TY - JOUR
T1 - The evaluation of parental fitness in termination of parental rights cases
T2 - A functional-contextual perspective
AU - Azar, Sandra T.
AU - Lauretti, Allison F.
AU - Loding, Bruce V.
N1 - Funding Information:
The writing of this paper was supported by a National Institute of Mental Health FIRST Grant Award (#MH46940) to the first author.
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - This article highlights issues involved in carrying out evaluations for termination of parental rights cases and suggests caution for mental health professionals doing such evaluations. It argues that current models of parenting that come from the child development and child maltreatment fields are too narrow in their focus to act as a foundation for such evaluations and are often based on research with select groups in our society making them open to bias. Similarly, it is argued that traditional assessment measures are limited in their utility for responding to the kinds of relational and basic care questions asked in such evaluations. A functional-contextual model is offered as an alternative with examples of potentially useful measurement strategies. With such a frame as a starting point, the field might progress to providing more useful information to courts. Future research directions to improve this practice arena are discussed.
AB - This article highlights issues involved in carrying out evaluations for termination of parental rights cases and suggests caution for mental health professionals doing such evaluations. It argues that current models of parenting that come from the child development and child maltreatment fields are too narrow in their focus to act as a foundation for such evaluations and are often based on research with select groups in our society making them open to bias. Similarly, it is argued that traditional assessment measures are limited in their utility for responding to the kinds of relational and basic care questions asked in such evaluations. A functional-contextual model is offered as an alternative with examples of potentially useful measurement strategies. With such a frame as a starting point, the field might progress to providing more useful information to courts. Future research directions to improve this practice arena are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032081878&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032081878&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1023/A:1021883611965
DO - 10.1023/A:1021883611965
M3 - Article
C2 - 11324303
AN - SCOPUS:0032081878
VL - 1
SP - 77
EP - 100
JO - Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review
JF - Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review
SN - 1096-4037
IS - 2
ER -