Working Together: Interdisciplinary Training within Live-In Treatment

Abstract

ABSTRACT A strong and cohesive interdisciplinary support team is critical to the success of children’s mental health live-in treatment program. Kinark Child and Family Services, a leading child and youth mental health organization in Ontario, Canada, assessed the degree to which its community-based live-in treatment programs align with identified best practices and used the findings to inform the implementation of an interdisciplinary team that delivers a unified clinical approach to treatment and care. This paper reviews the results of the assessment, focusing specifically on interdisciplinary teamwork and the collaboration, consultation, and training that is crucial for staff working in live-in treatment programs. The benefits of this collaboration on the therapeutic milieu for complex children and youth cannot be overstated as clients are supported by multiple professionals throughout their treatment journey, including child and youth care practitioners, clinical therapists, psychologists, case managers, and nurses. Training in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is provided to all staff to ensure that all members of the patient’s interdisciplinary team offer a consistent approach in the delivery and support of individualized treatment plans. We contend that our training approach for interdisciplinary staff in our live-in treatment programs, including comprehensive training in DBT, is beneficial for clients and families. Consideration for future program evaluation and interdisciplinary training initiatives are presented.