The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is the national organization of child and Adolescent Psychiatrists. Its mission is to promote the psychological well- being and healthy development of children throughout the country. It includes several committees that meet annually and work throughout the year on specific projects.

The AACAP Family Committee is composed of several Academy members including trainees, early career child psychiatrists and senior members with significant experience practicing and teaching family therapy. The mission of the Committee is [Read more…]

Many extremely challenging behavioral health problems in childhood and adolescence are best treated with family based treatment. Here are some examples with a brief description of each:

Conduct Disorder and Delinquency

The diagnosis of conduct disorder is reached when a prolonged pattern of delinquent and serious violation of laws and societal norms occurs. The child’s behavior may include aggression towards people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, or serious violation of rules. Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is a home-based program that integrates the roles of the school, social network, family, and the neighborhood. It is believed that all of these systems play a role in maintaining this behavior, and can be utilized to break the behaviors. This intervention is particularly popular with [Read more…]