Think:Kids is a program in the Department of Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) that was founded to develop and teach the practice of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS). CPS is an evidence-based approach to supporting kids exhibiting challenging behaviors. Think:Kids questions the conventional wisdom about behavior and deeply believes that kids do well if they have the skills to do well. The practice of CPS seeks to build neurocognitive skills in children that allow them to productively engage. While initially designed as a parenting tool, the practice of CPS was refined as a therapeutic approach and implemented across multiple settings (e.g., youth residential facilities and youth corrections) as a way to improve youth-adult relationships and therapeutic outcomes.
Think:Kids seeks to further research its approach in order to understand CPS’s critical components and impact, optimize Think:Kids’ training model, and build its organizational capacity to expand its reach.