Elopement is a potentially dangerous behavior that can result in accidental injury or death. Assessment and treatment of elopement in children has most frequently been examined using behavioral approaches. Most of these evaluations have typically been conducted in settings where assessment and treatment occurred over extended periods of time (such as inpatient units, residential treatment centers, or day treatment programs). As more children present for assessment and treatment of elopement in outpatient clinics, a need exists for efficient and pragmatic means of assessing and treating elopement. This study examined a novel way to assess and treat elopement behavior in young children in an outpatient setting. The purpose of the current study was to address three questions: (a) Could a brief methodological approach be used for rapidly assessing and treating elopement in young children within typical outpatient time constraints, (b) could a competing stimuli treatment including brief preference assessments, differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors, and response cost reduce elopement attempts and increase latency to elopement, and (c) could the initial treatment protocol be expanded to further clarify effective treatment strategies through component analyses? Data were collected within a brief multielement (across conditions) design combined with multiple baseline (across 2 participants). The results of this study suggested that (a) a brief methodological approach to assessing elopement can be successfully implemented within typical outpatient constraints, (b) the competing stimuli treatment can be used to reduce elopement attempts and increase latency to elopement in young children, (c) supplementing the initial protocol with a component analysis can further specify effective treatment strategies. These results extend the elopement literature by assessing and treating elopement within typical outpatient clinic setting time constraints.

Context – The prevalence of problem substance use is a global concern, particularly for adolescents due to their ongoing developmental changes. Amongst other contributory factors, parenting styles adopted by parents and caregivers can either; increase the risks of their children developing substance misuse problems or prevent its onset. Knowledge about the needs and experiences of the caregivers of adolescents who misuse substances is limited and greatly under-researched. Brief interventions (BIs) have been identified as an effective means of tackling this problem-type behaviour among adolescents, including ‘Teen Intervene', which was developed in the US. This evidence-based intervention included a parent component which has been found to further enhance the interventions' positive outcomes. Rationale – In light of the unique caregiver structures in South Africa, the general neglect of their needs in the South African literature with regards to interventions and the high prevalence of adolescent substance misuse in the Western Cape, exploring these needs within the country's context is warranted and necessary. Design and data collection – This was a qualitative study and data for the study was collected in two main phases: through focus group discussions to identify caregivers needs and to explore perceptions of the intervention; and post-intervention interviews with caregivers and adolescents at a 1-month follow-up session. Findings – Template analysis revealed six main themes: 1) Access to knowledge about substance misuse; 2) Parenting skills; 3) Sources of emotional support; 4) Empowerment for female caregivers; 5) Financial concerns; and 6) Alternative solutions to adolescent's involvement in the justice system. Caregivers also reported various feelings that are a direct result of their experiences. Discussion – Caregivers have distinct needs that require designated responses, however, some of these needs can be addressed through their inclusion in treatment interventions for adolescents who misuse substances.

Executive functioning usually refers to one’s ability to regulate one’s behavior, set goals, be mentally flexible, and understand the consequence of one’s actions. However, certain neurodevelopmental disabilities such as Autism, often can negatively impact executive function processes. Although applied behavior analytic (ABA) treatment is the most recommended intervention for autism treatment practitioners rarely assess or target executive functioning within their treatment planning. The present study assessed the relationship between direct and indirect executive functioning scores and a language assessment used by ABA providers. Thirty-nine children with autism spectrum disorder were administered a variety of scales including the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF 2), Comprehensive Executive Functioning Inventory (CEFI), Tower of London (TOL), and the PEAK Comprehensive Assessment (PCA). Obtained data yielded a moderate, negative relationship between the total BRIEF and total PCA scores (r=-0.521, p=.032) and a moderate, positive relationship between CEFI planning and PCA scores (r=0.394, p=.017). However, there was a strong correlation between total PCA scores and TOL scores (r=0.708, p=.005).

Adlerian Brief Therapy is a specific approach to Individual Psychology that uses relational strategies to bring about effective change in the lives of individuals, groups, couples, and families (Bitter, Christensen, Hawes, & Nicoll, 1998; Sonstegard, Bitter, Pelonis-Peneros, & Nicoll, 2001). In this article, the authors discuss a relationship- intervention continuum as an integration of two approaches. A therapy session demonstrating Adlerian Brief Therapy with individuals is used to highlight the integration.

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Preschool years are an important period for executive function (EF) development. The two common ways of assessing EF in preschoolers are performance-based (PB) and rating measures. One of the most commonly used rating scales for preschoolers is the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Preschool Version (BRIEF-P). The current study explored the longitudinal relationship between three PB measures (Grass/Snow, Shape School, Self-ordered Pointing) and corresponding BRIEF-P scales (Inhibit, Shift, Working Memory) in typically developing preschoolers. There were three assessments in six-month intervals. Participants included 101 children at Time 1, with 86 and 75 in subsequent assessment time points. Using a latent variable approach, longitudinal measurement invariance was tested, supporting partial strong invariance. Results showed a lack of direct correlations between PB measures and corresponding BRIEF-P scales across time. These findings were interpreted in the context of existing literature, yielding a more nuanced understanding of what these two types of measures assess. Specifically, it is proposed that BRIEF-P measures children’s subjective, average level of EF, while PB tasks measure their objective, in-the-moment EF. / Graduate

Background: While the integration of alcohol screening, treatment, and referral in primary care and other medical settings in the U.S. and worldwide has been recognized as a key health care priority, it is not routinely done. In spite of the high co-occurrence and excess mortality associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among individuals with tuberculosis (TB), there are no studies evaluating effectiveness of integrating alcohol care into routine treatment for this disorder. Methods: We designed and implemented a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the effectiveness of integrating pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments for AUDs into routine medical care for TB in the Tomsk Oblast Tuberculosis Service (TOTBS) in Tomsk, Russia. Eligible patients are diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence, are newly diagnosed with TB, and initiating treatment in the TOTBS with Directly Observed Therapy-Short Course (DOTS) for TB. Utilizing a factorial design, the Integrated Management of Physician-delivered Alcohol Care for Tuberculosis Patients (IMPACT) study randomizes eligible patients who sign informed consent into 1 of 4 study arms: (1) Oral Naltrexone + Brief Behavioral Compliance Enhancement Therapy (BBCET) + treatment as usual (TAU), (2) Brief Counseling Intervention (BCI) + TAU, (3) Naltrexone + BBCET + BCI + TAU, or (4) TAU alone. Results: Utilizing an iterative, collaborative approach, a multi-disciplinary U.S. and Russian team has implemented a model of alcohol management that is culturally appropriate to the patient and TB physician community in Russia. Implementation to date has achieved the integration of routine alcohol screening into TB care in Tomsk; an ethnographic assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of AUD management among TB physicians in Tomsk; translation and cultural adaptation of the BCI to Russia and the TB setting; and training and certification of TB physicians to deliver oral naltrexone and brief counseling interventions for alcohol abuse and dependence as part of routine TB care. The study is successfully enrolling eligible subjects in the RCT to evaluate the relationship of integrating effective pharmacotherapy and brief behavioral intervention on TB and alcohol outcomes, as well as reduction in HIV risk behaviors. Conclusions: The IMPACT study utilizes an innovative approach to adapt 2 effective therapies for treatment of alcohol use disorders to the TB clinical services setting in the Tomsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia, and to train TB physicians to deliver state of the art alcohol pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments as an integrated part of routine TB care. The proposed treatment strategy could be applied elsewhere in Russia and in other settings where TB control is jeopardized by AUDs. If demonstrated to be effective, this model of integrating alcohol interventions into routine TB care has the potential for expanded applicability to other chronic co-occurring infectious and other medical conditions seen in medical care settings.

Alcohol abuse is a worldwide public health concern. Nurses, representing the largest body of health care providers, are a potential resource to provide screening and brief intervention for patients with alcohol problems. This study evaluates the effect of an educational intervention on the attitudes, beliefs, and confidence levels of nurses regarding screening and brief intervention for alcohol problems. One hundred eighty-one students at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing participated in a four-hour educational intervention to train providers in brief negotiated intervention (BNI) for screening, early detection and brief treatment of alcohol problems. Participants completed questionnaires before and after this training. Analysis of the data using paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance showed statistically significant positive change in the nurses' attitudes, beliefs, and confidence levels regarding alcohol abuse and its treatment after the educational intervention. For example, the percentage of nurses who reported always having confidence in assessing patients' readiness to change their behavior increased from 8.3% to 23.5% after training. In conclusion, the BNI educational intervention can be effective in promoting positive changes among nurses in attitudes, beliefs, and confidence levels regarding alcohol abuse and its treatment.

This study examined the utility of a pilot "call-in service" coordinated with two rural pediatric primary care clinics. This service provided practical, empirically supported recommendations to parents with concerns about their children's development, behavior, or emotional well-being. Over 70 weeks, 81 calls were received. Five specific concerns including daytime wetting, conduct problems, anxiety, sleep, and repetitive behavior comprised 75% of all calls. In addition to describing the service overall, the current article examined the top concerns in terms of their process and outcomes in this brief intervention format. Overall, calls averaged 21 min, and parents reported high satisfaction and positive outcomes at follow-up. This format appeared to be most useful for calls regarding daytime wetting and repetitive behaviors/habits. The utility of a call-in service has not been recently explored. Moreover, specific pediatric problems amenable to brief intervention in primary care have rarely been researched. This study provides direction for the future use of call-in services or brief interventions in primary care.