6101 WEK 3 DISCUSSION

RESPONSE 1

Collapse Subdiscussion Jaimee Villareal Borja

Jaimee Villareal Borja

YesterdayLocal: Dec 14 at 2:01am<br>Course: Dec 14 at 3:01am

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· Provide a brief description of the family system you selected.

The family system that I selected for this discussion is a blended family. Blended families involve partners or married couples who have children from previous relationships (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018).

· Explain potential barriers or challenges this family might encounter.

Blended families may face challenges due to societal expectations and negative stereotypes. They are sometimes presented as incomplete and imperfect (Kumar, 2017). Family members may also experience loyalty conflicts (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018). For example, children could experience tension between two divorced parents while a parent may feel conflicted between a new spouse and loyalty to children from previous marriage. Members of blended families may also experience a sense of alienation. For instance, members of a family may feel disconnected by the changes and like outsiders in their new family.

· Explain how a social worker might address this barrier on an individual, family, organizational, group, or community level.

Social worker may address these barriers by thoroughly assessing the family member’s needs and facilitate intervention strategies. They should provide resources to family members by educating them and helping them as they adjust to the changes in their family structure to avoid further conflict. Furthermore, they should also provide assistance in defining strategies to fit in and feel at home to avoid a sense of alienation.

 

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2018).  Empowerment series: Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.). CENGAGE Learning.

Kumar, K. (2017). The Blended Family Life Cycle.  Journal of Divorce & Remarriage,  58(2), 110–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2016.1268019

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RESPONSE 2 DAVID

There are many family systems that can be chosen to assist and support as a social worker. The family system I have chosen to focus on are families with mental health problems. Mental health has become more prevalent over the last several years and especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has become more talked about regarding those in need of services. 

Lagdon, S. et al., tell us that “between a fifth and a third of adults receiving treatment from mental health services have children and that between 10 and 23 percent of children live with at least one parent with mental health problems” (2021, p 401). Given the percentages and how “new” mental health still has become talked about, many families encounter barriers to care.

One potential barrier or challenge that a family with mental health problems may occur is the conflict of communicating effectively. Kirst-Ashman & Hull explain the importance of communicating within a family when they state, “how family members communicate with each other relates directly to how effectively the family flourishes as a system” (2018, p. 353). Due to individuals within a family with mental health problems that have emotional outbursts or isolation due to mood changes, communication can become difficult to occur. As a social worker it is our job to assess the different communication avenues that are being used within the family so we can discuss how bit impacts one another within the family.

As a social worker you will want to address the barrier directly with the family, but also individually too, to be able to determine any conflicts of the communication. As a family you will want to ensure you are aware of the roles within the family. Understanding these family roles will allow us as social workers to determine how effective the family is functioning overall. (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018) As a Social worker you will want to discuss any services within the community that would benefit the family dealing with barriers. This could look like services for therapy or medication management. 

 

References:

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2018). Empowerment series: Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.). Chapter 9, "Understanding Families: Family Assessment" (pp. 349–381). CENGAGE Learning.

Lagdon, S., Grant, A., Davidson, G., Devaney, J., Donaghy, M., Duffy, J., Galway, K., & McCartan, C. (2021). Families with Parental Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Narrative Review of Family‐Focused Practice. Child Abuse Review, 30(5), 400–421. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2706