Human Growth and Development - Family Assessment (Research Paper Sample)

Family Assessment: Utilizing the Calgary Family Assessment Model Name Institution Family Assessment: Utilizing the Calgary Family Assessment Model Introduction For the purpose of this assignment, a family was interviewed. Upon completion of the family assessment, their weaknesses and strengths were identified. Based on my assessment findings a care plan was developed, and strength-based interventions were implemented. Thomas-Joy family is a household of four and resides in northern California. Thomas and Joy are the family heads as husband and wife respectively, though not legally married. They have two children, Tyler and Carter, 3 and 10 months old. A telephone interview was conducted for the purpose of completing this assessment. Thomas-Joy family got their first son Tyler in 2010 when Joy and Thomas were still just young at the ages of 16 and 19. Joy took on the role of a stay at home mother and put her dreams of going back and graduating high school on hold. Thomas has continued to work with his uncle in the flooring business, and stays very busy working six long days a week. Thomas is the sole income bearer for the family. Family composition and Genogram The structure of the family being assessed consists of a father and mother and father who are not legally married with two siblings and one dog. The mother, Joy is the caregiver, whereas the father Thomas is the financial supporter and ultimate decision maker. There appears to be very rigid boundaries, Joy is the only one who cooks and cleans the house; however, this does help to facilitate functioning and may be beneficial to the family. In addition, several subsystems have been identified and include parent-child, male, female, sibling, caregiver, supporter and girlfriend-boyfriend. The dog Buddha is a large pit mix that mostly stays inside. The external assessment of the family has two sub-categories i.e. the extended family as well as other major systems. The extended family includes a review of family generations, is while larger systems include social agencies and personnel where the family has meaningful contact are identified (Wright & Leahey, 2000). The maternal extended family includes three generations. All of Joy’s extended family lives in New York. Joy’s mother, Allison is 40 years old and is overweight. Allison also has a medical history of Bipolar disorder and is a recovering drug addict. Joy has one sister, Susan who is two years older than her who is in good health. Joy is estranged from her father William; he was physically abusive to Allison. Alice is Joy’s grandmother; she is 64. Alice is obese and has high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Joy’s Grandfather Robert had high blood pressure, but died of lung cancer when he was 63 years old. He smoked cigarettes up until the day he died. Joy states that she is not very close to her family; they are not a good support system, and she rarely speaks to them. The paternal extended family offers more support but is still distant. It consists of four generations. Thomas is very close to his brother, Luke age 23 and Cousin Jason, age 37. Both Luke and Jason live in Wilmington. Thomas’s father Kenneth, who is 49, is an alcoholic separated with Paula (wife) and the children when Thomas was just 5 years old The genogram below describes a family visual model as well as its relations other s on a multigenerational system. Larger systems: Thomas has developed his relationships though working with different people. His job serves not only the purpose of providing financial income but also allows him to socialize. Thomas doesn’t have a lot of free time, but when he does he spends it drinking with his friends or playing video games with his brother. Joy states that with being a stay at home mother her don’t have many opportunities to meet people or friends. She has one neighbor, that she is close with, Roseanne. Roseanne is quite a bit older than Joy; she is 40 and serves more of a motherly role than a peer acquaintance. Joy does enjoy taking her son’s to the park down the street. They also seem to enjoy getting out and playing. Joy’s youngest son does receive Medicaid and can attend the clinic for his check-ups. However, Joy does not like the doctor there and is looking to switch Physicians. She said that nobody is accepting new patients. Tyler, the three-year-old attends preschool three days a week which he very much enjoys. He loves going to school to learn and spend time with his friends. The Ecomap Bellows depict Thomas-Joy family member’s contact with lager systems, such as institutions and friendships. Drink with friends Spend time with brotherWork as flooring installerRecreation at ParkSpend time with NeighborPlay/Learn at schoolCarter 10mThomas 24Tyler3 Joy 21 Doctor visits at clinic Family Strengths The family has a very close and loving relationship. They communicate openly and understand each other. The roles within the family are well established and equally important. The children get along well and are equally valued. Both Thomas and Tyler have social interactions with their peers, Thomas via work and Tyler via school. They have faced and overcome many obstacles, especially considering they have two children at such a young age. They are open to change, and willing to make lifestyle adjustments for the benefit of their family. Family Weaknesses and Diagnoses There is a lack of family bonding, not only with the extended family but also between Thomas and the children. Thomas stays so busy with work and thus has little time to spend with his family. There are some health concerns including Joy’s depression and obesity, Thomas’s smoking, Carter’s nutrition and missed proper checkup and lack of medical insurance for Joy, Thomas and Tyler. Joy requires social contacts and friends, except for one who fills more of the motherly role. They struggle to pay the bills and barely make ends meet. Thomas and Joy had to grow up quickly and accept all parental roles at such young ages. Although there is the commitment between Joy and Thomas there is no marriage. Joy is not well educated and has not been able to keep a job more than a few weeks at a time. Family problems One identifiable factor that I think may be contributing to several of the issues that this family experiences is their young age; they were not mentally, financially or emotionally mature enough to become parents at the ages of 17 and 20. Joy fell pregnant as a teenager at the young age of 16; she had already dropped out of school at that point, but had hopes of one day returning. Joy dreams of getting her high school diploma or GED and then pursuing a nursing career, however, she has not been able to go back to school due to her having children at such a young age. She does not have the support she needs to be able to attend school at this time. She also like Stanhope and Lancaster suggested, is very close to falling into a vicious cycle of poverty. Thomas completely supports her; due to her lack of education she has been unable to hold a job. If she did not have Thomas helping her, there is a high suspension she could have ended up on the street’s homeless. Joy has led a hard life. She lacked family support and many of her childhood experiences may actually have increased her likelihood of becoming pregnant as a teen. Young woman who have been deprived as a child and raised in single parent families are at risk for becoming pregnant early; many teens think that a baby will bring them joy and they can provide the love and attention their families have not provided (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014, p. 417). Joy also may be at risk for depression. According to Stanhope & Lancaster, high levels of stress contribute to adult’s mental health illness. Joy has all of the identified stress factors. She assumes multiple- role responsibilities of mother, girlfriend and home-maker. She has been unable to hold a job, which has been stressful for her. She has a lack of resources not only financially, but through the family and community as well; she has nobody except for the neighbor to turn to in a time of need. Lastly, she has unstable relationships with her extended family. She is estranged from her father and has not spoken with her mother in over a year. Maintaining child health relies on good nutrition and dietary habits, low-income families are at increased risk for poor nutrition (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). It is very important for both Tyler and Carter to eat healthy, due to their age difference their dietary needs and recommendations are different. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that whole cow milk should not be introduced for the first year of life; instead, the child should drink breast milk or formula and may begin to add solid baby food at 6 months of age (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2014). I advised Joy against giving Carter Cow’s milk in the replacement of formula or breast milk. Tyler also doesn’t eat a very healthy diet, he often eats junk food or frozen dinners. The AAP (2014) says to choose foods that aren’t "overly sugary, fatty, or salty”. Joy admitted to not really knowing how to cook. But meals don’t have to be elaborate; in fact, some don’t even require cooking. A quick meal could be a turkey sandwich, a side of green beans or apple sauce and a glass of milk. According to the AAP (2014), obesity is a growing childhood epidemic in America, and for this reason Joy needs to be aware and monitor her children’s dietary habits. Not only are the children’...