Working with Families Part I: Understanding and Assessing Families Jacob Campbell, LICSW at Heritage University for SOWK 487 in Spring of 2023
Genogram Cutout Activity Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
Agenda Strengths perspective and families Engagement and assessment with families Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
Identifying Family Strengths Note 12 to 15 positive aspects of the household pictured (National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association, 2007)
What Families Provide Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
What Families Provide Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
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) Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
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) Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
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) Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) SOWK 487 Spring 2023
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) Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University Balance Feedback loops (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) SOWK 487 Spring 2023
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 Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
Family Decision Making, Hierarchy, and Power • Historic / Context • Reason for distribution • Covert power • Power exibility • Family perspective (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) fl Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
Family Roles Perceived Enacted Prescribed (Hepworth et al., 2022) Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
Family Rules Explicit Flexible Implicit Rigid (Hepworth et al., 2022) Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
What About Your Family? Members Roles Norms Values Rules Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
Communication Styles of Family Members Clarity vs. Mysti cation/ Incongruence Congruence and Clarity of Communication Verbal Nonverbal Contextual (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) fi Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) SOWK 487 Spring 2023
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 Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
Communication Styles of Family Members Insoo Kim Berg Solution-Focused Family Therapy Video (PsychotherapyNet, 2009) Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University (Berg, 2009) SOWK 487 Spring 2023
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) Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
Social Environment (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015) Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
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 Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023
Case Situations • For the rst situation talk about it and what you would look for • For the second situation, role play it. fi Jacob Campbell, LICSW Heritage University SOWK 487 Spring 2023