Evidence-Based Practices

Life Space Crisis Intervention is a child and youth care method for using incidents of problem behavior as a context for building insight and new skills. The goal of the intervention is to increase self-awareness and self-regulation. The strategies are designed to be individualized and can be applied to common problem behaviors including: displaced emotions, misperceptions, lagging social skills, bullying, impulsivity, and destructive peer relationships. Casa Pacifica is an international training site for Life Space Crisis Intervention.

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention is a method designed to create a trauma-sensitive environment where children and adults are safe and feel safe. The Therapeutic Crisis Intervention system is designed to help prevent child traumatization and injury by reducing the need for physical restraints. Built on relational practices, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention is a trauma-informed, evidence-based, systems approach developed by Cornell University.

If we want to be as effective as we can be in assisting a young person to move on to a place of less pain and trouble – or simply move toward the next step in their development – then we need to consider how to make the most of every minute, we have with her or him. Every day, seemingly simple, moments occur in the lives of young people that provide powerful and relevant opportunities for promoting growth and development. Whether it’s a simple exchange in the routine of everyday life, a life altering moment in working with a family, a brief encounter on the street, or a planned event with a child in a residential program or foster home, we can increase the quality of our interactions with those we care about. This curriculum is based on Dr. Thom Garfat’s award- winning research into developing effective interventions with young people and their families.

Used to help people suffering from clinical post-traumatic stress return to a normal state of functioning after a traumatic event. Both parents and children learn how to process their emotions and thoughts that relate to the traumatic experience through this treatment. They are given necessary tools to alleviate overwhelming thoughts that can cause stress, anxiety and depression and are taught how to manage their emotions in a healthier way. The goal is to allow both the child and the parent to continue to develop their skills and communication techniques in a healthy manner.

Based on a biosocial theory of personality development, the main tenet is that the underlying problem for many of our youth is emotional dysregulation due to biological disposition, environmental context and the transaction between the two during childhood development. DBT combines components of behavioral and cognitive therapy, including exposure, skills training, problem-solving, contingency management, and cognitive modification.

A client-centered, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence.

An evidenced-based psycho-educational group tool that focuses on three areas relevant to life skills for adolescents: skills streaming (social skills), anger management, and moral reasoning.

Casa Pacifica’s substance abuse recovery program began in the residential treatment program in January 2008. Implemented also in community-based services, it is a 20-week program designed to meet the treatment needs of youth who are struggling to recover from alcohol and/or drug abuse. The Matrix Model was developed at UCLA for young adults and includes:

• 8 sessions of Early Recovery groups
• 32 sessions of Relapse Prevention groups
• Regular attendance at off-campus 12-step meetings
• Family support and education groups
• Individual and family psychological treatment sessions
• Weekly random drug screening
• Periodic healthy reinforcement for participation and abstinence

Upon entering treatment, a youth attends bi-weekly groups based on the Matrix Model. This model primarily utilizes cognitive behavioral treatment principles. In addition to the Matrix Model, this intervention integrates Motivational Interviewing throughout treatment. Motivational Interviewing is evidence-based treatment designed to help directly address ambivalence about changing substance use behaviors. The use of Motivational Interviewing is crucial to enhancing the receptivity of youth to the material in the Matrix Model, and effectively addressing fluctuations in motivation to discontinue substance use or remain abstinent.