Providing Reportable Therapy for Vulnerable Families

It is generally accepted that expectations of psychologists change when a psychologist moves from being a clinician who provides confidential therapy to an individual client to providing therapy that is reported as evidence in a courtroom. This chapter describes essential practices when a clinician provides reportable therapy for a vulnerable family and identifies key differences between providing therapy and providing evidence to a court. The chapter gives advice about adjustments that clinicians need to make when they are asked to write a treatment report that will be submitted to the court. The chapter discusses the differences between comprehensive family reports and focused reports. The chapter provides an overview of differing types of therapy that can be offered to vulnerable families. The chapter includes a consent form that might be used with couples who participate in therapy and a consent form that can be used when therapy is reportable.