Nancy turned to Home Start’s Behavioral Health Services to help her 4 year-old son Sam. He was having severe nightmares, exhibiting extreme separation anxiety when being dropped off at daycare, and acting inappropriately at home.
Our therapist Valeria soon learned that Sam had witnessed his father assaulting and abusing his mother, and that while pregnant Nancy had also experienced domestic violence. Valeria decided that Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) through weekly sessions would be the best way to help Sam.
In the first phase of therapy over eight sessions, Sam’s mother learned how to use PRIDE skills, which consist of Praise, Reflection, Descriptions, and Enjoyment, while also following the child’s lead during Special Playtime. Nancy quickly obtained mastery criteria for these skills and was excited to see Sam’s progress.
The second phase of consisted of skills including Be Direct, Improving Compliance by Giving Effective Commands, Strategies to Improve Compliance, Consistent and Predictable, and Active Ignore.
Nancy recently shared that Sam is now following direct commands, has less acting out behaviors at home, and is experiencing much less separation anxiety when she drops him off at preschool. She also reported that he has not had nightmares lately.
Caring partners like you are ensuring that Nancy and Sam and hundreds of other San Diego children and families will have the resources and hope for a brighter future. Thank you!
Your gift to Home Start’s Giving Tuesday 2024: $50K Match Campaign, now through December 3, 2024, will provide vital resources to local families needing a hand-up to recover from homelessness, hunger, abuse, unemployment, and other crises. And thanks to our generous partner, the David C. Copley Foundation, every gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000! That is how we unleash radical generosity!
Thank you.
*Giving levels are ideas of what your donation can do for a San Diego family in need