In cases involving child protective services, the goals of therapy are determined by the parents' ability and willingness to change. If parents can become better caregivers, the aim is family reunification. However, if parents are unable to change, for instance due to untreated drug addiction, therapy for the children focuses on helping them adjust to alternative placements like foster care or adoption.

Therapeutic Goals in CPS Cases

A child therapy session can be visualized as an interaction between an adult, likely a therapist, and a child in a setting designed to be comfortable and non-intimidating. For example, they might sit at a child-sized table, surrounded by toys like stuffed animals, which can be used to facilitate communication and therapeutic play.

Visualizing a Child Therapy Session

When children are removed from their parents' care due to abuse or neglect, the family becomes involved with child protective services, which often mandates treatment. As part of this process, parents may be referred to psychiatric or substance abuse facilities, while the children typically receive therapy to help them process trauma.

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There are several ways individuals may enter psychological treatment. Many seek help voluntarily due to personal symptoms like depression or anxiety, or they may be referred by concerned family or friends. Another common route is through a primary care physician who provides a referral to a mental health specialist. Additionally, treatment can be mandated by state agencies, such as when individuals become involved with child protective services due to child abuse or neglect.

Pathways to Seeking Psychological Treatment

Involuntary treatment is a form of therapy that an individual is required to attend, rather than choosing to do so on their own. Such mandates often come from state agencies. For example, treatment may be required by the criminal justice system as a condition of parole, or by child protective services following cases of child abuse or neglect.

Involuntary Treatment in Therapy

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Child Protective Services-Mandated Treatment

Therapy can be mandated by the criminal justice system, where an individual is required to attend as part of a legal ruling. A common example is when attending weekly counseling sessions is made a condition of parole.

Criminal Justice System-Mandated Treatment

Analyze the potential differences in the therapeutic process and outcomes for a client who willingly seeks therapy to address personal issues, compared to a client who is required by an external authority (such as a court system) to attend therapy sessions. In your analysis, consider factors like client motivation, the development of the client-therapist relationship, and overall engagement in treatment.

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