Implementation of the PICCOLO in Infant Mental Health Practice: A Case Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT This case study examined the integration of the PICCOLO tool within home‐based services using an infant mental health approach with a family at risk. The tool was identified as best practice in Michigan and fits well with basic infant mental health theory. A narrative case example shows the use of the tool with a family and in supervision. Some of the benefits of using the PICCOLO within an infant mental health approach include (a) fostering a paradigm shift in multiple relationships from a deficit model toward a focus on strengths, (b) promoting efficacy and a positive outlook in parents, (c) documenting the impact of services on the parent–infant relationship, (d) providing a concrete structure for developmental guidance and strategies for using existing strengths to drive interventions, (e) allowing better sensitivity to unique strengths in families with children with special needs, (f) increasing observation skills and reflective capacity for the therapist.