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Interactive Mobile Parent and Child Therapy (IMPACT) Treatment Approach

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Evaluation and Assessment

For those children in need of a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, the program’s licensed psychologist will complete a best practice evaluation.

This evaluation includes an assessment of strengths and therapeutic needs of the family, with a focus on identifying natural supports.

Contact Us

Call the Mobile Therapy line at 412-383-1575 for more information about the IMPACT program at the Matilda Theiss Child Development Center.

Interventions

We utilize multiple therapeutic treatment approaches that are age-appropriate, family- and child- focused, and as interactive as possible.

Therapeutic techniques vary in intensity and are implemented based on the individual needs of the child and family. 

The model is interactive and collaborative — we seek to reach out to develop relationships with children, families, and caregivers in order to best address the child’s mental health needs.

Services are provided by either a master’s-level therapist or licensed psychologist.

Treatment Strategies

Therapeutic approaches may include any or all of the following:

  • Individualized behavior plans. Functional behavioral assessment and intervention plan that is implemented in both home and school settings, as appropriate.
  • Classroom-based treatment. For young children, play is where and when behaviors are learned, practiced, and tested. The mobile therapist may work in the classroom with the child, practicing a variety of skills, such as social problem solving and impulse control.
  • Joint parent-child psychotherapy. Dyadic treatment approaches for children emphasize improving the quality of the parent-child relationship and changing parent-child interaction patterns.
  • Individual child-centered play therapy. Through play, the therapist seeks to help the young child prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development.
  • Parent consultation. The psychologist or mobile therapist will work with the parents to develop basic behavioral strategies to address child-specific behavioral issues.
  • Parent education. During parent education sessions, the therapist provides parents with basic information and uses a curriculum with a variety of approaches for developing effective parenting skills.
  • Teacher consultation. The therapist works with school staff to develop basic behavioral strategies for implementation in the classroom setting. An advantage to this basic level service is that the intervention can help address environmental issues in the classroom that may be serving as a trigger or reinforcer for any inappropriate behavior or emotional problems.
  • Interagency collaboration. The therapist works with other involved professionals and agencies in order to provide unified services and continuity of care to child and family.