Introduction:
Practitioners working with vulnerable children and their families with multi-problematic issues are often confronted with many challenges.
In order to make sure the most appropriate support is provided to children and families, one ‘gate keeping’ mechanism is the use of a comprehensive assessment.
The methodology takes the practitioner through a counselling interview technique- with the child as the center point- to help the child see the problems from a multi-perspective view with a unique supportive non-verbal communication tool, called puppets.
Tool:
This nonverbal communication tool that represents human beings is a playful, child friendly, indirect way of engaging the child in a conversation to get a better understanding of the child’s personal life.
Through the puppet-set-up the child is able to show the complexity of his present and past situation and how he would like his future to be.
The Methodology comes in two parts:
1. The gate-keeping and curative aspects:
2. Guidelines for further counselling and care in general and for reintegration:
1. The gate-keeping and curative aspects:
The counselling interview technique can be used as a gate keeping mechanism or as a curative measure.
The systemic way of counselling enables the practitioner, through the use of puppets, to explore, with the child, how life-events have affected the child, and reveal the underlying issues that are present in all the involved systems.
- The methodology, used as a preventive measure makes the practitioner be more aware of the insights and underlying meaning of a child’s behavioral problems at school or at home.
- The methodology,used as a curative measure gives the practitioner a better insight of the complexity in the child’s family background and the possible reasons that led the child to run away from home.
2. Guidelines for further counselling and care in general and for reintegration:
The practitioner will come up with a tailor-made treatment plan, engaging the child in the decision-making, depending on his maturity and capacity, for further counselling and care.
Making changes in existing disturbed patterns of interrelationships and communication, asks for commitments and motivation of all involved parties.
With the resources found with the family and the community, the practitioner will be able to help strengthen and empower them to overcome their problems.
Handbook & Manual
