Individual and Group DBT Therapy within Our Family Therapeutic Group Homes for Children and Adolescent Victims of Neglect and Child Abuse

Aims: Orr Shalom, the largest organization in Israel, providing homes throughout Israel for 1,300 children, adolescents and young adults, who have suffered from abuse and neglect, has started implementing DBT as an additional therapeutic language with the understanding that many if not all of children whose lives have been a string of ongoing trauma, suffer from emotional dis-regulation and accompanying harmful behaviors.

In this workshop we will describe the basic principles of DBT and the challenges and obstacles in the process of embedding DBT in multi-disciplinary, psycho-dynamic therapeutic frameworks and demonstrate through clinical examples ways in which it contributes dramatically to the quality of life of our children.

Work principles: Orr Shalom has cooperated with Ofek Institute in developing different training programs and supervision for our multi-disciplinary staff in DBT.

Implementation: 35 in house therapists trained as DBT individual and group therapists are treating the relevant children and groups are being formed. In addition workshops were developed for managers, home parents etc.

Conclusions: We have found DBT effective in giving staff and children tools in dealing with and reducing self-harm, fall-out and suicidal behaviors. We face the challenge of long term implementation of this language with staff turn-over, dispersed locations and limitations of resources.