Engaging Families PDF

Engaging Families Making Connections with All Member Session Outline Problem in engaging Defining problems Establishing goals with families Basic skills and communication Engagement ‫متفاعل‬ Family social work, like other types of social work, uses the social work process of 1....

Engaging Families Making Connections with All Member Session Outline Problem in engaging Defining problems Establishing goals with families Basic skills and communication Engagement ‫متفاعل‬ Family social work, like other types of social work, uses the social work process of 1. engagement ‫متفاعل‬, 2. assessment 3. intervention 4. evaluation/termination. Engagement ‫ متفاعل‬involves establishing a relationship between the social worker and all members of the family. Assessment involves identifying repetitive ‫ متكرر‬patterns and issues within the family that are connected to the problem as well as identifying issues related to family relationships.  Assuring Safety Safety may be a concern for some family members. They may fear they will be blamed for the family’s problems. In fact, most families will feel defensive even if they do not appear this way. For example, Many parents expect to be blamed for the family’s problems and may feel isolated, unsupported, and depressed after having tried to solve their issue for a long time without help. Hurt, anger, incompetence, fear, and rejection will be common feelings of the parents.  Making Contact With Every Family Member To create a safe environment, the social worker should greet every member of the family (within the household)- seek consent to meet other family/ friends within the system of support. The family social worker connects with family members by actively seeking unique information about each member. Who the social worker talks to first may depend on culture (of that particular family). Always be curious and check Problems in Engagement The social worker could experience problems in engagement. These problems could be caused by: Collusion or colluding ‫ تواطؤ مؤامرة‬with one member of the family Too much self-disclosure Not understanding the family problems Worker stress or burnout Being child-centered vs. family-centered Discomfort about addressing certain issues Lack of understanding client cultural backgrounds or value systems Lack of cooperation by the parents  Defining the Problem The social worker needs to gain the perspective/ narrative (opinion) of all family members whenever possible, in defining the problem. The social worker speaks with each family member to obtain his or her unique perspective, and often asks each member the same question (age appropriate). Boundaries will need to be established to include respecting the rights of each member to state their opinion of the problem without interference or influence from other family members. Even after establishing rules the family social worker may need to politely but firmly deal with disagreement and interruptions. Helping the Family to View the Problem as a Family Problem If members become angry and start blaming one another, the family social worker must ensure that no one is scapegoated ‫( كبش فداء‬targeted) in the conflict. Remember the goal is for the family to view the problem as a family problem and not the problem of just one individual. Describing the problem as something that affects everyone and needs to be changed helps the family to view the problem as a problem of the family. Beginning Questions A common beginning question is to ask each family member why their family needs the involvement of social worker (why do you think I'm here today or why do you think you are here today?). The family social worker will observe how each family member describes the problem, and what kinds of emotions they show when the problem is described or they are describing the problem. Remember: It is common for family members to describe the problem in terms of a “problem” person.  Suspected Child Abuse In cases of suspected child abuse and neglect, assessing whether any child is at risk becomes the most important first task. In assessing whether a child is being abused, the social worker should first look for physical signs of abuse such as unexplained bruising and cuts, combined with the behavior of the child. The behavior of the child in the presence of a parent will help you to understand the parent-child relationship. Does the child appear fearful of the parent? How does the parent interact with the child? Is the parent irritable and impatient with the child? Establishing Goals Clear, achievable goals with a definite time frame should be set and evaluated at each session. These will be written in the form of a contract where each member is clear about what they need to do. All members will need to agree to work on specific behavioral changes. All must agree upon what the problems are, and what resources or support will be needed. Goal Setting Best Practices 1. Help the family to be specific about their goals. 2. Define clear, and measurable goals. 3. Help the family prioritize goals. 4. Assist family members to negotiate or compromise with each other regarding behavioral changes. 5. Identify skills and strengths of the family. 6. Obtain a commitment from the family. Contracting with the Family The family and the social worker will collaboratively agree on a contract. Written contracts often include the following: How often family meetings will be held and where they will be held Who needs to be present The length of meetings The problems, goals and interventions The length of intervention The input required of each family member The criteria for judging when goals have been achieved. The contract will be evaluated regularly  Remember... Even though some family members may see the problem as belonging to one person, the family worker will encourage the family to see the problem as a family problem. Every member of the family will need to agree to behavioral changes. Basic Skills and Engagement Basic Skills and Empathy Use of active listening skills with each member of the family helps the family to know that the social worker is trying to understand their point of view. Questioning, paraphrasing and reflection of feeling are also important skills. What can be difficult is when the family social workers is empathic with one family member when that family member is blaming another. At times like these, the family social worker might say something like, “I can see that you are troubled by Ali’s behavior. I can understand how you might be upset, and I wonder if Ali is upset as well.” Another problem of expressing empathy in a family interview occurs when the worker empathizes with one person, resulting in the development of a coalition against another family member. This is called collusion ‫مؤامرة‬/‫ تواطؤ‬. One way of avoiding collusion :with a member of the family is to listen to everyone’s feelings and then draw point out common themes or point out differences among members within the family. Basic Skills and Non-Possessive Warmth Warmth is your ability to show the client that you respect him or her and care about his or her well-being. Non-possessive warmth means you will not encourage the client to be dependent on you, but rather, encourage and show the family that you believe they are able to make positive changes. Genuineness ‫ صادق|اصيل‬involves sincerity, honesty, and being yourself. Being genuine can also involve your ability to state negative feelings. Example of a genuine ‫ صادق|اصيل‬response: “I know it can be challenging and difficult to communicate with teenagers. Let’s look at how we can help you and your daughter work toward a more satisfying relationship.” Boundary Setting While the family social worker should be genuine, clear boundaries between family social workers and families are important. These boundaries help the social worker and family to accomplish the goals of the family. Establishing clear boundaries and direction, focused on family needs and concerns, gets the family social worker’s relationship with the family off to a positive start. Providing Psychosocial Information to Families The family social worker evaluates what information to offer to parents, explains the information and then observes if the family understands the information. If parents do not understand information, it is the family social worker’s responsibility to explain the information or skills so that each member can develop appropriate behaviors and the skills. Problem solving or parenting skills are common skills that a social worker would teach. Yet, sometimes the information may be confusing to the parents. Then instructions should be given to parents in writing and the family social worker might suggest a place for the instructions, such as on the refrigerator door, so that all members can easily see the information. References Collins, D, Jordan, C., and Coleman, H. (2013). An introduction to family social work, 4th ed. New York, NY: Cengage.