Learning Objectives:

This is the sister course of Revolving Door Families: The Issues and Clinical Concerns from a Biopsychosocial perspective. Both courses assist therapists in treating families with impaired and underachieving adults. Much of the material is easily translated into situations involving adolescents. This course can stand on its own, but we recommend that the reader take both courses unless he or she is familiar with the issues of these families and the various roles that a therapist might play in these potentially complicated cases. The sister course goes into depth concerning the issues that these families grapple with, and the sources and types of problems of impaired adults. It also addresses the fundamental legal and ethical issues pertaining to therapists' potential roles with these families.

Topics and focus: This course provides detailed treatment of assessment, treatment issues, and guidelines for working with revolving door families. It emphasis psychosocial education and a programmatic approach to negotiation between the parents and their adult child.

The topics include:

• Treatment planning
• The nature and purpose of the parent-adult child negotiation focus
• Detailed assessment guidelines specifically for these situations
• Alternatives to negotiation and emergent needs
• Considerations regarding treatment of the adult child
• Psychosocial intervention with parents
• Preparing parents to negotiate and establish functional boundaries
• Follow through and termination