CAREERS CASE STUDIES

Mary - a Play Therapist in an Assessment and Treatment Facility

New Beginnings provide a comprehensive range of services for Children and Families in a non-residential well equipped Therapeutic Resource Centre.

Assessments are undertaken by a qualified multi-disciplinary team of:

• Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists.
• Adult Forensic Psychiatrists.
• Child and Play Therapists.
• Clinical Psychologists.
• Experienced and qualified Social Workers.

Tasks of the Play Therapist

At the Intake stage reading the court bundle/Social Services files and then helping, as part of a multi disciplinary team, to decide whether the referral is appropriate.

To attend a Professional’s Meeting and immediately following that attend a joint meeting with both the child/children’s Parents and the Professionals about the way that the Assessment would be undertaken.

To read and discuss the content of the “Letter of Instruction” and to decide whether the questions being asked were within the competence of a Play Therapist.

To set up and implement an assessment and treatment plan jointly with the Child Psychiatrist.

Plan sessions with each child and advice the child why they are attending the unit and give them an idea how the Assessment is going to take place.

Undertake the Assessment of the children using various Play Therapy Assessment tools depending on the needs of each individual case.

To attend a Review Meeting at the half way stage to look at the progress of the case with the team members who are undertaking the Parent’s assessment.

To review with the Child Psychiatrist the video taped Play Therapy sessions in preparation for completion of the Assessment report.

To attend a Review with the other Professionals who have undertaken the assessment.

Attend a meeting and feedback session with the Parents and attend a Review with the referring agency and outside Professionals.

Prepare and submit a Report.

Attend Court to give evidence on the Report.

Play Therapy Assessment

Identify and clarify with the family and the children the way the assessment is to be undertaken.

Obtain written agreement for the sessions to be videoed for the purposes of the Assessment and for consultation with the Child Psychiatrist.

Set appropriate boundaries for the session with the child.

Establish a valid and reliable assessment procedure for each case. This would usually involve initially using The Story Stem Narrative Assessment Method.

Utilise verbal and non verbal communication as well as symbolic communication as part of the assessment. Analysis the videoed sessions and identify the themes that are appearing in the Play. Use this material to understand the child’s inner world.

Assess and review the method of intervention and establish the validly of the specific method of assessment used.