Working with Families Part I: Understanding and Assessing Families Jacob Campbell, Ph.D LICSW at Heritage University for SOWK 487 in Spring of 2024
Genogram Cutout Activity Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Agenda Picking groups Strengths perspective and families Engagement and assessment with families Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Selecting members for group projects •A-03: Family Treatment Modality Research Presentation Pikachu, I Choose You! •A-04: 04: Group Facilitation Activity
Identifying Family Strengths Note 12 to 15 positive aspects of the household pictured (National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association, 2007)
What Families Provide Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
What Families Provide Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Provide secure attachment bonds Provide for physical needs Procreation Primary socialization of children Regulate sexuality Satisfy emotional needs What Families Provide (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Different Families —Same Love “A primary group whose members assume certain obligations for each other and generally share common residences.” (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015, p. 331) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Family Systems Framework Assessment Dimensions • Homeostasis • Family Roles • Boundaries and Boundary • Communication Patterns in Families Maintenance • External Family Boundaries • Enmeshment and Disengagement • Family Decision Making, Hierarchy, and Power • Family Life Cycle • Family Rules • Social Environment • Family Adaptive Capacity (Stressors and Strengths) (Hepworth et al., 2022) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Family Systems Framework Assessment Review the Handout Applying Family Systems Framework Assessment. What kind of things might you expect to hear in each of these areas? Dimensions • Homeostasis • Family Roles • Boundaries and Boundary • Communication Patterns in Families Maintenance • External Family Boundaries • Enmeshment and Disengagement • Family Decision Making, Hierarchy, and Power • Family Life Cycle • Family Rules • Social Environment • Family Adaptive Capacity (Stressors and Strengths) (Hepworth et al., 2022) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Homeostasis “Families may try to maintain the status quo in response to family transitions in the life cycle or stressors associated with abrupt change to the family system itself (e.g., death, divorce, a new addition to the family, an abrupt move), or environmental events such as immigration or move to a new location, or changes in daily routines” (Hepworth et al., 2022, p. 196) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW Balance Feedback loops SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Boundaries & Boundary Maintenance Disengagement Enmeshment di used boundaries inappropriately rigid Internal vs. External Unique families unique style, cultural preferences, strengths, and needs A A Subsystems (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) ff Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Family Decision Making, Hierarchy, and Power • Historic / Context • Reason for distribution • Covert power • Power exibility • Family perspective (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) fl Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Family Roles Perceived Enacted Prescribed (Hepworth et al., 2022) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Family Rules Explicit Flexible Implicit Rigid (Hepworth et al., 2022) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
What About Your Family? Members Roles Norms Values Rules Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Communication Styles of Family Members Clarity vs. Mysti cation/ Incongruence Congruence and Clarity of Communication Verbal Nonverbal Contextual (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) fi Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Communication Styles of Family Members Sender Skills Using “I messages” verses “You…” Receiver Skills Congruence and Clarity of Communication Physical attending Paraphrasing Responses that elicit clari cation Brief responses (Hepworth et al., 2022) fi Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Communication Styles of Family Members Insoo Kim Berg Solution-Focused Family Therapy Video (PsychotherapyNet, 2009) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW (Berg, 2009) SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Family Life Cycle 1. Unattached young adult 2. New couple 3. Family with young children 4. Family with adolescents 5. Family that is launching children 6. Family in later life (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Social Environment (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024
Family Adaptive Capacity Family Stressors Family Strengths & Resilience Family Cycle Frequency and Duration Magnitude and Number Social support Internal cohesion and commitment Creativity and exibility Appraisal, insight, and meaning Initiative and achievement Boundary setting (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) fl Heritage University Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW SOWK 487w Spring 2024