WK2Assgn_Hinton_A SOCW-6121 - Final (1)

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Walden University *

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6121

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Sociology

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Jan 9, 2024

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1 THEORY AND FAMILY ASSESSMENT Alexis T Hinton SOCW-6121 Dr. Kalomo December 10th, 2023
2 In order to comprehend and evaluate a family, social workers must apply theory in family therapy. According to Hoffman, L. (2015). Theory aids in illuminating the family dynamics at work and how they impact the family's ability to function. Two key frameworks for comprehending family dynamics are systems theory and a developmental viewpoint, both of which can offer insightful information about the family's advantages and disadvantages. The functioning of the family can also be evaluated using a validated assessment tool in a number of domains, and the findings of this evaluation can be utilized to guide the therapy strategy. A helpful foundation for comprehending family dynamics is systems theory. This idea focuses on how family members connect with one another and how that influences how the family functions. This theory highlights the significance of comprehending the patterns of interaction within the family by viewing it as a whole as opposed to as a collection of individual family members. Van Hook, S. (2020) states that in the Hernandez family, for instance, Mrs. Hernandez is the primary decision maker while the father is not very active in day-to-day family affairs. Understanding how this power disparity affects the family's functioning can help you evaluate the family more accurately and create a treatment plan that works. Understanding family dynamics also requires an understanding of development. This viewpoint focuses on how the members of the family have evolved throughout time and how their life experiences, beliefs, and values have influenced the way they function. To better assess the Hernandez family and create an efficient treatment strategy, it is crucial to recognize that the father's lack of participation in the family's day-to-day activities may be a result of his own childhood traumas. When evaluating a family, using a validated assessment tool can be beneficial as well. For instance, a validated assessment tool that can be used to evaluate the functioning of a family
3 across seven domains is the Family Assessment Measure (FAM) discussed in the Van Hook chapter. According to Van Hook, S. (2020) these domains include family cohesion, communication, problem-solving, roles, affective responsiveness, behavior control, and affective involvement. Family strengths and weaknesses can be better understood by using the FAM results, which can also be utilized to guide the treatment strategy. For example, the therapy strategy can concentrate on enhancing communication skills if the FAM results show that the family does not communicate well. In summary, in order to better comprehend and evaluate a family, family therapy must make use of theory. To comprehend the dynamics of the family at work, systems theory and a developmental viewpoint can be applied. A validated assessment tool, like the Family Analysis Model (FAM), can be used to evaluate the family's functioning in several domains. The treatment strategy can then be informed by the evaluation results, including the FAM results. Social workers can use this information to create more individualized treatment programs that are more successful and meet the specific requirements of the family.
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4 Resources Van Hook, S. (2020). Family Assessment Measure (FAM) [Data file]. In M. Chafee & S. Van Hook (Eds.), Clinical assessment of families (pp. 43-53). Oxford University Press. Hoffman, L. (2015). Systems theory. In J. Lebow (Ed.), Encyclopedia of family studies (pp. 2459-2462). Wiley.