Education & Training for Sibling Support
The Sibling Support Program: A Family-Centered Mental Health Initiative attracts motivated mental health trainees (residents, interns, and post-docs) at partnering agencies that are interested in sibling support. We accept trainees that are available to co-facilitate sibling support groups for a minimum of 3-6 months. Participants receive training on sibling issues and have access to clinical supervision in group work. This is an exciting opportunity to get hands-on experience and help influence the way family-centered mental health care is delivered in a clinical setting. The program is currently offered to families across the country free of charge.
Since 2011, 50 trainees have rotated through the Sibling Support Program as sibling group facilitators for a period of time between 6-24 months. Trainees include psychiatry residents, psychiatry fellows, psychology interns, social work interns and volunteer clinicians. Several trainees have co-authored academic papers and presented at conferences. Trainees report that the program is an important part of their clinical experience and strengthens their commitment to practice family-centered mental health care. Interested individuals should contact Emily Rubin directly at emily.rubin@umassmed.edu.
Brief Overview of Project:
The Sibling Support Program is based on the knowledge that healthy family functioning, along with family involvement in aftercare, has been positively correlated with improved outcomes for children in psychiatric settings. The goals of the project are to increase sibling resiliency, decrease trauma, and strengthen families of children with psychiatric impairments.
The goals of the Sibling Support Program are as follows:
1. To implement a sibling support group designed to increase the resiliency of typically developing siblings and decrease the trauma associated with growing up alongside a brother or sister with mental/behavioral health needs.
2. To implement a parent education group to educate caregivers about the importance of supporting siblings, teach strategies to support siblings, and stengthen the family unit.
3. To build capacity among mental health clinicians that practice family-centered mental health care.
Sibling Support Group Description:
The sibling support groups are open to typically developing siblings (aged 6-18),. The sibling groups are designed to provide peer support and education through the use of online activities. By participating in the groups, siblings have a chance to share their stories; develop connections with peers who share the experience of a brother/sister with mental/behavioral health needs; learn about and gain insight into the brother/sister’s disability; and develop coping strategies to manage their challenging family lives.
Brief Background Information:
In the United States today, 20 percent of children and adolescents have at least one diagnosable psychiatric condition, and over six million children are being treated with psychiatric medications. Their siblings are often subjected to physical and verbal aggression, and are at risk for developing maladaptive behaviors themselves, yet there is a widely recognized lack of services for siblings. The Sibling Support Program fills a critical service gap for these children and their families in crisis.
Click here for our publication on the impact of sibling support group facilitation on trainees.