General information:

Aim:

In the last couple of years, in research, policy and practice concerning the care and treatment of vulnerable and troublesome children and their families, a lot of attention has been paid to the question of the effectiveness of the applied interventions: do they work? As a result the purpose of the last EUSARF Conference in Padova (2008) was to explore the latest in ‘evidence-based’ approaches to effective child, youth and family interventions.

An issue of at least as much scientific interest and societal importance is the question of how and why these interventions work. The aim of this 11th International EUSARF Conference in Groningen is to exchange and discuss the latest findings of cross-national research and practice, which provide insight into the professional actions and processes which underlie the outcomes – positive and negative – of current child and family interventions and arrangements.

 

Target participants:

Vulnerable and troublesome children and their families will be the focus of this conference. The aim is to gain insight into the work and effectiveness of care and treatment arrangements for these young people and their environments, based on research into processes and conditions that are at issue. As a result the conference will be directed at workers as well as researchers in the child and family care field: practitioners, academics, researchers, managers, policymakers, students and all others interested in developments and research findings on interventions regarding vulnerable and troublesome children and their families.

 

Themes:

The conference themes include:

General topics

• How and why do interventions work or fail to work
• Working with young children and parents
• Working with adolescents
• Home-based and community-based care
• Multi-system interventions
• Family foster care
• Residential care and treatment
• Evidence-based work in daily practice
• Real world research methodology in child and family care

Specific topics

• Treatment of children and adolescents with specific problems (aggressive behaviour, psychosomatic complaints, post-traumatic stress, et cetera)
• Risk assessment and professional coping strategies
• Educational arrangements in intervention processes
• Helping ethnic minority children and families
• Client participation; children and family voices
• Coercion in child and family work
• Leaving care and transitioning to independence and adulthood
• Interagency cooperation
• Costs and cost effectiveness of interventions

Conference presentations:

In addition to plenary sessions the delegates will be able to participate in many different ways. The presentation formats will include symposia, free paper sessions, workshops, film- and video presentations, and poster sessions.

Conference venue:

The conference will be held in the Martiniplaza conference centre in the City of Groningen. In addition social events will be organized in the Academy Building, the main building of the University of Groningen (reception), and in the Huize Maas building on the famous Vismarkt square (social programme).
Groningen can be reached by air (via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol then by train), train (direct line from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol), and by car (A7, A28). The islands in the Wadden Sea and Dutch cultural hotspots like Amsterdam, The Hague or Utrecht can be reached within one or two hours.

Social programme:

Groningen is an old Hansa town and is renowned for its beautiful old town centre. The city was voted the best town centre in the Netherlands in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and is rich in famous buildings and places, including the Martinikerk church, the Stadsschouwburg city theatre, the Grote Markt square, the Vismarkt square, the Groninger Museum, the Der Aa church, the Noorderplantsoen park, the Harmoniegebouw complex, and the Gasunie building. There are over thirty courtyard almshouses to visit in the town centre, and one can also take a canal cruise. At the Vismarkt square a dinner and dance party will take place.

Language:

The main language during the conference will be English. Some selected workshops and presentations will be held in Dutch or German.

Information:

University of Groningen, Dept. of Special Needs Education and Youth Care (Orthopedagogiek)
Grote Rozenstraat 38, 9712 TJ Groningen, The Netherlands
Web: http://www.eusarf2010.nl
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: 00 31 (0)50 36 36 566
Fax: 00 31 (0)50 36 36 564