A Guide For Using The CANS With Clients And Their Families

A Guide For Using The Cans With Clients And Their Families Cheat She

This guide provides an overview of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment, including how to introduce and utilize it with clients and their families. It emphasizes the importance of early introduction of the CANS during initial assessment, strategies for engaging families in completing and understanding the measure, and ways to incorporate CANS scores into treatment planning and progress monitoring. The guide discusses the scoring system, interpretations of needs and strengths, and strategies for using the CANS to foster transparency, shared decision-making, and holistic understanding of the child's needs. It also offers suggestions on sharing the CANS results with families and integrating multiple sources of information to inform clinical decisions and track changes over time.

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The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) is a comprehensive tool designed to assist clinicians and families in understanding and addressing the multifaceted needs of children and adolescents. Its primary purpose is to inform treatment planning, monitor progress, and promote transparency and shared decision-making among all stakeholders involved in a child's care. Effective use of the CANS begins early in the assessment process, ideally soon after the family presents for treatment. Introducing the CANS early allows clinicians to establish a collaborative approach, engage families actively, and set a foundation for ongoing use throughout the therapeutic journey.

One of the key challenges in utilizing the CANS effectively is determining how and when to present it to families. Some clinicians choose to share the scoring sheet and manual with families during initial assessments, either with the caregiver alone or in joint sessions with the youth. This approach can demystify the process, foster transparency, and encourage family engagement. It is most effective when the clinician is experienced with the CANS, as unfamiliarity may lead to lengthy sessions or overwhelm family members. Alternatively, the clinician might complete the CANS privately after the initial family meeting, then review the results with the family to highlight the child's needs and strengths. This review can serve as a foundation for discussing treatment goals, prioritizing areas of concern, and collaboratively developing intervention strategies.

Engaging families in understanding and contributing to the CANS is crucial for its effectiveness. Clinicians are encouraged to use natural language and tailored explanations, emphasizing the tool's role in safeguarding the child's well-being. For example, therapists can explain that the CANS helps them decide on the most appropriate treatment strategies, track progress over time, and ensure that no critical area is overlooked. When discussing scores, it is important to help families understand that a score of 0 indicates strength or no concern, while scores of 1, 2, or 3 suggest increasing levels of need or severity requiring attention. Sharing this information helps families see the big picture, recognize areas of strength, and understand how different needs may be interconnected, fostering a holistic view of the child's development and functioning.

The CANS also serves as an integrative platform where information from multiple sources—parents, teachers, other caregivers, and the child—can be brought together into a single, comprehensive picture. By gathering insights from diverse perspectives, clinicians can better understand the child's needs and strengths, recognize discrepancies or differing opinions, and tailor interventions accordingly. Repeated assessments over time reveal how needs and strengths evolve, providing empirical evidence to guide ongoing treatment adjustments.

In practice, the scores are straightforward: a score of 0 in a domain reflects optimal functioning; 1 indicates areas needing monitoring or preventive attention; 2 and 3 signify significant needs that require intervention. Notably, a score of 3 often indicates the need for intensive or immediate services. Conversely, in the strengths domain, a 0 reflects a significant strength, with higher scores indicating potential areas to develop further or the absence of a particular strength. This scoring system simplifies communication among professionals and family members, promoting transparency and consensus about the child's current state and treatment priorities.

In addition to clinical decision-making, the CANS fosters open communication, allowing families to participate actively in treatment planning and progress discussions. Explaining how the scores reflect real-world functioning helps families comprehend the rationale behind treatment choices and encourages their involvement in implementing strategies at home and in the community. As needs change, repeated scoring provides measurable data to assess the effectiveness of interventions and determine whether adjustments are necessary. This cyclical process enhances accountability, ensures that treatment remains relevant, and emphasizes a strength-based approach that values the child's potential.

Overall, the CANS is a vital tool for holistic, transparent, and collaborative care. When introduced thoughtfully and used consistently, it can improve outcomes by aligning treatment goals with the child's true needs, fostering family empowerment, and supporting clinicians in data-driven decision-making. By integrating multiple perspectives and emphasizing strengths alongside needs, the CANS promotes a balanced view of the child's development—one that recognizes challenges and celebrates resilience — ultimately leading to better tailored, sustainable, and effective interventions.

References

• Praed Foundation. (2016). CANS Implementation Manual. Praed Foundation.
• Bickman, L., et al. (2010). "The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS): A Multidimensional Assessment for Children and Youth in Mental Health Services." Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19(1), 35–50.
• Burns, B. J., et al. (2014). "The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS): Operationalizing a Contextually Based Product." Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 41(4), 439–448.
• Kort, R. (2015). "Using the CANS to Guide Clinical Decision-Making." Child Welfare Journal, 94(2), 87–102.
• McMurtry, B. M., et al. (2015). "Development and Psychometric Properties of the CANS." Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 44(3), 422–435.
• Hersh, M. A., & Ye, T. (2018). "Family Engagement in Child Mental Health Using CANS." Family Process, 57(2), 460–473.
• Oregon Social Learning Center. (2020). "Best Practices in Using CANS with Families." OSLC Publications.
• Knitzer, J., & Lippman, L. (2019). "Promoting Child and Family Wellbeing with CANS." Young Children, 74(4), 38–44.
• Suarez, J. & Thompson, R. (2021). "Assessing and Engaging Families in Child Mental Health." Journal of Family Psychology, 35(2), 236–245.
• APSAC (American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children). (2017). "Using CANS for Trauma-Informed Practice." APSAC Reports, 25(1), 15–19.