Week 3: Intervention With Families
Families are complicated systems that continually evolve. The structure of the family system can change due to circumstances that occur within the family or in a social environment. When a family is exposed to a traumatic event, whether it is a spouse returning home from war or a tragedy within the community, each family member is affected. The more members in the family system, the more factors the clinical social worker has to take into account. Finding an intervention that meets the needs of the individual members and the family as a whole can be challenging. No one intervention will fit all families. It is crucial that the intervention is appropriate for that particular family and that it addresses their specific issues.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze evidence-based interventions for families
- Identify behaviors related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Analyze PTSD interventions for families
- Analyze group process skills
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Holosko, M. J., Dulmus, C. N., & Sowers, K. M. (2013). Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chapter 10, Intervention With Families (pp. 265294)
Required Media
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013c). Levy (Episode 1) [Video file]. In Sessions. Baltimore, MD: Producer. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.
Accessible player –Downloads–Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload Transcript
Discussion: Trauma and Loss
With seemingly never-ending violence, natural disasters, and soldiers returning home from wars growing numbers of people are suffering long lasting mental health crises. It is imperative for clinical social workers to implement effective interventions that address trauma and loss within families.
For this Discussion, view the Levy video.
By Day 3
Post a description of the how the trauma related behaviors evident in the Levy video affect family interactions and the family system. Identify the problems in this case and explain whether these problems would best be addressed through individual treatment, family treatment, or a combination of both. Review the literature and recommend an evidence-based family intervention that might help Jake and Sheri and their sons. Describe how the intervention is implemented and its underlying theory. Explain how this intervention might help the Levy family and ameliorate the presenting problems. Finally, describe why you chose this intervention. Use this weeks resources or the literature to support your conclusions.
