Neuropsychosocial Intervention : The Practical Treatment of Severe Behavioral Dyscontrol After Acquired Brain Injury

Neuropsychosocial intervention is an innovative and clinically proven treatment approach to severe behavioral problems that can affect persons with acquired brain injury. This book outlines the nature and significance of behavioral dyscontrol, explains aggression, and details the neuropsychosocial treatment approach and the principles on which it is based. It includes detailed behavioral treatment plans for 18 target behaviors and includes a review of medication management. The book also presents a discussion of community placement and living situations that facilitate success for the person with brain injury. With numerous case vignettes, it shows how this novel alternative to traditional treatment approaches may help keep survivors out of institutions and jails. Doody Review Services Reviewer: Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health Services) Description: This book describes neuropsychosocial intervention, a new intervention in treating severe behavioral dyscontrol due to acquired brain injury. Purpose: According to the author, "this book describes an intervention methodology to address behavioral dyscontrol, even when the behavior is severe." The author adds that the book "describes procedures that are based on over 20 years of clinical work with persons with brain injury, 10 of those years specializing in the treatment of behavioral dyscontrol." The book meets the author's objectives. Audience: The intent "is to help psychologists, neuropsychologists, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, behavioral analysts, chaplains, recreational therapists, and other therapists design better treatment," according to the author. He suggests that physicians, social workers, case managers, family members, and persons with brain injury can benefit from this book as well. Although I agree many different people can benefit from this book, it is written more for a professional audience. The author is a credible authority. He has extensive experience in the field and was cofounder of the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota. He is currently the program director of Brain Injury Services and director of Neuropsychology/Psychology at Bethesda Rehabilitation Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Features: The book describes the neuropsychosocial approach and contrasts it with traditional treatment models. The author claims the "traditional treatment model fails because it espouses the wrong goal." In describing the new model, the author states: "Changing the world is the essence of the neuropsychosocial approach to intervention. The intent of this approach is to create around each person with brain injury a world in which that person can function well: a neuropsychosocial environment." The book does a nice job in describing the topic of behavioral dyscontrol from many different perspectives. It also includes treatment plans for specific problem behaviors. The clinical vignettes at the end of the book show how the neuropsychosocial approach can be applied with specific patients. Assessment: This book is well written and goes in depth in describing the new approach to treating severe behavioral dyscontrol. This approach may not be as novel as the author seems to suggest, however. The specific treatment plans and clinical vignettes appear somewhat similar to the traditional approaches. On the other hand, this book has good information and one can learn a tremendous amount to help patients deal with this difficult problem. "Neuropsychosocial Intervention: The Practical Treatment of Severe Behavioral Dyscontrol after Acquired Brain Injury describes an innovative, clinically proven methodology based on over 20 years of clinical work with persons with brain injury. Neuropsychosocial treatment is an environmental intervention that focuses on the behavior of the people whom persons with brain injury encounter and the physical environment that they inhabit. It encourages therapists to create an environment for each person after examining neurological, cognitive adjustment, and environmental variables." "This book outlines the nature and significance of behavioral dyscontrol explains aggression, and details the neuropsychosocial treatment approach and the principles on which it is based. Providing numerous case vignettes, it demonstrates that even persons with brain injury who have severe behavioral problems can succeed with amazing results. With dedication and the proven techniques described in Neuropsychosocial Intervention, you too can help them reach their maximum potential."--Jacket Ce document décrit une méthode novatrice dans le traitement neuropsychosocial focalisant sur les comportements des personnes ayant subies un traumatisme cérébral et vivant des milieux de vie et des environnements particuliers