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Bonded to the Abuser: Part 3

In this 6-part series, Dr. Baker will provide a summary of the topics discussed in the book.

Bonded to the Abuser: Part 3

Not all childhood maltreatment is physical or sexual. Some parent hurt their children’s bodies and some parents hurt their children’s psyches. The third type of childhood maltreatment discussed in Bonded to the abuser: How victims make sense of childhood abuse” is emotional abuse. According to the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children there are six types of psychological maltreatment, four of which are forms of emotional abuse. These are caregiver behaviors that result in a child feeling unloved, of no value, and only of worth in meeting another’s needs. Twelve memoirs written by adult survivors of childhood emotional abuse were summarized and analyzed for this chapter of “Bonded to the abuser.”

At the heart of each story of emotional abuse is a parent whose heart is not in the right place, a parent who – because of depression, mental illness, or addiction is too self-absorbed to be emotionally present and consistently loving to her child. In these stories the emotionally abusive parents varied in their educational background, socio economic status, cultural affiliations, professions, and lifestyles. What they shared, however, was their overwhelming inability to recognize and act on the fact that their children were separate people with their own experiences, perceptions, and subjectivity. In other words, they met the definition of a “traumatizing narcissist.”

As a result of the emotional abuse by a parent, the children absorbed three important lessons about themselves and their place in the world: I am not accepted for who I am, I am not safe, and I am not important. In this way, parental acts that fall within the category of emotional abuse can penetrate the very being of the child and shape their sense of who they, casting a long shadow on their lives.

The New York Foundling’s Dr. Mel Schneiderman and Dr. Amy Baker are the authors of “Bonded to the Abuser: How Victims Make Sense of Childhood Abuse” – available May 16th. To purchase or view the book on Amazon.com please click here: Bonded to the Abuser: How Victims Make Sense of Childhood Abuse

To visit the author’s website: http://www.amyjlbaker.com/

Acknowledgments: Selected by Rowan and Littlefield for a book signing at the 2015 Book Expo of America

May 21, 2015/by Elefant Design

Blog, Education, Guest Blogger, Video Blog

Bonded to the Abuser: Part 2

In this 6-part series, Dr. Baker will provide a summary of the topics discussed in the book.

Bonded to the Abuser: Part 2

The second set of memoirs summarized and analyzed in “Bonded to the Abuser: How Victims Make Sense of Childhood Abuse” focus on sexual abuse of a child by a caregiver. Sexual abuse is both a criminal act and a child protection concern. From a child protection perspective, sexual abuse is defined as A) the employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement or coercion of any child to engage in or assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct or B) the rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation, or incest with children. It is this last part of the definition that is reflected in the memoirs reviewed: sexual acts between a parent and a child.

An analysis of six memoirs written by adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse reveals that – in addition to often being frightening and painful – the most profound aspect of the experience is that it violates the child’s basic sense of trust and safety. The parent who should be protecting the child takes advantage of the child’s trust in him. In involving the child in sexual acts, the parent is warping the child’s identity as damaged and dirty, guilty, and shameful. According to the adult survivors, while the sexual abuse event may be of limited duration, the “stain” of the abuse can last for years if not decades. The desire for the atonement of the abusive parent is in many respects an illusion which maintains that parent’s power and control over the abuse victim. Healing begins when the abuse victim (as a child or as an adult) forgives and accepts him- or herself and no longer needs the abusive parent to serve that function.

The New York Foundling’s Dr. Mel Schneiderman and Dr. Amy Baker are the authors of “Bonded to the Abuser: How Victims Make Sense of Childhood Abuse” – available May 16th. To purchase or view the book on Amazon.com please click here: Bonded to the Abuser: How Victims Make Sense of Childhood Abuse

To visit the author’s website: http://www.amyjlbaker.com/

Acknowledgments: Selected by Rowan and Littlefield for a book signing at the 2015 Book Expo of America

May 18, 2015/by Elefant Design

Blog, Education, Guest Blogger, Partnerships

The New York Foundling’s Dr. Mel Schneiderman and Dr. Amy Baker are the authors of Bonded to the Abuser: How Victims Make Sense of Childhood Abuse available May 16th

In this 6-part series, Dr. Baker will provide a summary of the topics discussed in the book.

Bonded to the Abuser: Part 1

As anyone who works in child welfare knows, too often children are abused and neglected by their caretakers. We also all know the pain and suffering that parental maltreatment causes children both in the short run and sometimes over the course of their lives. What is less known is how strongly children feel the desire to remain with a parent who has mistreated them. This attachment to an abusive parent can be puzzling to an observer – and perhaps even to the abuse victim him- or herself. In order to better understand how and why children maintain bonds with abusive parents, we analyzed memoirs written by adult survivors of childhood maltreatment and have written a book, which is about to be released, entitled Bonded to the Abuser. The first section of the book describes and analyzes stories of physical abuse.

These stories are both moving and terrifying. In each, the author described severe physical abuse by a parent for the majority if not duration of their childhood. In response, the children (as described in the memoirs written when they were adults) wanted to understand why they were being hurt and, in the absence of any other explanation blamed themselves. They compared themselves to animals at the mercy of their abusers yet desiring of their love and willing to forgive them. They experienced their parents as omniscient, Godlike, and were obedient in response. They had empathy for their parents and wanted to understand what drove them to act as they did. They were hypervigilant of their parent’s moods and states of mind. They were afraid of losing that parent and yet wanted to be invisible to avoid further pain and suffering. They both loved and feared that parent. They craved that parent’s approval yet feared that parent’s attention. They lived in a state of chronic arousal. Perhaps most damaging was that the physical abuse became internalized in the child as a series of negative perceptions of the self as unworthy, dirty, and bad. The power the parents had over their children extended beyond the ability to inflict momentary physical discomfort. These parents had the power to define their children as worthy of abuse, a belief they carried within them for many years.

May 5, 2015/by Elefant Design

Blog, Education, Guest Blogger

JJDP Reauthorization Act Will Help Build a Juvenile Justice System That Works

Apr 16, 2015, Bill Baccaglini and Dr. Sylvia Rowlands, SparkAction

Criminal justice issues in our country are usually left to the states, but for more than 40 years, since passage of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA), Congress has recognized that the treatment of juvenile offenders is a national issue that requires a core set of national principles.

In the decades since then, many professionals, academic institutions and local officials have studied juvenile justice systems in the U.S. and around the world – largely stimulated by the passage of the JJDPA. The analysis that has taken place has produced extraordinary amounts of information and we now have a much clearer picture of what works and what doesn’t – for the offenders, for their families and communities, and for the public that’s paying the bills and whose safety we must protect. As a result of this knowledge, innovative organizations have developed new and more effective programs.

Looking back today, it is clear that the enactment of that original legislation in 1974 had a profound impact – causing professionals across the country to begin considering and exploring new models for the effective treatment of juveniles.

Now, we have an opportunity to build new momentum to keep us moving forward, improving our models and expanding their use.

Now, it is important for Congress to reintroduce and enact the bi-partisan Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act introduced in 2014 by Senators Whitehouse andGrassley – legislation that will promote the continued use and development of evidence based practices that produce better results.

One of the differences between 1974 and 2015 is that, at least partly because of the originalJJDPA, we now have proven programs that are working in a number of states.

– In California, the state has reduced its juvenile inmate population by 90 percent and closed the majority of state-run facilities, so that those facilities now house only the most serious offenders. The result: a lower crime rate at half the cost.

– In New York, The New York Foundling, one of New York’s oldest and largest child welfare agencies, has been working with the city on a program called Blue Sky. For a one year period, compared to traditional programs, we saw 33 percent fewer re-arrests and were able to divert over 200 youth from placement in a system that costs $200,000 a year per child.

– Since the mid-1990s, at the request of the state legislature, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) has been working to identify “evidence-based” policies that successfully improve particular outcomes. This initiative has given policymakers and budget writers a better ability to implement programs that had better outcomes and used taxpayers’dollars more efficiently. It also enabled the legislature to distinguish between the programs that were working and the ones that weren’t – information it currently uses to craft policy and budget bills.

– In 2004, the state of Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice contracted with Evidence-Based Associates (EBA) to launch the Redirection project in an effort to “redirect” troubled youth from residential placements to more effective, family-focused, evidence-based treatment options.

Initially, the Redirection project focused on two Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development model programs that have demonstrated strong positive outcomes in addressing the needs of delinquent youth and their families – Multisystemic Therapy and Functional Family Therapy.

These initiatives are all examples of a strategy encouraged by the JJDP Reauthorization Act; they are all programs that utilize Evidence-Based Practices or EBPs. Whether evidence-based programs target troubled youth before they enter the justice system or adjudicated juveniles in need of rehabilitation, they share the philosophy that a young person’s behavioral and criminal problems can be addressed with a comprehensive approach that keeps them in their communities, in their homes, in the schools and out of trouble – and giving their families the training and resources they need to be able to support their child’s success.

Important to the success of EBPs – and to the government officials and policy makers who oversee them – is that EBPs are highly accountable, producing verifiable, replicable results that can be subjected to rigorous, transparent evaluation and scrutiny. We can monitor the individuals providing treatment, the tactics being used and the outcomes achieved. The process and the results can be peer reviewed so we can learn what works best and strive for continual improvement.

Those of us running programs can demonstrate to the public and policy makers – with hard data – that EBPs are actually reducing crime, keeping the public safer and saving the taxpayers’money. Reauthorization of the JJDPA – which recognizes the impact of exposure to violence and trauma on adolescent development and encourages evidence based practices to address it – will provide a significant boost to those of us in the field and to jurisdictions around the country that are working to make our communities safer while building a strong, accountable juvenile justice system.

The JJDP Reauthorization introduced last year improves on the existing law in a number of other important ways as well. It provides additional safeguards to those already in place for status offenders – for example, truants, runaways or those who violate curfews. It improves the “sight and sound” protections already in place to ensure that juveniles incarcerated in adult facilities are separated from the adults. It encourages states to eliminate the unreasonable and unnecessary use of restraints and isolation. And it provides a variety of grants and incentives for states to develop and implement protocols that, to put it succinctly, simply work better.

No reasonable person would invest his or her personal retirement account in a fund without a track record of success, so why do we allow it with taxpayer-funded programs for youth? The rigorous standards established by Blueprints provide policymakers with an investment portfolio that only includes “blue-chip” investments – high-quality, well-designed, evidence-based prevention and intervention programs that meet the highest standards of scientific scrutiny.

Improving public safety, saving taxpayers money, keeping families intact, turning more juveniles away from crime and onto a path toward a productive future – this is a program Democrats and Republicans, Liberals and Conservatives, even in a divided Congress, should be able to support.

Bill Baccaglini is President & CEO, and Dr. Sylvia Rowlands is Senior Vice President for Evidence Based Programs at The New York Foundling.

Source: http://modelsforchange.net/newsroom/980

May 4, 2015/by Elefant Design

Blog, Education, Guest Blogger

Children’s Mental Health: A Dish Best Served in The Home

Understandably, but sometimes incorrectly, families of mentally ill patients think that because serious medical conditions are best treated at a hospital, serious mental health issues are also best treated in the same fashion, at residential facilities or in an out-patient clinical setting.

But let’s consider a different approach that is proving effective in numerous trials and could have transformative implications for adolescent mental health. Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) that utilize home-based, family-focused protocols are showing success among youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, and offer enormous promise for the broader population.

In programs undertaken by The New York Foundling, we have worked with EBP developers to create multi-faceted treatment programs with highly effective home-based interventions. In addition to efficacy, home-based protocols provide a number of advantages over traditional inpatient care:

Patients are seen within the context of their natural environment, allowing greater potential to understand and treat a dysfunctional ecology that may be contributing to their psychological issues;
Intensive social services, such as support with housing, education and employment training, are provided to patients and their families;
Clinicians go to the patient, and therefore lower the rate of absenteeism and increase the percentage of patients who complete a full course of treatment.

These programs have achieved better results than traditional courses of treatment for similar populations and at a fraction of the cost. In one of our programs targeting juvenile offenders, 90 percent of participants saw treatment through to completion and the rate of “no-shows” was only three percent.

Certainly, some clinicians will argue that having the patient come to the physician is crucial, as the motivation for treatment must reside within the patient. Our evidence-based models, however, hold the clinician responsible for the motivation and engagement of patients and families and provide them with professional training in engagement strategies. As a result of this fundamental protocol difference, we have found a higher percentage of our patients completing a full course of treatment than in traditional models.

Another advantage of evidence-based models is that they follow clear, data-driven protocols and rigorous evaluation criteria – evaluations that can be peer reviewed and analyzed. We track our results against the goals set at the beginning of each clinical relationship. We tape sessions and review the performance of our clinicians. And for quality assurance purposes, we include scrutiny by third-party experts.

This careful tracking enables us to work with insurers, mental health professionals and, indeed, patients themselves, to formulate clear metrics to define a successful, but cost-effective, course of treatment.

Certainly, this model is not a solution for everyone. But given the dramatic results we are achieving with some of the most troubled young people in our society, why not consider applying it to some of the many other young people who are so desperately in need of help?

Bill Baccaglini is the CEO of New York Foundling, a New York City-based multi-service provider for youths and families that are in crisis or suffer from disabilities.

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Source: https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/opinion/denied-coverage-how-to-improve-adolescent-mental-healthcare/9670

April 6, 2015/by Elefant Design

Blog, Developmental Disabilities, Education, Guest Blogger, Partnerships

OP-ED: Evaluation Must Join Innovation When Using Evidence-Based Practices

By: BILL BACCAGLINI AND SYLVIA ROWLANDS

For those of us who have been at the forefront of the adoption of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for treating at-risk youth and families, the debate among professionals in this field has taken an interesting turn. With EBPs yielding excellent results in a variety of environments and across cultural settings, it now seems as if the composition of the model itself has become the focal point of debate.

Why not treat EBPs as a base, some argue, and adapt it to account for community, cultural or other population differences? “We know our population,” the argument seems to go, “and shouldn’t view EBPs as a one-size-fits-all solution.” While that argument sounds reasonable, it actually presents a number of issues and has the potential to undermine the credibility of the EBP movement through subjectivity, opacity and inconsistency.

Even though EPBs are still at an early stage in their adoption nationally, there is already some compelling data. In programs certified by the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development at the University of Colorado Boulder, outcomes include:

25-70% reductions in rates of re-arrest

47-64% reductions in out-of-home placements

Youth 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs

Youth 27% less likely to begin using alcohol

Youth 33% less likely to hit someone.

At The New York Foundling, one of New York’s oldest and largest child welfare agencies, our BlueSky Program has seen similar outcomes. For a one-year period, compared to the New York City Office of Children and Family Services’ traditional programs, we saw:

33% fewer arrests

41% fewer felony arrests

Diversion of 223 youth from placement with an average cost of $210,000 each.

Obviously, findings to date are based on short periods of time since most EBP programs have been implemented only recently. But the dramatic results are impossible to ignore. With government budgets increasingly tight, the rationale behind these interventions is compelling: The BlueSky program alone has produced not only a remarkable improvement in outcomes, but a cost saving to New York’s taxpayers of more than $35 million.

With these strong initial findings and increasing buy-in from professionals in the field, many policymakers and providers are considering the application of EBPs to their local needs. In doing so, they are exploring whether modifications are necessary and, if so, how far those modifications should go.

Is there anything wrong with that? Isn’t innovation a good thing?

Unfortunately, allowing widespread tinkering with EBPs would be tantamount to allowing a physician to take an FDA-approved drug therapy and “adapt” it — taking components out, putting different components in, changing the dosage and then reporting only the positive outcomes without peer review. Some would claim such practices as innovations. But for the most part, a physician who did that would be widely discredited among serious professionals.

At The New York Foundling, we’ve had to deal with these issues ourselves. We’ve worked closely with EBP developers and have seen significant initial success with a modified program that applies the Functional Family Therapy (FFT) model to the child welfare system. We’ve learned a number of important lessons through this process.

First of all, while ideas for modifications are welcome and encouraged, they should only be done in collaboration with the EBP’s developers. When any program is ready to implement, there must be an evaluation process in place that includes a time frame for reporting results. The evaluation must include every aspect of the process, so we can recognize if one part works and another doesn’t. It must focus on outcomes and everything must be reported — the good with the bad. Evaluations should be equally rigorous whether the program is a modification of an established EBP or a newly developed local initiative.

Government agencies that fund these programs should require these transparent evaluations and in-depth reporting of data, so that they and other professionals can review them, comment on them and learn from them. If government agencies require it and information is transparent and available to all, it will eventually lead to greater uniformity in standards that everyone in this field can measure their programs against.

Critics may argue that one size doesn’t fit all — that they need to be able to adjust the protocols to meet their localized needs. The Foundling’s experience in a very diverse marketplace belies that argument. We see proven EBP protocols working effectively across a wide variety of demographic and cultural contexts.

Others say that EBPs are no substitute for clinical relationships. They are correct — they are not a substitute. In fact, these interventions are among the tools to be used within that clinical relationship. Most EBPs recognize the family as the client and provide the clinician the skills to help youth and their families by repairing family bonds, changing family interactions and improving relationships.

But the bottom line, if one is arguing for modifications in a particular EBP program, is this: Rigorous, transparent evaluation is the key. Even if modifications are developed in partnership with the original developers, they must be subjected to careful and detailed scrutiny. Without that, we may find ourselves with a multitude of programs — and new ones hitting the marketplace constantly — all calling themselves EBPs and using anecdotal, unscientific evidence to market themselves as new “cures.”

The last thing we want to do is hinder innovation. We should all be in favor of it — in youth and family therapies, just as we are in medical and drug therapies. We need to allow for it both within the EBP context and independent of it, as we conceive of new improvements to our current treatment methods. No one should stand in the way of locally developed program models designed to meet existing unmet needs.

However, these programs must specify for whom they work and under what conditions as well as including an evaluation plan with specified timeframes. Only when innovation is evaluated under generally accepted standards can it be built upon and broadly embraced.

Bill Baccaglini is president and CEO of The New York Foundling and Sylvia Rowlands is senior vice president for evidence based programs of The New York Foundling.

Source: http://jjie.org/op-ed-evaluation-must-join-innovation-when-using-evidence-based-practices/

April 1, 2015/by Elefant Design

Blog, Education, Partnerships

Women’s History Month Spotlight | Zaida Milagros Fernández

March is Women’s History Month, and here at The Foundling we would like to take this opportunity to honor respected women that are dear to our organization. These women receive a spotlight and tribute this month because of their ongoing dedication towards children and families in need. Their contribution to our community is endless, and at The Foundling, we appreciate all that they have accomplished on behalf of our mission.

Zaida Milagros Fernández, the beloved founder of our Puerto Rico program, has devoted decades to advocating for the well-being of children, families and communities in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Born in the small town of Coamo in Puerto Rico, she came to the US to pursue her studies, obtaining a Master’s Degree in Social work from Fordham University.

Aware of the overwhelming needs of Puerto Rico’s disadvantaged communities, Zaida was drawn back to her home country a few years later. She quickly set to work offering her services and expertise, founding the Office of Social Services in the Archdiocese of San Juan and pioneering a program that offered aid to Cuban immigrants in exile.

In 1972, she established an office of The Foundling in Puerto Rico, responding to the needs of hundreds of children from foster homes of Puerto Rican families in New York who returned to the island. An adoption program was also established and helped countless local families make their dream of becoming parents a reality.

In 1984, the federal government granted funds to The Foundling to establish a Head Start Program. With Zaida’s guidance, centers were added in Barrio Obrera, Coamo, Hato Rey, and Cantera. Today, The Foundling provides Head Start and Early Head Start services to 1,190 children and their families in 29 centers.

Thanks to the lasting improvements she made in the lives of so many, we recognize Zaida Fernandez as a Foundling Women’s History Month honoree.

March 30, 2015/by Elefant Design

Blog, Education

Women’s History Month Spotlight | Carmen Jirau-Rivera

March is Women’s History Month, and here at The Foundling we would like to take this opportunity to honor respected women that are dear to our organization. These women receive a spotlight and tribute this month because of their ongoing dedication towards children and families in need. Their contribution to our community is endless, and at The Foundling, we appreciate all that they have accomplished on behalf of our mission.

Today we’re telling the story of one of The Foundling’s most dedicated and longstanding employees: Chief Program Officer Carmen Jirau-Rivera.

Born and raised in the Bronx, where she continues to live today, Carmen is a true New Yorker with deep ties to the local community and an unwavering commitment to its residents. She has been working with The Foundling to improve the lives of vulnerable families for a total of 40 years.

Carmen started out as a caseworker for foster children in 1975, and quickly moved up through the ranks due to her capable spirit and dedication to bringing aid to even the most difficult circumstances.

Today, she oversees a staff of 1,500 as our Chief Program Officer. Carmen’s long standing relationships with child welfare agencies across New York City, including the Administration for Children’s Services, has made her an invaluable asset to The Foundling, advancing the agency’s connection with the larger New York City community. This Women’s History Month, we’d like to thank Carmen for changing the history of our city for the better.

“My priorities for The Foundling are 1.) Remain responsive to our constituents in need, 2.) Developing the most professional and responsive workforce that provides a positive work environment, and 3.) Engage our communities to facilitate greater access and opportunities for our clients.”

March 27, 2015/by Elefant Design

Blog, Education

Women’s History Month Spotlight | Sister Charlotte Raftery

March is Women’s History Month, and here at The Foundling we would like to take this opportunity to honor respected women that are dear to our organization. These women receive a spotlight and tribute this month because of their ongoing dedication towards children and families in need. Their contribution to our community is endless, and at The Foundling, we appreciate all that they have accomplished on behalf of our mission.

Today we’re honoring Sister Charlotte Raftery, a Foundling trustee and one of our most valued Crisis Nursery volunteers. Sister Charlotte Raftery is a member of the Sisters of Charity of New York, Founders and Sponsors of The Foundling. In addition to her role on our board, Sister Charlotte is also a New York State licensed clinical social worker and the former director of Preventative Services at LSA Family Health Service.

As a volunteer/mentor for the St. Francis Xavier Church’s “Leadership Skills Training and Empowerment Program,” Sister Charlotte works to empower homeless and formerly homeless individuals to pursue paths towards more fulfilling lives.

Her endless kindness and dedication to others make Sister Charlotte one of our Foundling heroines this Women’s History Month.

“Serving on the board is living the charism of the Sisters of Charity by participating in the mission to help empower families and children to lead meaningful lives.”

March 25, 2015/by Elefant Design

Blog, Education

Women’s History Month Spotlight | Sister Carol Barnes

March is Women’s History Month, and here at the Foundling we would like to take this opportunity to honor respected women that are dear to our organization. These women receive a spotlight and tribute this month because of their ongoing dedication towards children and families in need. Their contribution to our community is endless, and at the Foundling, we appreciate all that they have accomplished on behalf of our mission.

Sister Carol Barnes is a woman with decades of experience helping others. As the former president of The Sisters of Charity, Sister Carol is a highly capable leader, and the holder of two masters degrees. Sister Carol sits as a board member not only at the NY Foundling, but for numerous institutions; including serving on hospital boards, nursing homes and colleges. With a background in education, Sister Carol’s academic teachings include math and math education, with a secondary master’s degree in pastoral counseling. She has taught at the elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels.

As a Foundling board member, Sister Carol ensures that the heart of the sisters’ mission is kept in place as we adapt to modern needs. Her particular interest as a board member is in the oversight of quality and mission integration.This Woman’s History month, we’d like to thank Sister Carol for making the world, and our institution, a better place.

“Sr. Fitzgibbon courageously opened The Foundling is 1869 to rescue abandoned babies, the need of her time; board membership affords me the opportunity to provide careful oversight as we adapt to modern needs.”

March 17, 2015/by Elefant Design

“My priorities for The Foundling are 1.) Remain responsive to our constituents in need, 2.) Developing the most professional and responsive workforce that provides a positive work environment, and 3.) Engage our communities to facilitate greater access and opportunities for our clients.”

“Serving on the board is living the charism of the Sisters of Charity by participating in the mission to help empower families and children to lead meaningful lives.”

“Sr. Fitzgibbon courageously opened The Foundling is 1869 to rescue abandoned babies, the need of her time; board membership affords me the opportunity to provide careful oversight as we adapt to modern needs.”

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