, but abo irnprovernentin functbnirp together. Theintenadbnbetwen the groupmembes b th€ rnainfocr.s.Atthb stagecorflicts betweengrcup rnembeeare tsml-andaconflictbof positivevalupin thb sfi€e. BrJtthe gloup canlpt rcrnain in thb orfiict - tfny must rno\reon b work on their t6ks. I'brc the zuperulsorb ttc prdemsolyer 3. The perconal,aulononlou. Cagc At this shge the cornmunication tas cfEngd. Thegrcup clirnab b rpt domirded by deferrcernctnr*sns. There b a reognifnn of own iden tity in rspect of erch of the teamrnembers.Thereb an reptarrce of erch other. Herethe supervisorb the counsellor Conduslon Thegoab of supervbion,and the roleof the supervisoican charge in tirneand frequency. Gercnallytheyare dependent on the goalsof the residertial irstitution,the stageof the devebprnerilof the bam, the levelof probssionalfurptionirg of the team,and the n* tureand diagrnsb of the problenstheyare norkirg on. -dfrlclcnttg Vol.11 No.10 Odobcr 1993 Page 11 Jonelhrn Pego is a medial studentat UCT. ln ttpir Human Eblqy @urse, frrst-yearstudenb lpve thc un,queopprunrtyto resclardra q*ifrc comnttnity, and /r,terto prticipatein a'handgon'cr. simukrtim during wfik*, they learn sontethingaboutpaple in difriculty and ttn organiations whidr etve them. The enptnsrei, on 'patienb* paple' aN of furcfnmlity in families and cotnrntnities - as agahst patlnlogy. H-- LUre the largest role to play arc tfe family, in particulartfe parents. Inthe handlirg of aDown'sSYrr dprne cusre,the parerts arc the sirgle rnct important element. Withorlt their support, any form of corstnrdive prqress b almct impcsibfe. Otrt of thb came the realisatbn of the need for edrcation frcr dodors - edurcatbnwhbh will enable them to help set the parents inthe rightdirection:tolink them with organisatiors which may be most helpful. It was, howercr, rcalisedtl'nt tl'e fpafth vrorkershould not simply act as a refenalservice,washirg his or herlnnds of the caseafter the refenal. An interest should be maintaired in the case, mt onfy to provide nrotivatbn for the parents, but also because it willsenreas a learnirg cunrefor future cases. We also discovered that the services provided for people with Down's syndrornewerc not adeqtnte. And from this carne an understandirg of the difficulties imotred in the practice of medbine in a third world e@rF orny, where priorities harc to be decided accordirg to economb pararneters,and rpt reessarily accordirg to the reed of patients. Often it b tfie mentalhealthservices which have suffered,sirpe government aid is not easily forthcomirg. But as rnentioned before, it b not the doctors, social norkers and state or private organisatiors who are of rnost importarpe; it b the parents. The parerG are the primary link with the patient; they represert aficrcewhich,when put into ntotion, can accomplishrearly anythirg. The reeon frcrthb is that they, out of everyone else in this world, really care about the patient. The bond between parert and child is ore of the basic necessitiesof life,withorltwhich rnthirg can be accomplished. The most important lesson tfnt we feel we leamt durirg this proiect is about the rolewe will fnve to play as ftlture health care workers. Our rolewill be limitedby a rulmber of thirgs: econombs, time, lack of facilities - and the fact that we will not always be able to cure a patient. We fnve to rept tfat sorne thirgs are rpt curable, bU that thirgscan be'made better'.Our or healing Upon enbrirg tE fpafth serubes field,I S$nkffi aeryorc b touchedwith tE Lrtopianbelief that withpur rnedioaltrainirg, you will fn\re the abilityto cure - anybodyard anythirg. And whd ou grouplearntdurirBthis tine b tH thb b afallacy. Ou grorp had the opportunity to study Down's syndrome, ttme whosrfrerfnomthe disorder and tfpse whc work with them. Doiln'ssyndronreb sonnthirg whbh canmt be cured r.rsirg arryform of rnodernnedicirc. The only thing that can be cfnrped b the dtitrrde of the peoplesuromdirg the person concerned,thereby ersurirg the integrationof that person intosociety. Unftrrtunately, wfntwe as heath servbeprofessionals can do, is so limited.Thepeoplewfphave role may be, rather, to prepare and support the the people surroundirg patiert, and to help thm with tfis reSarrce. \Ah leaned thatthe people surroundirg the patieril back home are more important than any brm of npdical servi<-s wl'rich vre had to offer. Puttirg thd into simple terms, we learned that our scientific trainirg is limited, and thd we should accept this. We must statt from there,especiallyin the rnanagemertof a personsuffering from Down's Syndrome, which is not curable in any way. The only thirg tfat is curable is the often negativeattitude of the people comirg into contactwith that person. llllilflllflilllll lfll lilflflfilt iltr trll ll[milsr l l l t t a r t 1111iiirr rr ! ,, , L l , r a U 0r, Mongolism(or Down's Syndrome) is one of the few conditions for which there is a loown c.luse for a specifiable syndrome. The chromosomes of a male mongoloid child are shown in the illustration. The presence of an extra chromosome on the twenty-first pair is the causalive factor in most cases of this abnormality. Sometimes the trisomy o@urs on the twenty-secord pair. The twenty-third pair is the normal male sex chromosomes. Facially, mongoloid cfrildren characteristicallyhave small skulls, slantingeyes with a vestigialthird eyelid at the inner comer, small ears, and a llat nose and face. Many mongoloidchildren show an atfectionateand passive disposition. Thei r intellectualdevelopment generallyreachesan lQ level ol30 to 50, which is oonsidered moderate retardation. Their tendency to develop physical disorders, induding cardiac problems, makes their life span limited. strcl'rconditiors.Yet,sorne rewt or reclusivecrayfshwas alwaysthere,apparcntlysatbfredand healtiry. LastYveekwe rad about bats froma bookon rnamrnab. Theadhor spelcs bnderly of the creaturs, makirg it diffF cult to believetfpse are the same rnamrnalstH have populded honorslpws br gernratbrs. $definbhedthe cha$er and Yventoutside, wherewe beane arpther shdow amorg the fir and hemlockirnagesthat cut the clearsky irilo pleces. \ fe wetchedte familiardivs of our rcsidert batswith new vbion. , n t sornepoirt, rnct terct> Aers borne studenB learrr ing fiom tfse puprlsthey are hiredto irstnrci. I sr^spectit is similarbr a parert wten he orshe begirsto let a childbe tle leader. Peoplehaveencouragedme to s(;n Hallieup for gymrnstics."She'sso agile,"tltey say. Becauseshe seens to dare to sorneinrer music, frbnds havesuggestedpiarn lessors. Tothe offer of bnnal irstnr* tbn she s!8, "Ilo tlanlcs, i/lom,"and prceeds to bwy her handsin the garden,lookirg forearthwonrsand soF dier beeths. I'm iru'sirgly drawninto nrydaughte/s*orld d dirt and irsects.I'm irtrQued by the spiderufio pEtiendyand pesbtently buildsher web. lf it sfpu{d be bm or destroyed, she begirsagain.lwatchthe ants labow over crunbs of food,oftenlargerthantfeir own bodies.Tfny rnoveaF npst imperefliHy bruard. I reist assigrt'rBlurnan emotbrs b tlem, hl I am errcouraged by their tenrcity. I use it as a rnodel. $.Nf Followm g a Child'sLead I t\ /lY daqghter, Hallie, has alI V lways prebned rpntraditional bed-time stories. At bur yeas old, she would veerto the left of the low shelves that held children's books and aim forthe pile of rnagazineson the round table where we ate and paid bills. Four out of five tirnes, she woufd slide the latest National Geographic from the pile and slap it agairst her thigh as she leaded fortfe only comfortable pia:e of furniture we owrpd, 'qtheblLe chair". We uiould sqLeeze in together while my son, Dylan, lourged lankily acrGs one of the urr furrlerJ|g Vol.l1No.10Octobcr1998Pago12 cornfortable pia-s of fumitute, "the old brown sofa". As I read aloud about historic villages situated rprth of ns, I was sure every third word was perplexirg to the children. Sometimes,I would stop and explain a phrase. So it was that my daughter be gan to use words like "interpret," and "alchaeology". "lt's a perceptbn," she said, 'qthat you don't like to @ok." "lt's my pereption, too," lsaid. Flalliehas taken ourfamily alorg with herthrough habitats so old and damp that we scarcely odd believe arrythirg would be able to live in I ast weekend,we hikedour Lfavor.nitetnailona cape in the Facific.l\tlydaWhterwas in the lead.Shespotteda smallpotatobng. Llsmlly,she wouldbendto examinethe markings.Thepotatobtrgson thb trail havea differentpattem fromthosein ow garden. Butthb dayshe fad already examiredseveral.Sheonly pausedto bok bad( to Dylan and rne."Bt€," shesaidand pointedwith srch authorityto a certainspot in the dirt,that it oAtsorme pnl nost teaclpn becomestudenB lcarningfum tlnse Wpilj t tsl are hirvd to ins/lrtrct. I swpectit is simibfor a Pqrvrt wlpn rre or stu bgfis n lct a chiWh tlv Ieoder.' I rrould haveblt lil<eintent-bldllb sbp on thatarea Beinga family b aboutsr.rp port and irrtructbn; it also s€ers to be abod kJentifyitB @mmongound and leamirB to apprrciate difbrerps about krwirg whento terch and ufien b get out of the way of learning- wfpn b give up the fiont b someore with a rpw way of seeirg. A friend calls parcrtrng a "humUirB" probsbn. I rrould add to thd decriptbn "edLndional." Flertly on a guidedrntne wdK ttp ldr bld r.sthd slr.rgstave a rntural aethetic qulrty. Halli€and I olbn lnt€ de batedthe teHiw valm of slugs- r.suallydteraslug attrck on rnyvcgebbl€s. StF tends to win the bdles and cani€s the ofbndirg shtgs bad( b the uumdswfpte, she says , they willstay."My rnom vrodd liketo killthem,"she telb the leederand all the gen th peopleutrp have@mpanied c on thb walk. "HunblirB?" ltlct ertainly. "Educatiornl?"Wittpttt a doirbt. Mdlse lldcndd writirg in TheClvbttarnScbncp Hloritor- r994 The Unitcd Nations Interrnctional bcr of thc knily In thb, the secondof tvroexbactsreprintedwith permissbnfromthe Jounal of Ernotionaland Elehavioural Pnoblens,Proloror Jlormrn Alcrl asks:Howslpuld cHldfpod or adolescent depressionbe tteated?ls therea curc?WfEt is the rnosteffectivetreatrnent?b tlere a rnostefbdive tr€atrnen?For bothstudentsand prrtitbrets, a helpfuldiscussbnon tpatrnent: rnedbationsin conjunction with'tlbmilytherapy."\if€ ha\re found individual"psychottcrapy" to be insffectiveif tte child b unableto corpenfide or bels extrcrnelyself-ab sorbed,g uilty,or asharned. Thce studiesthat have lookedat thb quetbn in adultstanrcshownthat reither medkntionsnor "psyche therapy"arc superior.The best rspons€ appeas to re sultfrcm a ombinatbn of treatnent interuentbrs.While thb fns rpt been prcvenwith childrcnand adolescents,it b usefulto beginwiththe as" sumptionthat a muftimodal approrchwill be mostefiective. floptf*thelltlp^ Cbildw, ofDeptassed fr?rd'4dnlescents Unfortunately therearc rp studiesthat dealwithtle "to' tal" treatrnentof deprssed children and adolescents. Thereare drugstudies,and tfpre are anecdotalreportsof effectivepsychotherapeuticin terventiorsfor both individtr als and families.Br.rtthereare nc studiestlnt clearlydemon stratethe efficacyof ore ther+ peuticrnodalityoverarptler for childrenand adolescents withdeprcssi\redbordes. Further thereare rp studiesthat haveevenattemptedto look at a multimodalapproach. Wfry? Thereare a lot of reasons. Oneof the forernostb tradition.Untilrecently, childand adolescentpsychia$ and frcr tfnt rnatterpsychiatryin gen eral,hasmt reliedon "studies"as a way to determirethe efikxy of its inbrventions.tt b only the adrcnt of psycfro phannacologytfnt h6 charged theseexpectatbrs, and mw "studies"arc sen as tte way to approrch and assesstherapedb irierrren tiors. Otherreasonsirpludethe lowerfreqwrry of mapr de pressivedbordersin children andadolesents, as corF paredto adults;tle hk of funds;the hd( of personrelto carryout sr,tchstudies;and the bk of coherenttreatment modebfor childrenand adolcents. All of th€s€f*:tors elicitvarious esporxres;brJtthe rnost destructir/€r€sporse b "therapeutb nihilism"- or aban LlrleJ;E Vol.l1 No.10 Oclobcr 1998 Pagc 13 dort'ngfaith in orrc'stherapeu tic eilfectiverpss.OrE's effectivenes dependsa greatdeal on om's dtitudes, beliets, and the sustairedabilityto car€. One canmt treat de pressedchildrenor adolescents,or for tlat rnater adults,withorJtbeirg dfucted adverselyby their depression. Thesearc mt dborders of cognitbn or behavioucbut of ernotbral sbts. Tteir dbturbare b ore that canmt alwaysbe undestoodfullyon an intelleciuallevel.Corse qrcnt[, to treatdepression rneansthat one will be affected. Pdndples of treatment Despitethb "lackof infonnation",tfere are gernral principlesthat can be followedin rnanagirBtlnse chiHrenan dadolescents.THeseprirrcF plesare mt to be thongtrtof as specifictherapeuticinterverilions,but nather6 gen. eralguidelineb obsenrc durirB the oouse of beatrnent,regardlessof tln specif'rctherapedicnndality chosen. hinciple #I: Attend to cmcrtcltcics frrst Obvidr.rsly,tfE-re are a broad rarge of drcunstarps that require imrnediate interu€ntbn. Clirticians rspond rnore freqmntly in ttee circurn stanoes when erpurtered in acbfcoents, br.l th€e circumstarpes ale either urrpticed or Srnred in yourper chil- dren.Thernostfreqrcntly(7rpred symptomin ctildren b the exprssion of se\rer€aggressiones a manilestation of depresioft. too often,this is mblabelledas a ondtd disorderor,if the childb yourger,an oppcitional defiant dborder. Arrychild or adoleent with a chonic aggrcsive disturbare ctarderized by ursb ble rnod,'\bmper tantrums," or oveft impublverygrcssion shor.ddbe evdtrbd br a nrooddisorder.The identification of a deprssive dborder in thb groupould haveerprmousimpacton trcatrnent and, if the patientb tnspitalized,oouldshortenthe tnspitalizationsubstantially . Suidde ideationand thmats are tulativelycommonin adolesents. lt b too easyto dbmisstfese 6 "ps€udocide" if or mt ral, sp*id[ chpnic or in an adolescent with severcdurrbr paftology.A dinicianmustdend seriocly to any suicktalideation or thrcat a patiert rnay he\rs,ufiether in a cfiild or adoleert, and whetherit lns beenverbalizedbeforc. hinciplc #2: Don't msrnncthat n inglc trcnt%ontmcthodvill safwc CItenow patiertsorp-to the dinic tavirg hadeithera prclorgedcouse of "psychothorapy",or havirBbeenon severalrnedkntions- or both.Ourclinicrnostoftenwill begina therapeutbtrialof bi"tqh #3. ht't msu.mcthat n inglc thernp cutie inten cntion rill not saffi[c. Therei-le circunstarpes whereonly orc therapeutic modalrtyb rncessary.Sometirn6 thb b the useof a medicationalone,withverylittle parental,hmily,or individual rvork.A childor adolesent rnayrcturnnrcnthlyfor rnedicationcheck-ups,with little moreneeded.Thisabo can apply to a psychotherapeutic interventionbeiry indicated and suflicient. Currently,a sirguhr vesus multirnodalapprorch b most oftendeterminedby the comfort and experienceof the clinician, lrct any r€searchdata. Pri"tqh #4. Rcngnizc frrrduEc onantcflrnnsfYrctrcc. Counterfiarsblerpe is the belirg stateelicitedwithinthe therapistin rcsporse to a p* tient Ernotbrnl disordes are contagbus,and thce diniciars who say thattheyare rnt rcspondirg to ttnse p* tients are either mt rehtirg to them or ar€ derryirgtheirown feelirgs of ountertrarsferelpe. Thereare a numberof re sponsesthatcliniciarsrnay havein reponse to ountertnnsferene. The rnostprcvalent b to dbtane orpself from the pdbnt Cliniciars may see certainpatientsless fiequentlyin an attemptto guardagairsttheirownfeelirBs of irndequcy or other narcissisticstates, or the amount of time clinicians spend with these patients may bec-omenegligible,perfnps restrictedto jtst the administrationof a medication withor.rtany attempt to deal personaltywith the patient. The clinbians may even label the patient as 'resistant to help', personalitydbordered; or condrrctdisordered- any labelto rationalizethe need for distance and to maintain self-protective boundaries. RecognizirE the @untertransferencewill help tfe clinician to understand the full impact of the depressive dborder on the child or adolescentand the world around them. lf the child's feeling states create a serse of hopelessrrcssor numbnesswithin the clinician, assurnethat the same will fnppen to others with whom the child @rnes into contact. It will help to dlscrss this with family and, if possible,the yor.rth,to gain a sense of the illness and its impact. Furthef recognizing the countertrarsference may help the clinician to have a sustained empathy with the child, thereby providing an avenue of relatedness that may not be avaihble otherwise. Principle#5: Itunt'ifypnrontalfuprestvediswdcn and.seeh trontmcnt. When a cfiild or adolecent b seen forthe assessment, assurne until prcven otherwbe that ore of the parents b or has been depressed, as well. Nunprous studies have demorstrated that the frequency of depression amorg the offsprirg of depressed mothers is quite high. Further the age of orset br the child or adolescent b dependent on the age atwhich their parcnt had the orset of their depression. Ask the parents about the age at which they began becomirq depressed. A lot of parents have never been asked tfpse questiors, and there fore have rpver thotrgftt about them. lt is helptulto explain why you are talking with them about their depression.lf a parent had an early orset durirg their own childhood or adoleserpe, the nature of the child's depressionm(;ht be better understood. And, the potential of it becomirg a fusterlJtg Vol.11No.10 Oclobcr 1993 Page 14 lifelong illnessmight be mirrorgd in the parcnt's own expenenoe. Parentscan be rebned for a clinical evaluation and assessment. This can be done within your own clinic or in a clinic or.rtsideof your care. Depending on your own expertise and comfort, you could do the evaluation yourself. The advantage of evaluatirg and treatirg a parent's depreasion in your own clinic b that you have direct experience of the depression and you can ob serve the interplay with the child's depression.Thb also helps in integration of care in the family treatment. Principh #6: Mafu certnin thnt you knowthe f*ily hbry f* thcpresenceof deprasionnnd its ,nflltyftnns ondfw succes{al t hcrapeutic int ereentilms. Oftenthee b an extersirrehbtory lor depressionin these families.Thercrnayhave beensuicideattemptsorsrrccessfulsuicides.Therealso may be hbtoriesof alcoholbm, socbpatlry,and low-level depressbrsexpressed through aggressbn,initabilig, etc. lt is impoftantto get a full historyof whatthe literaturere fersto 6 "depresive spectrum disorders."Th6€ disordes, identifiedby Geoqe Wirpkur at the Universrtyof lowa, havebeen dernorstratedto be higtrerin familieswith deprcssircdbordes. ln familieswith tfese kindsof dbturbanoes,it b extrennly importantto understandif therapeutic interuentiorshad been sor.rgl'rt. Often,medicatiorsworkirg with onefamilyrnembercan predid that rnedicatbn'susefulressin a rchtedchildor adolescent. Thb h6 beendernorstrated withthe useof lithiumcarborr ate in familieswith rnanbdepressiveillresses;and we havefoundthb to be tne in familieswith hbtoriesof depressionwhee rnt only fps a child beentreated,br.ila rnother,a siblirg, an urrcle,or a cousinof the primarypatient has receivedtreatrnent as well. Principle.#7. Don't assnmcthat you con cure the child w adolescent. There is a significant differerr between healirg and curirg. Fbalirg b the attempt to help redurcethe severi$ of symptomatobgy and assist a peson to corne to grips with their illrss. [ny purpce as a clinbian is to healthese children,their parents, and families. I do rpt hold out the idea that a cure will be forthcomirg. By rpt havirg a curc 6 rny goal, I am muph morc realistic in my expectatiors; and ultirnately, this leduces the likelil'pod of my being overly frrctrated. Posing thb as a lifelorg prob lem, wherc there will be implications throughout an individual'slife in marrydevelopnnntalstage, has made it mrrh easier for rne to lelp parentsand children dealwith thb illress. Ultirnately,it has also helped them. nciplc#8: Not woryoru rill behched. communicationor interpersonal skills that will be lost for life. Treatment may irvolve helpirg tfpse people only to develop adeq uate copirg skills and an understardirg of tfrese limitatiors. Principle.#9. Theprurposeof trcntrncnt iEto helpthepaticnt, not frrwe fr bunt. 1 ."y thbtecatrse,unfortu nate|, therehavebeenlires drawnbetweenpeoplewith difierentprcfessionalorientatiors. Thereare the psycho pharmacologists.Thee are There the psychotherapbts. are the familytherapists.In the midstof all of thb, therc b a patientwhohasneedsthat alwaysshouldbe regardedas primary.Fatientsshouldrpt be labelledor madeto feel the bruntof their illress becausethey aresick and do rnt rcspondto a particuhr treatnrent.Thb would be like labellirgsorneornwith cancer and sayingif ore particu lar therapeuticintervention did rpt work,we nould let them die. lt is that levelof se veditythat I am speakirgto. Thereare a numiberof childrenand adolesents who will rpt be helpedif treated.In the adultliterature,thereb a phemrnernn referrcdto as re- hinciple #10: Nwer fractorydepressivedisorders, nive ap hnpc. meanirg depressivedisorders -lnese ire &tienc who are exwhbtr do rpt respondto medi- trennly difficult to treat. In a& cations,psychotherapy,or dition b keepirg an open any tnrapetlic interuentbrs. mind regardirg the multittde Todde, there hs beenonly of therapedic inbnrentbns, ore peperwriten abotlt thb you harteb maintain a sense topic s it appliesto cftildrcn of hopefulress. Among these and adolecents. Thb paper patients, dher careg ivers, highlithtsthe therapeuticreand family rtembets, it b easy spors€ of cfrildrento a fairly to get swept away in a serse broadnumberofphannaof lnpehssrss. \,tJemust cologknl irtertentbrs. lt abo maintain a sense of hope if clearfystatesthat we do rpt we at all want to help these in knowat thb tirne how marry dividtnb. childrenwill or will not re Tfrere is a way of rbirg above spord to mdtirnodalrtytheratherapeutb nihilbm in treating pie, or liorthat matter,e\ren tfps€ patbnts. extensivepfEnnmlog ical ir To do so, Yr€must kep open tenrentbrs. minds. We stpuld bok to Whena penionerters intoa other professbrals who might trcatrnentwith ore of these be able to help us. Vileshould childrcnandtheirfamilies,par- rpt orne b rapid corrclu erts mustbe told that even siors abod th6e individuals, tlnugh we krpw tte rsture of or about the fde d tfpse cl'tilthe problem,Yvernaymt be dren or adolescerts and their ableto helpthe child rcmedifamilies. ateallof t*s or herprobbns. It is only with fnpe and operr Elementsof the deprssion ress to a broad rarBe of may r€spondb rnedirdion, therapeuilb irterventbrs that and otherf@ts rnay espond tfse individuab can be to parertalandfamilyirterven- helped. tbnsJbr.rttherestill rnaybe lr/breon depressbn:ll TtlorcNrrmn (1*11-18f) dtfn WalkerF*cnprer Elcton, uSA,was an authorof the book TheOtlier23 Hanrc,ore of the bet-krpwn E)ttsbr child carcvrorkers. Hb greatcontributionwasto harslatette daily lMrB erwitonnpntsof cfilldteninb ponerful treatrnentconbxts - albwirg child careworkes b corlribub ntaterial} to dinical goab. Sorne excerptsfrom hb writirgs ilh-sfamhis gift br combinirgsimplicitywiththerapeutbplevarpe ... IlelpingChildtryrtoM theirW Children who fnte often are childrenwho fpve sufbrcd so rnany losses that they are "cried out," umflillirg or un able to dealwith arry more sadress. The child's sadness and sense of loss are easily overlooked in our eagennss " to "get thirgs under @ntrol. We are irplimd to help tfem dealwith ange[ when perfnps we slpuld focr.s on de velopingtheir competene to dealwith loss. t t * ln ourwork with hyperaggr€ssive children at tfr6 Wal[e] Scfrcol, we have been brced to think about ways vre could relp childen learn to deal with loss and sadress, while we wer€ coping with their acting out behaviour.We find op portunitiesfor teaching about sadness in the circumstarrces of daity living. Hopefully,our rptiors help the adults who encounterthe child in the 23 hours outside therapy to be corstrrctive agents of charge in the child's life, t t t Some events have the clear rirp of loss - the hornesickress of rew arrivab, the dbcrar.ge of a child's dG€ +n€rrd,tfE deah of a pet the leavrrg of a brprile statl rnerrF ber - tfese obvbrsly s(7nificant events are rarely overlooked. Bu tfpre are tfE 'small' losses tlat present worthwhile opportunities to help children develop lcsbearirg, irrludirg broken or missirg toys, rn rnail, losirg a game, difficulty in rnasterirg a skill. Terchirg loss-bearirg c* pacities at such times rnt only helps extend the ernotiornl competenceof children, but also helps keep befnviour withinreasonablelimits. t t t To encouragea child to ventilate his feelirBs of sadress directly b a usefulteachirg device. Ore migfrt say to a fulcrrleurl'g Vol.11 No.10 Odober 1993 Pagc 15 child, "ore of the thirBs you can do fitstwhen you're feeling sad like thb b to cry. lt's all rigfrt The tears won't hst forcver: you'll be able to stop." Orc mpht stggest a private plae to an older child too embanassed to cry openly in the company of Peers' * . * An eqmlly useful device is to help a child develop the capacrty to repress or suppress sadress, to 'Torgetabout it." There are times that frcrthe berefit of helpirg a child re pair his lib and proceed to grow, crying must stop. lf the child b to learn skills and participate in scholastic affairs, the task of "puttirB the sadness in the back of his mind" fras to * n,r."l,o.the child. The larguage of feelings can be used to teach and remind children of possible ways of behavirg when "sad." One can teach a child tfnt when he names feelings and can talk about them, he can know them himsetfand then tell otlr ers how he feels. To enlnnce the awareness of feelirps, the technQues of role-playirg, improvisatbn, and acting can be used. i * t Amther teachirg device is tfp tse that staff make of their own feelirgs. When we hel dbappointnent, experierrcelcs, ard tten npddand slate thb enptbrnl experierne with ctildr€n, otr example mry be imF tated. When we ourselves can ventilate, keep workirB, use a little hurnour,the cl'rildrencan use the opportunity to be observantpupil".* * , When we exploit small segments of reality to teach about dealirg with sadress, we make use of innumerable op portuniliesthat occur daily sr.rcfrs the end of a plecant gameor the loss of a favourfu staff rnemberuntiltornonow. At thesetime, it is abo possible b rce the tchnhtr of en cour4irg partial replmnnnts for loss6, sttcft s reattachmentsto a nerv friend,or e\rentrarsitorywitF drawal.Ttp childwho does mt krpw howto tse solitude frasa trernendoustemptation Countertransference Whena clienttansbr8 onb a therapbtsome of |he belings or attitudesproperlybelonging b anoffrer(usuallya problemrw callthb atic)relationship, transference'.CttiH carc rcrkers ofbn find themselrcshandling matedalwttichbelongsto e.g.hat anotherrelationship, betrreenchiH and parents. But,when the ther*ist frnds limsell ructing emdanlly to sorned fie cliert's mdedd q 'countqlrllnvidlr, we cdl tls tansferqpe'. A thenpbt may deny u nd see lfiese lbelirBs but mwt be mde awqe d trpltrr. Prcf. Aerl ofterl cllnblrnr len queetlonr tlry mrY mnt to erlr thomlehp. to ddcrrilne ll tlrey erc erperlenclng r couileilrrnrleruncc lowerd e depreered petlcnt 1. Do you bel uncombrtable with the patientufien you are with him or her? 2.ll yut bel urrcornbrtable, wtretbelings do you havt? Angpr,depresskrn,gornaticbeF ings?Arc you beling sloupd down,findingh difficultb ooncenfde, etc. 3. Do yor bel beter dter the pati€nt leaveeyour office? Sornetin€stheccunbrhar*rerne tesporte, lf il b rrcre $mdb h natJre,willrptbe identifiabledttp lirnc you te wihth€pahnt, clrnrydne cr extremetydoity.T}nrebre, it to ward off or denysadness by beingcorstantlyin the thick of thirBs.Thb yourBsbr mrghtrped to leamto de \rebp the caprcttyb be alore and ltnd thd tferc b a "@rr starrcyof peopb" urhostill rc- cepthim." y:T. It is importantb notethat we havenotfoctssed on pathologicaldepresion or distortiors of the rnoumirg prooess.Indeed,thse occur - and with frequerry arnorg distulted cftildren- butrve empfnsizethat leamirgto rnasbr loss b a hurnanrpessity,mt iust a "cul€" to rnental illrpss.OurtechnQuns helpadultsrnakean alliarrce with tfat patt of the child strugglirg agairst hb difficulti€s.Thb b an alllancebr terchirB emotionalcompe terpe. b imporffi b nfr vfiat ycrt hel aftr he pdient leate the dca. 4. Doyou arc*l seeingthe pe tient?Do yon minimia the lime een direcilyudtt the palient spendirq time pimad[ wih fte parents?Do yott speakbref with thc cfrild q addecent or do yor.rleaw them in thc rr€iting roorn,neveraeing them? 5. Are you thinkingabouttansferring thb patient becanse '!ou can't help them wry much"? lg thb a rcalisticaasessment or one motivabd by countertransilerence? 0. Do you haw a tendency,with this patent, b b€lthat "lhey arc notfyhg In tedment"? Haveyot starbd labelingthb "not fy{ng" as beirB charcbr pahdogy, 8rylng thal they haw "an and rebntiw peraonality" or thcy an "passirrcaggrEosiw" or "paosivo dependent"? 7. Do you havebelings of inadeqr.racywhen you are witt thc patlent?Do you bel ttat lt b yourhultthdyou an unableto rerch or bond ufft them? 8. Do you bda 8en8eof anger? Do you bcl |hat thb p+ tient deeervneto get inadcquateteatnent or no treatncnt becaueeof their "atlitude"? 9. Havoyou bund that you rculd rdrersee otter palients than this paticnt? Do you bel therc is absolubly rrc eeneeof gratificaliondedwd lrom thb patient?Do yon went more gratificaton lrom this palient than they can realiglicallyprovUc? e?4 Xzr ffi€il -t+ \- H;.e SOL @RDON OFFERS PRO'ECTCHANCE CHILDRENAND YOUTHAT R I S KB E C A U sO EF H I V A N D A I D SN E E D I N 6C A R EA N D EDUCATION lf you have mt received the leaflet which otdires this vital programme targettirg the reeds of an estimated 5OO000 AIDS orphars by the year 200O,please telephore any of the MCCWs offices or write to Elcx2&P3, ltlalvem 4055. They will need everyore's help. you and contributeto your feelirgoptimbticaboutyourself.lf your loveb imrnatureit will exfnustyou, and gernrate belirgs of deprssion, arr ger and jealolsy, NACgW Eleven lasf-rninule 'suwival' ideas by tellirg 1. Rbk intirnacy, peopleabotrtyourself.You thus becornevulnerableto being abtsed and rejected- or beirp embracedand rccepted. 2. lf you can't be sonnbody you wantto be, at leastdon't be sornebodyyou don'twant to be. 3. lf you havea bnderry to be setf-depmcdirB,don't tell arryone.lt's reallyborirg b be with arryornwho b down on himfteself. 4. lf you haveadvioeto give, don'texpectanyorn to bllow it easily(or at all).Whenwas the bt tirnesorneorptold you "rnt to wolry" and you stoppedworryirg? 5. lf you do sornethirgwrorg you shorJdfeelguilty.lVlature guiltb oqanbirg, but not long-lastirg.Youwill eitter makearnendsor you will rpt do it again. 6. lf youfeelguiltyabout somethirgthat doesn'tmake serrie - like havirB'evil' thougfrts- yourguiltwill dborganiseyou and be the er> ergyfrcrrepeatingthe unreptable thongfrts(ob sessbrs) or behaviour(compubiors)overand overagain. 7. lf your lovefor arnther person b rnature,it will erergise furreurltg Vol.l1 No.10 Odobcr 1993 Pagc 16 8. lf you wantto charBea be haviourof yours (frcrexample, talkirg too mrch or rpt ernugh)your initialefbrtsto charge mustbe bred or me chanical.\bu mtst rnd<eyourself do sornethirg.\bu are tryirg to changea behavbur which fns becomea fnbit in asense it has becornea spontarnous,'natutal'te' sponseof yoursto tersion. UponforcirB an a[enstive response(e.9.rnt talkirg so mrch) you will be 'rcwarded' by ernrmousrushs of aruiety. lf you are able to tohrde the'rnechanical' behavbur charges and the relatedbn sion,you will be ableto charBe to a rnoreaaeptable 'habit'. proferslonals Ing plecc! ,,. Atitlf;aednunbrd senior peqle ln tE profasslcnoan sfllget lntoilln 10ef cilassto sbrt thb presdgianstv*e,yeer speciCbed diplan c'txr te. Thecouse ircludesthree sernestersof couseuvorkon a dbtanoeterchirB and bletuitbn basb (Oqanisational Managernert,Legbhtion and Policy,StaffAdminbtr* t'ron,StaffDevekrpnnfi FinarpialAdminbtratbn,Child Educationand Teatrnent, Programrneltiarngement) and ore prdiel sernster to trckle an adminbtrdiveor probssbrd problemin the sh.rdent'sown worksitudion. Prospect^rsandAppliati ut FormE nu uallailetrcm your neerc,t I{A@W olftce. The Dfpfomt In Chlld Care A.lnlnlrtretlon - rN lt (Number8 is hesruy again.) 9. lf you are intolerantof someoneelse'sbehavburlikea personwho boastsa lot but is rnt hurtirg you - you are rerc{irBto something aboutyourse/fthat you don't like. 10.The processof not doing whatyou'resupposedb do is muchmoretirirg than doirg and gettirg the rnostboring tasksoverwith.The ultirnate creative'btsy-rcss'b when you havetimeforalmost everythirgyou wantto do. 11. Beirg criticisedby some oneyou don'trespectshould haveno impacton you. Lib b too preciolrsforyou to be offendedby or reactto arrytoo, orp's ridicule.Remember rnt everythingyou say or they say is important. For the fint Ume in South Africa, you can Balo a unlverrlty trdn' ing in Chlld and Youth The UMSA Caro. A twolear oourle Certificatein theorutlcal subfrts by dis' tance teaching and pracdce labs for hands-on and expe' riential learning. br lnbrmaflon end mglrtrrUon brmc, wrlta b Thc Ctrtlfi. cate in Child and Youth C;att, Schml of Soclal Worlq I-JMSA PO. Bor 302, hetorla Ofi)l child & Youth Care