Clinical Methods in Medical Family Therapy

by Tai Mendenhall (Editor), Angela Lamson (Editor), Jennifer Hodgson (Editor), Macaran Baird (Editor)

Overview

This landmark text describes research-informed practices and applications of Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) across a range of care environments and clinical populations (e.g., family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, alcohol and drug treatment, community health centers, and military and veteran health systems). It is a timely release for a rapidly growing field.

It includes the work of some of MedFT’s most innovative leaders, who expertly:

• illustrate MedFT in action across primary, secondary, tertiary, and other unique health contexts

• describe the make-up of healthcare teams tailored to each chapter’s distinct environment(s)

• highlight fundamental knowledge and critical skillsets across diverse healthcare contexts

• detail research-informed practices for MedFTs who treat patients, couples, families, and communities

ClinicalMethods in Medical Family Therapy is a comprehensive source for any behavioral health student, trainee, or professional looking to understand the necessary skills for MedFTs entering the healthcare workforce. It is also an essential read for trainers and instructors who are covering the fundamental MedFT knowledge and skills across diverse healthcare contexts. This text was written to be applicable for a wide variety of healthcare disciplines, including family therapy, counseling nursing, medicine, psychology and social work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783319688336
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	03/24/2018
Series:	Focused Issues in Family Therapy
Edition description:	1st ed. 2018
Pages:	617
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Tai Mendenhall, Ph.D., LMFT, is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota (UMN) in the Department of Family Social Science, Associate Director of the UMN’s Citizen Professional Center, and Director of the UMN’s Medical Reserve Corps’ Mental Health Disaster-Response Teams. He is a clinical member of AAMFT and an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor. Dr. Mendenhall works actively in the conduct of integrated family healthcare and community-based participatory research (CBPR) focused on a variety of public health issues. His principal clinical efforts center on working with families who are coping with chronic illness (e.g., diabetes, chronic pain), and his principal research efforts center on health disparities (e.g., the Family Education Diabetes Series – the “FEDS” – with an urban-dwelling American Indian community). Dr. Mendenhall’s and his colleagues’ work through the UMN’s Citizen Professional Center encompasses more than a dozen community-based projects that involve active partnerships between professionals and community members. He has published numerous articles, book chapters, and research studies involving this and related work, and his funding record in these areas is extensive.

Angela Lamson, Ph.D., LMFT, CFLE, is a Professor at East Carolina University in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. She is the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies for the College of Health and Human Performance. She is a clinical member of AAMFT and an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor. Dr. Lamson has served as the program director for the Medical Family Therapy doctoral program at ECU, a Division President for the North Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and member of the Elections Council for the AAMFT. In addition, she is on the Executive Committee for the Alliance of Military and Veteran Family Behavioral Health Providers at the national level. Dr. Lamson’s teaching, funding, and publications have been devoted to MedFT and integrated care, particularly in the areas of trauma, chronic illness (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and diabetes), loss and compassion fatigue in the lives of individuals, couples, families, and providers. Her training and research initiatives have been housed in community health, primary care, specialty care contexts, and military bases.

Jennifer Hodgson, Ph.D., LMFT, is a Professor at East Carolina University in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. She is the program director for the Medical Family Therapy doctoral program at ECU. She has reappointed time in the Department of Family Medicine at East Carolina University, as well, where she holds a clinical, supervision, and teaching role. She is a clinical member of AAMFT and AAMFT-Approved Supervisor, and served two terms as a Commissioner and one year as Chair for the Commission of Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education. She has served as the Chair of the North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board and is a recent past President of the CFHA. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, and research studies involving MedFT, interprofessional collaboration initiatives, biopsychosocial-spiritual health, and integrated care. Her funding record in these areas is extensive.

Macaran (Mac) Baird, MD, MS, is Professor and Head of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. He began his medical career in 1978 as a rural physician and family therapist. He and Dr. Bill Doherty co-authored Family Therapy and Family Medicine in 1983, which launched his academic and leadership career. Dr. Baird has since held positions in Oklahoma, New York, and Rochester, MN. His leadership involvement has also included service on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Depression in Primary Care National Advisory Council, and as co-chair of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Report on Health and Behavior. He is a past-President of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM), and was a recipient of the American Academy of Family Physician’s (AAFP) Thomas Johnson Award for career contributions in Family Medicine education. Dr. Baird’s principal research and clinical foci center on the integration of behavioral health and primary care, and in identifying social and care system factors that inhibit and/or contribute to positive outcomes for patients and families.

Table of Contents

The Beginning of Us: A Conversation Among Friends About our MedFT Family.- Medical Family Therapy in Family Medicine.- Medical Family Therapy in Pediatrics.- Medical Family Therapy in Internal Medicine.- Medical Family Therapy in Intensive Care.- Medical Family Therapy in Obstetrics and Gynecology.- Medical Family Therapy in Emergency Medicine.- Medical Family Therapy in Oncology.- Medical Family Therapy in Psychiatry.- Medical Family Therapy in Hospice and Palliative Care.- Medical Family Therapy in Endocrinology.- Medical Family Therapy in Alcohol and Drug Treatment.- Medical Family Therapy in Community Health Centers.- Medical Family Therapy in Community Engagement.- Medical Family Therapy in Disaster-Preparedness and Trauma-Response Teams.- Medical Family Therapy in Spiritual Care.- Medical Family Therapy in Employee Assistance Programs.- Medical Family Therapy in Military and Veteran Health Systems.- Innovations in MedFT: Pioneering New Frontiers!

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Ileana Ungureanu, MD, PhD, LMFT (Adler School of Professional Psychology)
Description: This important addition to the field of medical family therapy (MedFT) addresses the applications of the biopsychosocial-spiritual approach in various healthcare settings, providing details about the skills necessary, the theoretical foundations, and the collaborative aspects of working in such settings.
Purpose: The authors intend to provide an up-to-date manual in the rapidly developing field of MedFT as well as behavioral healthcare more generally. It is a comprehensive book that meets and exceeds these objectives, providing not only a very useful overview of the role and work of a medical family therapist in different medical settings, but also of the skills and terminology specific to various medical specialties.
Audience: The audience includes clinicians already working in medical settings, as well as graduate students in MedFT programs or getting their master's or doctorate degrees in fields other than family therapy such as counseling, social work, or psychology. The authors are preeminent scholars, academics, and clinicians, known nationally and internationally, who have had important roles in the development of the MedFT field.
Features: The authors structure the book around the three levels of medical care — primary, secondary, tertiary - while also referring to unique care contexts such as community healthcare, military families, or disaster preparedness. For each category, they go into detail about the characteristics of the team involved and aspects of collaborative work. They also list the most common medical terms for each specialty. Vignettes are employed to provide real-life examples of the specifics of working in the field. They also describe the skills needed to intervene at the individual and the family and community levels.
Assessment: This is an important addition to the field of MedFT. It is a book that practitioners in the field and those training to join it can refer to again and again to understand the dynamics of a collaborative team and the skills necessary to provide adequate care from a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective in medical settings.

Doody's Review Service

The authors intend to provide an up-to-date manual in the rapidly developing field of MedFT as well as behavioral healthcare more generally. … This is an important addition to the field of MedFT. It is a book that practitioners in the field and those training to join it can refer to again and again to understand the dynamics of a collaborative team and the skills necessary to provide adequate care from a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective in medical settings.” (Ileana Ungureanu, Doody's Book Reviews, September, 2018)

From the Publisher