Systemic Family Analysis Paper

Systemic Family Assessment and Analysis Paper The Systemic Family Analysis is designed to assist students in integrating theoretical and conceptual course material with a concrete case study (vignette) of a family seeking help. This assignment is relatively brief (generally anywhere from 5-8 double spaced pages with a 1-inch margin), but you may write more to cover the assignment questions if needed. Please follow the guidelines for the assignment closely and discuss each section 1a, 1b, 1,c 1,d etc in order. I'd also strongly suggest you also use clear headings from the guidelines and not mix things up in a more essay style. In other words stick with the organization of the questions as laid out. Here are answers to some common questions about the assignment: 1. I realize that the is only limited information provided in this vignette. So view this assignment as an attempt to hypothesize from limited information, which is often what might occur when working with a family from these models perspective. Give your best educated guess about the structure of the family (Boundaries, Triangles , Hierarchy), Life-cycles Stressors etc. If you feel more information might be needed you can comment more specifically on this in the appropriate sections if you want. 2. Make sure to try to use the language or labels of the models in describing your assessment and treatment plan. i.e. be specific on the kinds of boundaries or triangles you hypothesize are occurring between particular family member or subsystems. My course powerpoints highlights these and uses the models language and labels for them. 3. Make sure your treatment goals and interventions are linked to your assessment hypotheses. i.e., if you mention a particular boundary problem in your hypotheses then one of your goals might be to change or restructure that. The intervention might describe what specifically you are going to do. 4. Finally, as I mentioned above, make sure you follow the outline I laid out 1a 1b 1c ..etc. in writing your assignment so I can respond and comment on each section and evaluate them appropriately. *(The Case Vignette – Jones Family)* The Jones family is a family consisting of Mr. Jones, who is African American, age 42. Mrs. Jones, who has a Latino background (Puerto-Rican) and immigrated with her family at age 15, is 35. Suzy age 17, Tony, age 12, and Melissa, age 6, are their biological children. Mr. Jones works for the City Transportation Authority in a middle management position, Mrs. Jones works part time as a secretary in a dentist’ office. Suzy is a senior in high school; she is an excellent student and looking forward to going away to college next year. Tony is in the 7th grade, is an average student, whose grades have recently been dropping. Melissa is in the 1st grade and has missed a lot of school this year because of stomach aches and headaches. Mr. Jones is a recovering alcoholic, who has been sober for about 18 months. Mrs. Jones mother, who had been very active in helping her daughter mange the household, died suddenly of a brain aneurysm 11 months ago. Mrs. Jones called the Family Clinic on the suggestion of the school social worker after a conference regarding Tony’s behavior at School. He is in danger of failing two classes and in the last 3 months has gotten into 4 fights at school leading to several detentions and a 2-day suspension. In the initial session, Mrs. Jones was seated with Melissa and Suzy on either side of her. Mr. Jones was across from them and Tony was sitting in the corner having moved his chair. When asked to describe what brought them to therapy both Mrs. Jones and Suzy alternated describing their concerns about Tony’s behavior. When the therapist asked Mr. Jones for his view of the problem, he talked of the need for Tony to have more discipline and how his son was able to manipulate his mother in getting what he wanted. When Tony was asked about the problem, he responded by saying that there weren’t any problems and that he was just bored with school and liked to hang out with his friends and that his parents complained too much about this. He also felt that his parents, especially his mother favored his sisters over him and that they wanted him to be like his older sister. Several times during the session Melissa asked to sit on her mother’s lap and tried to get her brothers attention by making faces. When Mr. and Mrs. Jones began to talk together it quickly escalated into an argument, with Mrs. Jones referring to her husband drinking and Mr. Jones blaming the problems on Mrs. Jones and her mother not letting him deal with the problem. When the parents began to argue, a fight broke out between Tony and Melissa which Suzy tried to break up. Systemic (Structural/Strategic) Family Analysis 1) Assess the family process from a Structural Family Therapy perspective. The assessment should include structural hypotheses and include these variables: a) Boundaries (Include the boundaries between as many family members or subsystems as possible) b) Problematic Triangles (Cross-generational coalitions or detouring triangles etc.), c) Hierarchy or leadership issues. You may utilize diagrams or visual “maps” to help describe the hypothesized family structure. But it is not required. d) Also in a separate section, describe how these structural hypotheses might influence or maintain the presenting problem(s) the family came in with. 2) Describe which family life-cycle issues and family developmental stages might be stressing the family or threatening the family equilibrium and make it more difficult to resolve their difficulties. 3) Create a treatment plan from a Structural therapy perspective including: a) Treatment goals based on your above structural assessment (i.e., Boundaries, Triangle, Hierarchy) and describe what “restructuring” you would want to facilitate in the family) These treatment goals should link to your above hypotheses in section 1. b) What specific structural interventions and strategies might you, as a structural family therapist, utilize in intervening with this family in the next several sessions. (i.e., what would you be doing and what kinds of “restructuring” would you be doing in the session to accomplish your goals?) 4) Assume none of the approaches have been very successful and the family is still resisting change what Strategic strategies or interventions might you utilize to try to facilitate change and get the family unstuck. Be specific on what Strategic interventions what you might try with this family. 5) If you were to utilize some Experiential Family Therapy approaches or interventions, what might they be? Be specific with what you might try with this family. 6) Are there any potential socio-cultural issues (race, culture, gender, or power- imbalances etc.) that might emerge in your work with this family? What might be some questions you could ask to explore these and any potential strategies or interventions you could initiate as a Socioculturally attuned family therapist?