The Change Clinic Counselling Service: Blending Client-Centred and Strength-Based Practices to Improve Mental Health Services to Families
Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
25 July 2019
Abstract
Operating in a small urban Canadian location, Change Clinic is a brief counselling service intended for child and adolescent mental health issues. It blends principles from different strength-based and client-centred approaches to counselling (e.g., solution-focused, narrative, and single session therapies). Using the parent-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, changes in child and adolescent mental health difficulties were assessed. Compared to pre-test scores, significant improvements in behavioural, emotional, and hyperactivity problems were observed six months after delivery of the service. Effect size was estimated to be moderate (.62) based on the Added Value Score calculation. Almost three quarters of clients were served in one to two sessions.
Résumé
Situé dans une petite ville canadienne, Change Clinic est un service de consultation de courte durée destinée aux enfants et aux adolescents aux prises avec des problèmes de santé mentale. Le traitement s’inspire des principes constitutifs de différentes approches d’aide et de soutien fondées sur les forces et le client (ex., les thérapies axées sur la recherche de solutions, les thérapies narratives et les thérapies à séance unique). À l’aide de la version à l’usage des parents du questionnaire portant sur les points forts et les difficultés (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), une évaluation a été faite des changements relatifs aux problèmes de santé mentale des enfants et des adolescents. Six mois après la prestation des services, des améliorations importantes ont été observées en ce qui concerne les problèmes comportementaux, émotionnels et d’hyperactivité, et ce, en comparaison des résultats obtenus lors des tests préliminaires. Sur la base du calcul de la valeur ajoutée (Added Value Score), il a été déterminé que l’ampleur des changements était modérée (0,62). Près des trois quarts des clients ont pu recevoir leur traitement en une ou deux séances.
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 38 • Number 1 • January 2019
Pages: 1 - 8
History
Version of record online: 25 July 2019
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Stephen Ellenbogen, Heather J. Hair, June Kirkland Smith, and Peter Wilton. 2019. The Change Clinic Counselling Service: Blending Client-Centred and Strength-Based Practices to Improve Mental Health Services to Families. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.
38(1): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2018-021
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