A presentation at Heritage at CBC Week 12 in March 2020 in Pasco, WA 99301, USA by Jacob Campbell
Location: CBC Campus - SWL 108
Time: Wednesdays from 5:30-8:15
Week 12: 04/01/2020
Topic and Content Area: Working with Families II
Reading Assignment: Prest and Protinsky (1993)
Assignments Due: N/A
Other Important Information: N/A
[Whole Class Activity] Watch Family Therapy Video clip of the Simpsons.
Today we will be talking about working with families and what that looks like.
This activity is based both on work done ART and from Guiding Good Choices Parenting Classes. In ART the following are the sections of what is called the anger control chain.
I want to show you an activity you could do in groups / with families to help brainstorm what a youth’s cues are.
[Whole Class Activity] Draw an outline of a person. Have people brainstorm what they feel like when they get upset. Using outrageous drawings.
The following is a handout I used to use many times when I have been working with families who have conflict.
One way that I frequently used it was to talk about it point by point.
[Whole Class Activity] Demonstrate with volunteers going through the form for a couple of minutes.
The following is a good list of validating vs. invalidating statements.
[Whole Class Activity] Give class some time to review the material. What are some different ways that somebody could use this with a family?
The wellness wheel is not an activity I did as frequently with families as I did with individuals, but it it still works just as well.
[Whole Class Activity] Have entire class complete a wellness wheel themselves, walking them through questions.
This is another form that I thought I’d share with you. It’s a pretty simple concept. Sometimes it can be really beneficial for our clients if we can make things simple and clearly defined.
While, I don’t have other examples for you, similar style handouts could be made and used…
There can be a number roles that family members might fall under. Sometimes, especially in literature regarding substance abuse, there are roles described as co-dependent or dysfunctional considered common. We are going to spend some time examining those.
Also, something to consider. There is no real scientific backing to some of this, it is taken as standard and frequently seen, but has not be scientifically verified.
The entire family life revolves around the addict or alcoholic. Each codependent role has been taken on in order to “make sense” of, and handle, the dysfunction in the everyday life of the family.
Understanding the addict is very important. Of equal importance is knowing that by making changes in your own actions, you can stop supporting the addictive behavior of your loved one.
This family member (often the oldest child) devotes his time and attention to making the family look “normal” and without problems.
The Scapegoat (often the second born) always seems defiant, hostile and angry. They are perpetually in trouble at school, work or in social situations…
This family member is often the youngest child in the family. They are the court jester, trying to get everyone to laugh. They do this unconsciously to improve the atmosphere in the dysfunctional household, as well as turn the focus away from the addict or alcoholic.
The lost child basically disappears. They become loners, or are very shy. They feel like strangers or outsiders, not only in social situations, but also within their own families. Often they feel ignored, and that they don’t matter.
Next is the caretaker, but another descriptive word for this type of codependent family role is “enabler.”
“Social workers address a wide range of family problems and issues. Thus, the techniques and approaches used vary dramatically.” (p. 371)
We can kind of think of these interventions as tools that we can keep in our tool belt.
“Reinforcing and reaffirming the positive qualities, strengths, and resources of a family should be an ongoing theme in work with families.” (p. 371)
“Reframing is a strategy that helps family members view a problem or issue with a different outlook or understand it in a different way.”
[Activity] With a partner spend some time thinking thinking about something that you are ambivalent about changing. Spend time having discussion regarding the topic, and practice reframing your fellow students view on the topic.
“Problem-solving ‘focuses on how the family experienced differences as well as on its methods for solving difficult problems.” (p. 372)
[Discussion] What might this look like?
“Teaching parents how to improve their children’s behavior is a common goal in family treatment.” (p. 373)
-> Slide
Many times, our clients just need a little more support, and they are able to be successful.
Brokering activities
“Role playing refers to having a person assume a different role or part than the one he or she would normally assume.” (p. 374)
Recording makes people confront the effectiveness and appropriateness of their various verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
Notes of caution -> Using discretion, only infrequent / specific purpose. Can take time for families to get use to being recorded.
“Homework assignments are tasks given to client to be completed at home or outside the interview.” (p. 375)
[Discussion] What are some possible examples of homework assignments?
