Family and the social environment: How does the family interact with other systems surrounding them in the social environment?

Family Assessment Paper/Presentation
Students will conduct a family assessment on their family of origin or someone else’s. The family assessment provides in-depth information about family dynamics, communication pattern, family structure, life-stage development, how they experience problems and how to overcome. In addition to gaining new insights about afamily, this assignment will help you to develop writing skills, family assessment skills, and critical thinking skills.
Aside from completing the paper, each student will present their case to the class. The case presentation serves four purposes: (1) it assists you in learning to analyze any information obtained through all interactions with clients including the spoken word, thoughts, and feelings; (2) it provides an opportunity to receive feedback on your performance; (3) it allows you to obtain suggestions for dealing with problematic aspects of the family; and (4) it serves to stimulate you to synthesize and apply the knowledge you have learned in the class to practice.
Family Assessment Paper
Page #: 5-7
Headings: Family Background; Assessment; Intervention Plan; Evaluation Plan; Reflection
Sub-headings: Use the following sub-headings ONLY in Assessment section – Defining “family”; Examining communication patterns; Family structure; Family life-cycle; Family and the social environment; Presenting problems/needs; Desired family changes; Previous family problems; Additional issues of concern; Strengths, limitations, barriers; Assessing a family’s access to resources; Motivation/resistance; Theoretical analysis
Items
Points
Family Background (maximum half page)
• Brief description of the family (e.g., # of family members; race/ethnicity; socio economic status; marital status; occupations)
• Anything that would be helpful to understand the family (e.g., blended family, LGBTQ, religiosity/spirituality, etc.)
1

• Defining “family”: How do you define the family you are analyzing?
• Examining communication (verbal/nonverbal) patterns: What avenues of communication are they using? How does it affect family dynamics?
• Family structure: What are the boundaries and subsystems, family norms, family roles, the balance of power, and intergenerational aspects of the family?
• Family life-cycle: In which stage of the life cycle is this family and why?
• Family and the social environment: How does the family interact with other systems surrounding them in the social environment?
• Presenting problems/needs: What are the presenting problems/needs? How are family members involved in the situation connected to the problems?
• Desired family changes: Ask each member and add your opinion
• Previous family problems: What was that? How was it resolved?
• Additional issues of concern: Are there other problems or issues you think might emerge as you delve deeper into this case? What are they, and how might they affect the situation?
• Strengths, limitations, barriers: Identify the strengths, limitation, and barriers present in this family. Based on the strengths, where would you start to work with this family to solve the issue?
• Assessing a family’s access to resources: What resources are available inside and outside of the family to solve the issue? How can you make the resources accessible to them?
• Motivation/resistance: What issues of motivation and resistance (address both) do you think you are likely to encounter? How do you think you might handle them?
• Theoretical analysis (2 points; minimum half page): Choose any one (or more) theory that you learned to analyze the current dynamics/problem situations of the family
8
Intervention Plan (minimum half page)
• State at least one goal in working with this family
• State at least two SMART objectives to achieve the goal(s)
• State at least two tasks to achieve each SMART objective (total four)
o Actions that should be taken by the worker, the clients, and others (e.g., Task1:Worker will…; Task2: Client will…
o Specify Who will do What by When?
2
Evaluation Plan (maximum half page)
• Develop an evaluation plan to track the progress towards goals and objectives
• Use standardized scale(s) as a measurement tool
2
Reflection (maximum half page)
• What did you learn from this assignment?
• How has this assignment contributed to your professional development?
1
Genogram & Eco-map (appendices)
• Add it at the end of the paper (not included in the page #)
1
Total

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