Mental Health Care of Families Affected by the Child Welfare System

The primary aim of this paper is to introduce practitioners to the mental health needs of children and families who are under the care and supervision of the child welfare system because of substantiated child maltreatment. Emphasis is placed on children and families who are receiving foster care services. The paper draws attention to the most prevalent mental health conditions that affect foster care children and their families based on type of maltreatment. Given that young children under age 5 are more likely to be placed in out-of-home placements and to spend a significant portion of their lives in foster care, their unique mental health needs are highlighted. Treatment approaches that are informed by both practice wisdom and evidence-based practice—such as ego-supportive intervention and trauma-focused, cognitivebehavioral therapy—are stressed. A case study is presented as a way of illustrating how mental health care may be delivered to families affected by the child welfare system.