Speaker
Presentation in Spanish
MARÍA DE LA FE RODRÍGUEZ
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF DISTANCE EDUCATION. SPAIN
María de la Fe Rodríguez Muñoz is a Professor at the Department of Personality, Evaluation, and Psychological Treatment of the Faculty of Psychology of the UNED. She is the director of the Clínica y Salud Journal. Her clinical, teaching, and research career has been developed mainly in the field of perinatal psychology. Since 2013 she has directed the Mothers and Babies Project in collaboration with the George Washington University (USA), the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid) and the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (Oviedo).
She has published several papers in national and international journals, as well as books and book chapters focused on perinatal psychology. She has also worked in the field of children in foster care with Aldeas Infantiles SOS, with whom she has published several papers.
Mental Health in Children and Youth at Psychosocial Risk (Children in Alternative Care)
Children and young people in alternative care are those who, for various reasons, cannot live with their biological families and require a protection system that ensures their well-being and development. These systems aim to provide a safe, stable environment with opportunities that foster their future.
There are different models of alternative care, including foster care, where children are placed with a foster family while their situation is resolved; residential care centers, which provide support for those who cannot be integrated into a family environment; and the SOS Children’s Villages model, based on SOS families with stable caregivers.
Children in alternative care have specific needs, including a higher prevalence of mental health problems, which will be addressed in this symposium. Intervention programs designed to meet these needs will be presented, highlighting the “Educating in Families” program, a trauma-informed framework aimed at children and youth who have experienced complex trauma. Additionally, advancements in the “Child and Youth Protection Committees” implemented in all SOS Children’s Villages programs nationwide will be discussed, focusing on promoting safeguards for children at psychosocial risk.
Finally, “Transition to Adulthood Programs” targeting 16-year-olds who, upon reaching adulthood, no longer receive support from protection systems will be analyzed. Strategies to facilitate their autonomy and well-being during this critical stage will be debated.
This symposium aims to create a space for reflection and discussion on the challenges faced by children, adolescents, and young people in alternative care, as well as to share experiences and evidence-based intervention proposals.
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