Family Genogram
Family Genogram diagram
The below family genogram represent the conflicting issue that Emily and her family are facing. This tool can be used as an effective technique to resolve the problems between Sarah, and Adam so that the best possible social work practices can be adopted in the process. The behavior pattern that is reflected in the structure highlights the prevalent issue between the eldest daughter of Emily and Adam due to which the relationship between the couple has also got adversely affected. This instrument would expose the family to the principles of social theory and help the practitioners to determine the main source of conflicts.
The family has been referred to the social work program so that the situation would not get worse among the members. Since the current issue could be possible between the other kids and Adam, it is vital to control the family environment. The facts available indicate that all members especially Emily and Adam must take an initiative to improve the situation so that a cordial setting is created in the Enviroment.
Reason for Referral
The environment that a family exists in includes various complexities which must be tackled by all the family members as a whole. This approach is essential for the proper functioning of a closely-knit family. In certain tense circumstances, the involvement of the family social care might be necessary to help the family members rise above a crisis or difficult situation. Since such social workers assist families and individuals to get through grueling times, this option can be used by people when they go through tough conflicting situations in their homes (Agha, et al., 2016).
In the current times, the role of the social workers has gained significance since the conflicts that arise in the family environment are not uncommon. Various changes have taken place in the social front due to which people in the families are demanding more space to grow on the personal front. The levels of family needs have undergone significant change due to the influence of religion, media, social class, geographic location, etc.
This degree of change has further expanded the importance of social work practices with families. The embracing of the reality of cultural diversity, types of family systems, the impact of culture on family function, levels of interaction, etc must be considered by the social workers to grasp the circumstances of the family members so that the best solution can be arrived at.
As per Chafai-Elalaoui, et al, the support of the family members is important and it has a direct impact on the home environment. These aspects have a major impact on the overall growth and development of a child (Chafai-Elalaoui, et al., 2015). A particular family scenario has been highlighted in the report and effective intervention techniques have been included to reduce the degree of friction among the family members. The position of the social worker is extremely crucial to help the family sustain happily.
Family History
Stated and perceived necessities of a family and current circumstances
The family whose issues are on the forefront consists of a mother and her three kids. The eldest daughter, Sarah is sixteen; the son, David is fourteen while the youngest daughter, Lizzie is eleven years old. The mother Emily has separated from the children’s father almost ten years ago and she has taken the sole responsibility of bringing up the children on her own (Chen, et al., 2014).
Three years ago she had met Adam and dated for quite some time. Then he has moved in with Emily and her three kids about six months ago. In the initial transition phase, things went on pretty smoothly between Adam and the kids but the current environment in the family is full of tension. Adam has been exercising a significant amount of authority with the kids and he believes that he deserves more respect from them. Sarah has not taken the change very positive and she has expressed her dissatisfaction towards this attitude of Adam since he is not “her father” and thus he has no right to “boss her around”.
According to Chen, et al., Emily has been a witness to all the family tension. Even though she is aware of the fact that Adam is doing the right thing, she is unable to convince him to withdraw from the situation because he feels should be more respectful towards him. Such tension has harmed the relationship between Emily and Adam and thus she has ultimately taken an appointment for the whole family, including the kids with a social help group to reduce the level of family tension (Chen, et al., 2017).
Family setting
The family setting that has been presented here can be seen in a large number of homes. Many marriages break due to poor communication models and the authoritative approach that is adopted by the family members. In such a case the elders in the family need to understand the internal family system and adopt a friendly approach towards their kids so that a transparent and positive relationship can exist between one another (Dalpiaz, Tracey & Phillips, 2014).
In this particular scenario, the kids Sarah and David are teenagers, so obviously they are undergoing significant changes in their life due to various factors like biological changes, peer pressure, the need to fit in, etc. At such a sensitive stage, a rebellious attitude is not uncommon from their end.
Even though Adam might have a positive intention but the approach adopted by him is not right. The authority that he is trying to use might be reasonable from his perspective but the same might seem absurd from the point of view of the kids. Even though Adam is staying with Emily and her children, it is not easy for the kids to accept him as their family member (Evsyutina, Trukhmanov&Ivashkin, 2014). They require a sufficient amount of time and exposure to build a strong and healthy relationship with him.
The family has knocked on the door of the social worker group since the relationship between the family members has changed for the worse and it requires urgent attention. The involvement of all the family members in this session is a positive sign since it would help all the members to know the point of view of the other individual (Gagnier, et al., 2014). The addressing of the specific needs of all the family members is necessary to avoid conflicts and tension in the family.
Conceptualization of the family’s situation – Systems Theories
In the social work system, the social workers face several obstacles in the line of their work. The systems theory is an important tool that examines human behavior as an intersection of the impact of various interrelated systems. While dealing with individual concerns, family issues, societies, organizations, etc, all the systems that are inherently involved must be taken into consideration so that a holistic picture can be derived to understand the issue (Houghton, et al., 2013). In the 20th century, various scientists, philosophers have defined systems theory in their disciplines. Since the theoretic model follows the concept of interrelated parts that influence one another as part of the whole subject.
As per Jong, Schout&Abma, in the family systems theory, the individual family members must not be evaluated in isolation. Instead, they should be treated in the context of the family. One of the most vital concepts of the theory relates to the triangle that exists between the parents and the children. The most common form of this concept is the parent-parent-child relationship also known as “two helping one”(Jong, Schout&Abma, 2014).
The parents in any family system act as the pillars that protect the children from the external surrounding. In the particular family scenario, Adam needs to play a positive role. Even though he is not the biological father of the three kids of Emily, but he is a fatherly figure who the children can go for advice and guidance. By adopting an authoritative attitude, the relationship might get constrained between them (Jong, Schout&Abma, 2014). He should take the role of a friend, philosopher, and guide so that he can earn their respect. The use of the systems theory can help the social worker to understand the perspective of the children as well as the parents.
Since systems theory is used to design a holistic view of people that exist within an environment, it can act as an effective tool to connect and influence different elements of the environment. This theoretical model can be used in Emily’s family situation to enhance the contextual understanding of the exhibited behavior that can help to introduce appropriate practice interventions. There are large varieties of practice interventions available with the social worker groups whose application depends on the exact context of the situation. The most common tools include strengthening a part of the system to improve the whole environment, adopting the networking and referrals model, ecomaps, geograms, etc.
Emily, Adam, Sarah, David, and Lizzyall the family members need to be a part of the session so that their views relating to the family environment can be taken into account while devising the intervention strategy. The systems theory would be useful to assess the family tension since the ideas and views of all the members could be understood and so an effective consensus could be arrived at (Lundberg, 2014). This holistic approach would help all the members to discuss their concerns on an open platform so that the best measures could be taken to enhance the family environment.
Current personal practice model
The practice model that is used in the social work environment while dealing with troubled families involves different intervention strategies based on the specific hardships that the families are going through. The intervention techniques are designed to take into account the opinions of all the family members so that no party feels neglected or left out in the process.
In case of Emily’s family trouble, the systems theories would be an effective start to tackle the family issues. This approach would allow the social worker to understand the role and requirements of each of the family members including the couple and the kids. In this specific situation, Adam would have to take the initiative to be a healthy fatherly figure to strengthen this crucial component of the family system (McNulty, 2015). Currently, his intention might not be bad but the process followed by him is straining the environment of the family. His need for respect is making him adopt an authoritative nature towards the kids. This is a grossly wrong step that can be taken by a parental figure (Zainal, 2017).
In the present times, parents are trying to be friends with their children so that they can share their personal feelings with them. This approach has a positive impact on the parent and child relationship and strengthens their bond. As mentioned in the two helping one model, the role of both the parents is crucial for the best development of the children in the family setting. This is a sensitive family situation since Adam is not the actual father of the kids and so they don’t feel that he can demand respect.
To improve family health, both parents have to take part in the process. Emily cannot continue to be a mere witness. Instead, she should come forward and communicate with both the children and Adam so that the differences between them can be solved. She needs to have a healthy and casual discussion with Adam and she must suggest he be more polite and friendly towards the kids (Nunes, et al., 2014). At the same time, she can tell Sarah to be more tolerant towards Adam even though he is not her father. This approach could mellow down the prevailing environment at home and help all the family members to have a normal family environment at the house.
The objective of the child and family social work would be to strengthen the parental figures of the house so that they can be inspirational and approachable role models for their children. Bringing about a positive change in the parents is a good move to strengthen the family bond. Once they try to improve their attitude and behavior towards their children, automatically the children put to mend their ways in the process. So the particular situation of Emily and her family is quite sensitive but can be made healthier by adopting the right attitude and effective communication model (Ohnishi, et al., 2017). During the teenage phase, the kids are mostly impulsive so if Emily and Adam can adopt a friendlier and less authoritative attitude towards Sarah, she could be more forthcoming in her approach towards her home.
Particular approach/model of social work practice with families
The particular approach of social work practice that has been identified to enhance the family environment is strengthening the role of parents in the setting so that the kids can look up to them for guidance and solutions. Emily and Adam could work on their relationship so that their bond with the children could improve. Even though in the current situation, the fiction exists between Sarah and Adam, but at a later stage the issue could arise with David and Lizzy as well. SO Adam needs to mend his approach towards the children so that they can look up to him with respect and dignity (Shah, et al., 2017). He needs to understand the simple fact that respect cannot be demanded but has to be earned. By showcasing his authoritative side to the kids, he is trying to earn respect in the family but this approach will only cause the distance between the involved parties. Similarly, Emily can play an active role in the family environment to reduce the extent of disturbance in the family. To strengthen the role of Emily in this family bonding model, she has been included in this particular social work approach. Since she is the mother of the kids, she can talk to Sarah to have a more polite and tolerant attitude towards Adam. At the same time, she should discuss with Adam his authoritative behavior. Since the kids are going through adulthood, it is obvious that they would need their own space and independence. At such a delicate time the support from both the parents is required by the children so that they can be on the right path (van Eeghen, et al., 2016).
This approach that has been designed for the family has been identified as potentially helpful since the holistic view of the situation would help the parties to understand the views of each other so that their differences could be discussed properly. The healthy role of parents is crucial for the healthy growth of children. The conflicting environment in the families can lead to frustration and it could also have an adverse impact at the later stage of life. The involvement of all the family members in the change counseling is a good move that the social worker can exploit (Sharkia, et al., 2014). The open platform discussion could also be used to introduce open and transparent communication between the parents and the children where there will be no fear of authority or power. The approach would act as an ice-breaking session that could make the family environment healthy for the kids as well as the parents.
The strategy has been designed after assessing the situation and environment of the specific family. Since it involves a step-dad and the teenage kids, the role of the mother is crucial in the process. She must take an active part to bridge the gap between the two parties.
Reflection
The role of the social worker is crucial to strengthen the family environment. They need to carefully select the appropriate tools to eliminate the tension in the family and increase the harmonious setting (Svojgr, et al., 2016). The intervention tool that has been adopted in this scenario focuses on all the members of the family so that a positive environment can be introduced for one and all. The major initiative would have to be taken from the parents. This approach could be challenging at first due to the previously existing differences and tension. But it would bring about a positive change in the family in the long run for all of its members.
Adam could make a positive contribution to the lives of Sarah, David, and Lizzy. He could interact with them more often and show his friendly and approachable personality. He should try to reduce his authoritative behavior towards the kids and give them space to naturally evolve as individuals (Shultz, et al., 2015). He could also help them in their assignments or help them in their extracurricular activities so that the differences between them could be carefully solved. Similarly, Emily has an important role to play in the invention model introduced by the social worker. She should voice her opinion and state what she feels is right for the family (Stake, 2013). In case Adam is being very authoritative towards her kids; she needs to take the stand for her kids sensibly so that the proper message is conveyed to Adam. And when she feels that Sarah is being unnecessarily rood with Adam, she must make her understand to be better-behaved towards him (Souza, et al., 2015). This role of Emily would be crucial in the process and it could help to introduce a positive change in the family circumstances (Svaasand, et al., 2015).
This method has been adopted after assessing the holistic picture relating to the family tension that exists in the particular scenario. The approach has been designed so that the particular needs of all the family members can be taken into consideration and the most effective solution can be introduced (Steinhausen, et al., 2015). The problem that has been presented is quite common in western nations but the complexity of the situation arises due to the unique characteristics of the family members. The intervention technique has been modeled taking into account the traits of Emily, Adam, Sarah, David, and Lizzy. The relevant effort has to be made by all the family members to reduce the tension in the family (Straussberg, et al., 2015).
Conclusion
A healthy family setting is a necessity for all families. It is a sensitive area that needs to be carefully understood by the family members since the individuals present in the family strengthen the bond between one another. In severe situations, the social workers are introduced in the process to provide adequate counseling to the members. The needs of all the family members must be considered while offering a solution to reduce friction. This approach can bring about a positive change in the family environment. Different intervention strategies are adopted by social workers based on the particular needs of the family members.
In the given scenario, the objective of the social worker would be to strengthen the family system to strengthen the family environment as a whole. The complexity of the scenario is a bit different since Adam is not the biological parent of the kids. Sarah exhibits a hostile attitude towards him when he acts authoritatively. The specific intervention tool has been designed to nourish the relationship between Emily and Adam and help the children can accept Adam as a family member. The role of the parents would be crucial to bring about the desired change and reduce the family tension. This change could influence the kids to be open with them.
References
Agha, R. A., Fowler, A. J., Saeta, A., Barai, I., Rajmohan, S., Orgill, D. P., & SCARE Group. (2016). The SCARE Statement: consensus-based surgical case report guidelines. International Journal of Surgery, 34, 180-186.
Chafai-Elalaoui, S., Chalon, M., Elkhartoufi, N., Kriouele, Y., Mansouri, M., Attié-Bitach, T., …&Baala, L. (2015). A homozygous AHI1 gene mutation (p. Thr304AsnfsX6) in a consanguineous Moroccan family with Joubert syndrome: a case report. Journal of medical case reports, 9(1), 254.
Chen, H., Yuan, H., Gao, R., Zhang, J., Wang, D., Xiong, Y., …&Zou, S. (2014). Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of a fatal case of avian influenza A H10N8 virus infection: a descriptive study. The Lancet, 383(9918), 714-721.
Chen, J., Ma, X., Zhou, Y., Li, G., &Guo, Q. (2017). Recurrent c. G1636A (p. G546S) mutation of COL2A1 in a Chinese family with skeletal dysplasia and different metaphyseal changes: a case report. BMC pediatrics, 17(1), 175.
Dalpiaz, E., Tracey, P., & Phillips, N. (2014). uccession narratives in the family businessS: The case of Alessi. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 38(6), 1375-1394.
Evsyutina, Y. V., Trukhmanov, A. S., &Ivashkin, V. T. (2014). Family case of achalasia cardia: case report and review of literature. World Journal of Gastroenterology: WJG, 20(4), 1114.
Gagnier, J. J., Kienle, G., Altman, D. G., Moher, D., Sox, H., Riley, D., & CARE Group. (2014). The CARE guidelines: consensus-based clinical case report guideline development. Journal of clinical epidemiology, 67(1), 46-51.
Houghton, C., Casey, D., Shaw, D., & Murphy, K. (2013).Rigour in qualitative case-study research. Nurse researcher, 20(4), 12-17.
Jong, G., Schout, G., &Abma, T. (2014). Prevention of involuntary admission through family group conferencing: a qualitative case study in community mental health nursing. Journal of advanced nursing, 70(11), 2651-2662.
Lundberg, S. (2014). The results from a two-year case study of an information and communication technology support system for family caregivers. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 9(4), 353-358.
McNulty, Y. (2015). Acculturating non-traditional expatriates: A case study of single parent, overseas adoption, split family, and lesbian assignees. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 49, 278-293.
Nunes, H., Monnet, I., Kannengiesser, C., Uzunhan, Y., Valeyre, D., Kambouchner, M., &Naccache, J. M. (2014). Is telomeropathy the explanation for combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema syndrome?: report of a family with TERT mutation. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 189(6), 753-754.
Ohnishi, H., Kawamoto, N., Seishima, M., Ohara, O., &Fukao, T. (2017).A Japanese family case with juvenile onset Behçet’s disease caused by TNFAIP3 mutation. Allergology International, 66(1), 146-148.
Shah, P. S., Shah, N. D., Ray, H. S. P., Khatri, N. B., Vaghasia, K. K., Shah, S. C., &Rao, M. V. (2017). Compound Heterozygosity of β-Thalassemia Traits of HBB Gene in a Family: A Case Report. International Journal of Human Genetics, 17(2), 72-75.
Sharkia, R., Mahajnah, M., Zalan, A., Sourlis, C., Bauer, P., &Schöls, L. (2014).Sanfilippo type A: new clinical manifestations and neuro-imaging findings in patients from the same family in Israel: a case report. Journal of medical case reports, 8(1), 78.
Shultz, C. G., Chu, M. S., Yajima, A., Skye, E. P., Sano, K., Inoue, M., …& Fetters, M. D. (2015). The cultural context of teaching and learning sexual health care examinations in Japan: a mixed methods case study assessing the use of standardized patient instructors among Japanese family physician trainees of the Shizuoka Family Medicine Program. Asia Pacific family medicine, 14(1), 8.
Souza, C. C., Hirotsu, C., Neves, E. L., Santos, L. C., Costa, I. M., Garcez, C. A., …&Araujo, A. A. (2015). Sleep pattern in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2: report of family case series. Journal of clinical sleep medicine: JCSM: official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 11(3), 205.
Stake, R. E. (2013). Multiple case study analysis.Guilford Press.
Steinhausen, H. C., Jakobsen, H., Helenius, D., Munk‐Jørgensen, P., &Strober, M. (2015).A nation‐wide study of the family aggregation and risk factors in anorexia nervosa over three generations. International journal of eating disorders, 48(1), 1-8.
Straussberg, R., Ganelin-Cohen, E., Goldberg-Stern, H., Tzur, S., Behar, D. M., Smirin-Yosef, P., …& Basel-Vanagaite, L. (2015). Lethal neonatal rigidity and multifocal seizure syndrome–report of another family with a BRAT1 mutation. European Journal of Paediatric Neurology, 19(2), 240-242.
Svaasand, E. K., Engebretsen, L. F., Ludvigsen, T., Brechan, W., &Sjursen, W. (2015). A Novel Deep Intronic Mutation Introducing a Cryptic Exon Causing Neurofibromatosis Type 1 in a Family with Highly Variable Phenotypes: A Case Study. Hereditary Genet, 4(152), 2161-1041.
Svojgr, K., Sumerauer, D., Puchmajerova, A., Vicha, A., Hrusak, O., Michalova, K., …&Machackova, E. (2016). Fanconi anemia with biallelic FANCD1/BRCA2 mutations–Case report of a family with three affected children. European journal of medical genetics, 59(3), 152-157.
vanEeghen, C., Littenberg, B., Holman, M. D., & Kessler, R. (2016). Integrating behavioral health in primary care using Lean workflow analysis: a case study. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 29(3), 385-393.
Zainal, Z. (2017). Case study as a research method. JurnalKemanusiaan, 5(1).
