Moving toward a more reclaiming model of service in a Belgian school program.
By Franky D’Oosterlinck, Eline Spriet & Cindy Kesbeke
http://www.oobc-nieuwevaart.be
Franky is an RYI Board Member.
The OOBC Nieuwe Vaart in Ghent (Belgium) combines special education and day care treatment for children and youth with emotional and behavioural disorders. From its early history the OOBC has a strong cooperation with the Department of Orthopedagogics of the University of Ghent. In this Department, Orthopedagogics is viewed as the science of meaningful action. It is particularly in this very view that we try to use and align different theories in our treatment (Broekaert et al., 2009; Broekaert et al., 2004).
Especially because of the day care character of our treatment, we stress the importance of the ecology of the child. The child is an individual and should be viewed as part of differing life domains: e.g. the child as part of the family, child as student in its school, child as member of the sports club, etc. In this sense, the behaviour of the child should not only be seen as a symptom of the disorder of the child, or as evolving from the possibly painful traumatic events during the history of the child’s life, but also has a meaningful function in the ecology of the different life domains of this child.
This is why we state that there are always two sides to look upon when working with children and youth with emotional and behavioural disorders; (1) the side of the actual (behavioural) problem, often identified at the time of the intake, and likely to shift during the treatment and (2) the child as part of several ecological systems in different life domains. In our view on treatment, we stress that there should be focus on both sides, if we want it to be effective.
The OOBC Nieuwe Vaart is constantly striving towards an integrated treatment program in which these two sides are incorporated.
In 2003, we implemented Life Space Crisis Intervention as conflict management model for coping with the difficult moments when our children are in conflict or crisis. In the process of implementation, we found out that this method is much more than just a conflict management method, because it incorporates a whole communication and value-based system. It went along very well with the strength-based model in which we very strongly believe. We wanted to create a climate in which the therapeutic relation between child and staff member could be maximized. It is in this relation that communication must take place (D’Oosterlinck et al., 2009a, 2009b, 2008, 2006a, 2006b, D’Oosterlinck & Broekaert, 2003). But also, we felt the urge to state the rules and boundaries very clearly outside of this therapeutic relation. By doing so, limits are never imposed by the arbitrariness of one of the staff members and because of this power struggles can be avoided. These ideas evolved concretely in the elaboration of a level system, which offers a tool for staff members to set clear limits, in which expectations for the behaviours of the children are set clear, in which positive behaviours are rewarded, in which a need for extra care is being detected and yet power struggles are avoided (Soenen et al., 2009).
In working this way, we felt that we increased the opportunities for our children for growth, but still we experienced that the problems of the children were not fully resolved if we couldn’t involve the family or other important elements of the ecology of the child in the treatment. We found that the methods we use in the centre, such as LSCI and the level system, did not sufficiently reach the problem behaviour of the child, unless we could work on the function of this problem in the (history of the) family. This is why, especially for our family counselors, the research points towards the compatibility of contextual theory (Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy) and LSCI as very important. The combination of both theories led us toward a deeper comprehension of the child in his context, who can be treated according to the insights, which we should like to describe under the title of ‘Integrative Family Oriented Treatment’ (D’Oosterlinck, F., Keppens, S., Spriet, E. & Broekaert, E., article in preparation).
Furthermore, in the field of logopedical and emotion development research, we found out that there was a delay in the development of the verbal skills of our toddlers, especially in the domain of communication of emotions (D’Oosterlinck, F., Goorix, K., Spriet, E., & Broekaert, E., article in preparation). Especially for children with attachment problems, we experienced that processes of affect and emotion regulation are difficult through development. This is why, as well in the domain of logopedical treatment and the domain of psychotherapy, we include communication stimulation and mentalization based treatment (Verheugt-Pleiter, Schmeets, & Zevalkink, 2005).
For our school-aged children, working and playing together is often a difficulty, especially because of the gathering of all these children with behaviour problems, traumas and disorders in our setting. We felt that physical work could offer a powerful tool to teach these children to cooperate. Nowadays we are experimenting with the Rock and Water Program of Freerk Ykema to enhance the development of feelings of self confidence, self knowledge, self respect, and the sense of limits and intuition (Ykema, 2002).
In integrating all these theories and accents in treatment, we constantly search for the factors that are effective in the treatment. Because of these refinements in our treatment programme we are providing training to staff members in LSCI and are also searching for effective factors in on-going training and supervising staff members. Cooperating with a group of people working in the field of treatment of children and youth with EBD, we have experience working in teams and coaching and supervising staff members on the elaboration of a training for LSCI supervisors. In 2011 we are planning our first training for LSCI supervisors. We will announce all information about the events and trainings we plan on our website, www.oobc-nieuwevaart.be and on the website of EFeCT (European Federation of Conflict Management and Treatment in Education and Care) www.efect.be.
This information formed the presentation of Franky D’Oosterlinck and Cindy Kesbeke at the Reclaiming Youth International conference in June, 2010.
References:
Broekaert, E., Soenen, B., Goethals, I., D’Oosterlinck, F., & Vandevelde, S. (2009). Life Space Crisis Intervention as a Modern Manifestation of Milieu Therapy and Orthopedagogy. International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 30(2), 122-145.
Broekaert, E., D’Oosterlinck, F., Van Hove, G., & Bayliss, P. (2004). The search for an Integrated Paradigm of Care Models for People with Handicaps, Disabilities and Behavioural Disorders at the Department of Orthopedagogy of Ghent University. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 39(3), 206-216.
D’Oosterlinck, F., Goethals, I., Spriet, E., Soenen, B., & Broekaert, E. (2009). Conflict Management for Children and Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders. International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 30(2), 146-156.
D’Oosterlinck, F., Soenen, B., Goethals, I., Vandevelde, S., & Broekaert, E. (2009). Perceptions of Staff Members on the Implementation of Conflict Management Strategies in Educational and Therapeutic Environments for Children and Youths with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders. International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 30(2), 157-172.
D’Oosterlinck, F., Goethals, I., Broekaert, E., Schuyten, G. & De Maeyer, J. (2008). Implementation and Effect of Life Space Crisis Intervention in Special Schools with Residential Treatment for Students with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders EBD. Psychiatric Quarterly, 79(1), 65-79.
D’Oosterlinck, F., Broekaert, E. & Denoo, I. (2006). Conversations with Youth in conflict. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 15(1), 45-51.
D’Oosterlinck, F., Broekaert, E., De Wilde, J., Bockaert, L.F. & Goethals, I. (2006). Characteristics and Profile of Boys and Girls with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders in Flanders Mental Health Institutes: A Quantitative Study. Child: Care, Health and Development, 32(2), 213-224.
D’Oosterlinck, F. & Broekaert, E. (2003). Integrating School-Based and Therapeutic Conflict Management Models in Schools. Journal of School Health, 73(6), 222-225.
Soenen, B., Goethals, I., Spriet., E., D’Oosterlinck, F. & Broekaert., E. (2009). Effects of the Combination of Life Space Crisis Intervention and a Level System at the Therapeutic Treatment Centre “Heynsdaele” - A Special School and Home for Youth with Behavioural and Emotional Problems. International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 30(2), 200-216.
Verheugt-Pleiter, J.E., Schmeets, M.G.J., Zevalkink, J. (2005). Mentaliseren in de kindertherapie. Leidraad voor de praktijk. Koninklijke Van Gorcum.
Ykema, F. (2002). Het Rots en Water Perspectief. Basisboek. Een psychofysieke training voor jongens. Uitgeverij SWP Amsterdam.
