Other Projects - Project for Adolescents and their Families

Director: Peggy Papp, LCSW
Assistant Director: Michael Davidovits, PhD

In this project we see adolescence as a life cycle transition that affects the 
family as a whole.  We help parents and adolescents work collaboratively and 
simultaneously on maintaining a supportive relationship through all the changes 
that this transition demands.  For parents this means understanding the needs of 
their adolescent child, adjusting beliefs and expectations for their adolescent, 
and finding new ways to manage their anxiety  and anger, around their 
adolescent's provocative and often dangerous behavior.  For adolescents this 
means taking more responsibility both in their relationship with their parents, 
and for the trajectory of their own lives. Our emphasis is on improving 
interactive patterns and opening channels of communication.  In this way we 
marshal the resources of the family so that parents and children can work 
together to resolve their problems.

Among the issues that we address are:

• High conflict arguments among family members
• Truancy and school failure
Substance abuse
• The aftermath of separation and divorce
• Eating disorders
Self-injurious behavior
• Anger management issues
• Depression
• Suicidality
• Criminality

In addition to clinical work, members of the project offer frequent trainings in 
the community on using systemic, family based treatment in work with at risk 
youth.