The Riverez family consists of Julio and Quianna and their five children. They live in Englewood, Chicago. Their locality is impoverished and has a high crime rate. Both the family and their community face many challenges which they want to address. This paper will assess the different family and community factors that drive them towards unfavorable circumstances. The family struggles to meet their basic needs. The high levels of gang violence have also affected them both physically and psychologically. The other challenges they face are Julio’s deteriorating health, their son who gets involved in a gang, the language barriers, and illiteracy within the family.
Despite the multiple challenges that the family faces, some factors that manifest in their lives, and which can provide leverage to overcome their situation exist. First, the family has strengths that help them survive. Both parents are committed to each other and the children. Julio works hard and struggles to provide for the family. They have no criminal record and they want to raise their children well. The family’s dedication and perseverance are essential in creating change in the community. In addition, small groups exist within the community, which impact social change, support, and investment within the neighborhood (Englewood Portal, 2018). The community website can connect the community members to resourceful services such as available jobs and social services. The website also aims at promoting unity by linking community organizations (Teamwork Englewood, 2018). Other groups that facilitate change in the community include Englewood women’s initiative, hoops in the hood youth initiative, and African American male mentoring initiative. Therefore, the challenges that Riverez family goes through can be leveraged through the commitment and dedication of both parents, and the existing community websites, which facilitate unity and change among residents.
In addition to the existing family strength and community websites, there are also responsible institutions in the community that play a key role in eradicating problems related to crime. For example, the RAGE association helps connect the locals to influential community members such as public officials and business owners who can impact changes (Resident Association of Greater Englewood, 2018). If the residents need financial assistance, the RAGE association can help them communicate their needs to responsible authorities.
Turning from an assessment of the case scenario, although it is apparent that both Riverez family and their community are plagued by multiple challenges, it is essential to systematically analyze the needs of the family and community system to develop the most suitable interventions for the highlighted issues. At the family level, Julio and Quianna’s family faces many potential concerns, and to highlight them, I would use a sociogram family analysis tool. Both parents are high-school dropouts owing to the birth of their son Rico. Also, they have five children, even though the minimum wage for Julio dictates their total income; hence the possibility that they are unable to meet the family’s financial and social demands. Julio and Quianna are further grappling with the neighbourhood unrests and violence coupled with the trauma and pain Julio suffered from a previous shooting. Above all, Julio is the breadwinner of the family.
Furthermore, the family lacks the social support they need from the extended family because of religious and ethnical differences. They are not on one faith as other extended family members and, as such, do not get any form of support from them. Julio feels isolated, owing to his Hispanic background. He is particularly fluent in English, and not Spanish, which makes it difficult for him to engage in any conflict resolution with his wife. Quianna also feels overwhelmed and not supported by her husband. She still has post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from Julio’s past shooting incident. Unfortunately, her son -Rico- is also getting involved in criminal activities, and worrying her the more.
Among the above needs, there are prevalent strengths within the family. Notably, the couple has diversity owing to their different cultural and ethnic backgrounds; an important tool that can be used to enrich them and their children. Julio and Quianna also are a young couple (33 and 30 years respectively) hence, they are more capable of handling the financial and social challenges than a much older couple. Therefore, the family’s ethnical diversity and age of the parents can be used to leverage some of the issues that face them.
On the other hand, a systematic analysis of the community shows that the Englewood neighbourhood has the advantage of diversity; African Americans mainly inhabit it but with an accompanying influx of diverse groups. Additionally, the community has the presence of online and physical community outreach groups to try and curb the unfavorable conditions that exist in the community.
Nonetheless, the community is in need of security. The population is on a rapid decline owing to the crime, violence, and murder plaguing the area. The area has a high incidence of killings (more than 17 in the past year). Furthermore, the community seems to be under the control of cartels that operate the neighbourhood and are hostile to law enforcement agencies.
Taking the above findings into account, one may proceed to develop a plan that would address the identified issues. Given that there is a variation between the family and community needs, different intervention plans would be required to tackle the problems effectively. Below is a plan of the interventions, resources, and family and community strengths that I may leverage to address the highlighted issues.
HSE 310 Family Care Plan Template
Client Name: Layla Bryant Human Services Practitioner Name: Alexis Hill
| Date | Problem Statements |
| 29th November 2019 | The Riverez family consists of a biracial background, and they live within the community. |
| Quianna is married to Julio, and she speaks English as her native language while Julio speaks Spanish. He is also the head of the family. | |
| Quianna takes care of the children at home as Julio works. He has two jobs a day. | |
| Quianna could be suffering from Post-Partum-depression and PTSD. | |
| Their son, aged 15, is involved in a gang and has dropped in school. | |
| Quianna and Julio can’t afford essential commodities and are unable to pay for their food, electricity, and their daily activities. Julio is having health issues as a result of a gunshot. | |
| Proposed Interventions
What are the least restrictive and intrusive interventions that you recommend for this family? |
|
| Quianna should get cheaper child care where she can take her babies and also struggle to get a job. Staying at home is making her more stressed, and she doesn’t seem to sort any problem at home. | |
| The whole family should take Spanish classes, and Julio should take English and a GED course. This will help them communicate better and also solve cultural mystery and fear. | |
| Julio should get another job with better pay and a fulltime job. | |
| The family should apply for WIC, public housing assistance, and food stamps. | |
| Proposed Strategies
Which systemic family strategies best align with the identified needs and strengths of the family and their level of resilience? |
|
| A genogram gives the family relationship and history. It can also be used to show past events, significant issues, hereditary traits, and psychological factors that could affect its mental wellbeing. | |
| Available Resources
What resources are available that you would recommend ameliorating the identified needs of the family? Identify why each support will assist in meeting the needs of the family. |
Resource
Available In Community? Yes/No |
Referrals Made?
Yes/No |
| Employment for both Quianna and Julio | Yes | |
| Language learning center for the whole family members | Yes | |
| Housing assistance will help them channel their monies for other bills | Yes | |
| WIC and food stamps can provide for them food until they stabilize. | Yes | |
| A daycare center where Quianna can take her children | Yes | |
| Potential Outcomes
What potential outcomes do you expect to be derived from the interventions and resources above? How could the applied interventions and resources alleviate the family’s needs? |
||
| If they speak the same language, they will get to bond well. It will also enable Julio to get better jobs as he will be able to communicate better with this being an English-speaking country. It will open more opportunities for them. If Quianna receives a job, it will lessen their financial problems, and they will eventually relocate. | ||
| Overall Assessment (Family)
1. What systemic family analysis instrument(s) did you use to determine what is appropriate for the family? 2. What information did you derive from your assessment of the family? 3. What are the strengths and needs of the family? 4. How did your selected assessment help to frame your approach to working with the family? |
||
| I used the culturalgram and the ecomap to identify the kind of help they needed.
I learned that despite being that they have no diplomas, poor health, low income, they have a special relationship as a family. They relate well despite their challenges. Both are hardworking, and their main challenge is the language barrier. |
||
Note: All participants may not have participated in every area.
| Client Signature/Date:
Julio and Quianna Riverez 29/11/19 |
| Human Services Practitioner Signature/Date: |
Service Menu:
- Individual Counseling
- Psychoeducational Homework Given by Human Services Practitioner
- Reading
- Housing
- Utility Assistance
- Group Counseling
- School Counseling
- Couples Counseling
- Family Counseling
- Media (Watch Videos)
- Domestic Violence Treatment
- Advocacy for Missing Services
- Employment Assistance
- Drug Alcohol Treatment
HSE 310 Community Care Plan Template
Client Name: Layla Bryant Human Services Practitioner Name: Alexis Hill
| Proposed Strategies
Which systemic community strategies best align with the identified needs and strengths of the community? Explain your reasoning with each recommendation. |
||
| A genogram gives the family relationship and history. It can also be used to show past events, significant issues, hereditary traits, and psychological factors that could affect its mental welbeing. | ||
| Available Resources
What available resources do you recommend to improve the identified needs of the community? Identify why each support will assist in meeting the needs of the city. |
Resource
Available In Community? Yes/No |
Referrals Made?
Yes/No |
| Employment for both Quianna and Julio. | Yes | |
| Language learning center for the whole family members. | Yes | |
| Housing assistance will help them channel their monies for other bills. | Yes | |
| WIC and food stamps can provide for them food until they stabilize. | Yes | |
| A daycare center where Quianna can take her children. | Yes | |
|
Potential Outcomes
What potential outcomes do you expect to be derived from the interventions and resources outlined above (for the community only)? |
| The community will be able to understand and this will be a less burden that will have been removed from them. |
| Overall Assessment (Community)
1. What systemic community analysis instrument(s) did you use to determine what is appropriate based on the cultural, social, economic, and educational issues in the community? 2. What information did you derive from your assessment of the community? 3. What are the strengths and needs of the community? 4. How did your selected assessment help to frame your approach to working within the community? |
| I used the genogram to understand the nature of assistance that the community required.
I learned that the history of the community, characterized by high levels of poverty, is the root cause of some social problems such as crime, which significantly affect the lives of the Riverez family. Although the community is plagued by social problems, it has multiple strengths such as diversity, and online and physical community outreach groups that play a critical role in controlling some of the social problems. However, the analysis also shows that the community is still in need of security. |
Note: All participants may not have participated in every area.
| Client Signature/Date
Julio and Quianna Riverez 29/11/19 |
| Human Services Practitioner Signature/Date |
Service Menu:
- Individual Counseling
- Psychoeducational Homework Given by Human Services Practitioner
- Reading
- Housing
- Utility Assistance
- Group Counseling
- School Counseling
- Couples Counseling
- Family Counseling
- Media (Watch Videos)
- Domestic Violence Treatment
- Advocacy for Missing Services
- Employment Assistance
- Drug Alcohol Treatment
While efforts directed to assist the affected people may yield positive outcomes, it is also possible that my professional relationship with them could create exposure to multiple risks, including vicarious trauma, which can be assessed using a trauma symptom inventory (TSI), and a secondary traumatic stress scale (STSS). Vicarious trauma is described as “a transformation in the therapist’s enduring ways of experiencing the self, others, and the world as a result of engaging empathetically with a client’s trauma material” (Sui & Padmanabhanunni, 2016, p.128). Notably, being a witness of the terror that Riverez’s family has endured, the pain that Rico experiences following his previous shooting and the fear that Quianna holds because of her son’s involvement in a gang could cause an emotional residue on me. Regrettably, if not appropriately managed, vicarious trauma could interrupt my functioning.
One way in which vicarious trauma could affect my personal life is by interrupting physical well-being. Studies show that professionals exposed to vicarious trauma can feel unsafe (Quitangon et al., 2016). Put into context, hearing the traumatic stories about the multiple times that the family has witnessed violence could trigger the feeling of being unsafe. In addition, my encounter with the material presented by the family can trigger intrusive visual, which may be very distressing. Intrusive visuals occur when traumatic events recollect and act as though they are happening again (Brewin, 2015). Notably, the narrative of the one-year-old infant that was killed in a stroller can create distressing intrusive visual, which may affect my mental and physical health. Therefore, vicarious trauma could affect my physical well-being by triggering the feeling of being unsafe and intrusive visuals.
To further understand the potential personal and professional exposure to trauma-laden situations, one can utilize a TSI and an STSS. TSI is standardized and self-administered to assess symptoms of trauma within the general population (“DHHS publication,” 2014). Thus, it can also be used by a practitioner to assess vicarious trauma. On the other hand, the STSS evaluates secondary traumatic stress, which may occur in witnesses and professionals involved in care (Jenny & Noelle, 2015). Therefore, it is suitable for the assessment of vicarious trauma among practitioners. Below is an assessment of the potential personal and professional exposure to trauma-laden material using the TSI and STSS.
The assessment uses TSI
| Symptoms | Frequency (0-4), where 0 indicates “never”, and 3 “often” |
| Anxious arousal | 3 |
| Intrusive experiences | 3 |
| Defensive avoidance | 2 |
The assessment uses STSS
| Symptoms | Frequency (0-4) where 0 indicates “never”, and 3 “often” |
| Hyperarousal | 3 |
| Disturbing flashback | 3 |
| Need to avoid associations with trauma | 3 |
The above assessment reveals exposure to vicarious trauma. Thus, to address the ongoing exposure, a personal and professional self-care plan and trauma-specific informed strategies could be adopted to enhance my awareness, balance, and connection. Below is a self and professional self-care that could be used.
Self-care Plan
- Spend time with others.
- Indulge in comforting and fun activities.
- Choose an activity that engages the brain, such as reading books.
Professional Self-care
- Engage in conversations with colleagues.
- Set professional boundaries with clients.
- Balance between work and social life.
- Undertake training sessions to enhance emotional balance.
Apart from adhering to the above self-care plan, it would be essential to observe specific ethical considerations when working with people with trauma-laden history. For instance, confidentiality would be critical when dealing with trauma-victims because it would boost trust and enhance the willingness to share their stories. One of the strategies that can be used to facilitate confidentiality is concealing clients’ information from a third party. In addition, it would be critical to respect clients’ privacy. Thus, to achieve this initiative, one may ensure that consent is sought prior to accessing the client’s material, which may be required in developing effective interventions. By adhering to the self-care plan, fostering confidentiality and respecting clients’ privacy, I can easily enhance my awareness, balance, and connection.
References
“Murray Bowen, M.D. and The Nine Concepts in Family Systems Theory”. (2019). Your Mindful Compass. Retrieved from https://yourmindfulcompass.com/about/dr-bowen/
Brewin, C. (2015). Re-experiencing traumatic events in PTSD: New avenues in research on intrusive memories and flashbacks. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6(1), 1-6.
Devlin, K. (2019). Family systems theory definition & what is it? Retrieved from https://www.regain.us/advice/family/family-systems-theory-definition-what-is-it/
DHHS publication. (2014). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services: A Treatment Improvement Protocol. U.S. Department of health and human services, substance abuse and mental health services administration, center for substance abuse treatment.
Gavazzi, S. (2016). Family Systems Theory. Encyclopedia Of Adolescence, 1-6. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_455-2
Jenny, W., & Noelle, R. (2014). Selecting a measure for assessing secondary trauma in nurses. Nurse Researcher, 23(2), 1-11.
Quitangon, G., Cyr, K., Nelson, C., Lascher, S., DiFrancisci, L., & Eth, S. (2016). Vicarious trauma in mental health professionals following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Journal of Mental Disorders and Treatment, 2(2), 1-5.
Resident Association of Greater Englewood. (2018). Retrieved from https://ragenglewood.org/
Sui, X., & Padmanabhanunni, A. (2016). Vicarious trauma: the psychological impact of working with survivors of trauma for south African psychologists. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 26(2), 127-133.
Teamwork Englewood. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.teamworkenglewood.org/index.html
The Englewood Portal. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.englewoodportal.org/index.html
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