Dr. David Kolko will be coming to North Dakota on October 3-5, 2011 to provide training in his therapy technique “Alternatives for Families-A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” or AF-CBT. AF-CBT is designed to help children that have been the victim of physical abuse or a related situation involving excessive physical discipline or force and their families, including the abusive caretaker. It incorporates techniques and principles from a number of perspectives, including learning and behavioral theory, family systems, cognitive-behavioral theory and developmental victimology. AF-CBT targets characteristics and contributors related to the abusive experience and tries to discourage the use of violent or coercive behavior by focusing on instruction in intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. AF-CBT is most suitable for school-aged children with a recent history of abuse who exhibit some level of behavioral dysfunction, and to caregivers who may resort to uncomfortable or unsafe forms of physical punishment or coercion. It was developed to reduce heightened levels of conflict, hostility and physical force. Both the child and the caregiver are important participants in this treatment.
Dr. Kolko’s work primarily deals with the study and treatment of disruptive behavior disorders and children’s antisocial behavior, including childhood firesetting, sexually abusive (offending) behavior in youth, child physical abuse and related forms of maltreatment, and adolescent depression/suicide.
Much of his current treatment research work is devoted to dissemination and implementation efforts designed to adapt and then transport effective interventions for these clinical problems to various community settings or systems serving children, youth, and families, including pediatric primary care, juvenile justice, child welfare, public health/safety, and mental health.
Dr. Kolko routinely conducts professional seminars and trainings on a national and international basis to teach evidence-based treatments to practitioners working with the above-mentioned populations. This includes workshops on the treatment approach (“Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy”) that he developed for families involved in child physical abuse or physical force, and which has been recently adapted for use with early-onset disruptive behavior disorders.