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System theory and family system theory
Family systems theory principles
System theory and family system theory
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The organizational theory which fits the Department of Children’s Services is the family systems theory. “Family systems theory, in an organizational context, postulates that a system has its own language, roles, rules, beliefs, needs and patterns. Each member of the system has a role in, and is reciprocally affected by, the system. Each member is evaluated and understood in relation to the system as a whole. Problems are addressed by focusing on and/or changing the way the system works in tandem with a specific member. For example, family systems theory recognizes that actions and statements by DCS administrators directly affect the perceptions and actions of field staff and how they in turn interact with children and families served by the …show more content…
Department”(TDCS, 2003, p. 3-4). Another theory that can also be applied to DCS is the systems theory. “Systems theory contends that there are multiple parts of any entity, whether it is a group, an organization, or a community... There are resources the system needs in order to function and they may come in the form of people, equipment, funding, knowledge, legitimacy, or a host of other forms” (Netting, Kettner, McMurtry, & Thomas, 2012, p. 10). Providing the best possible care for a child in custody requires resources and working within a system with the community. According to the Child information Gateway Issue Brief (2009), “children who have experienced abuse or neglect have unusual coping mechanisms, which can include being quiet and submissive”.
This may account for them not simply asking for food when they are hungry. The human behavior theory that would apply in this situation would be the social learning theory. Banderas proposes that individuals learn from watching others behaviors and modeling them. “This theory emphasizes the reciprocal influences of the environment on the person and the person on the environment. Social learning theory holds that human behavior is learned with an interactive social context and conditioned by relationships with family members, and other close associates” (Jenson & Fraser, 2011, p. …show more content…
69). Finally, Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of human needs “ postulated that people could not focus on meeting their important individual growth needs until after their most basic universal needs were met” (Child Welfare Information Gateway). Maslow placed the physiological needs of air, food water, shelter at the lowest level and stated that these needs were essential before moving on to the higher levels of safety, security and finally self-actualization. A study by Harper, Harper and Stills (2003) addresses how Maslow‘s hierarchy of needs can be used as a framework for counseling ―children in crisis. Children in crisis are perpetually at risk for being unable to fulfill their basic human needs. Maslow argued that “all human beings, regardless of culture, have five levels of basic needs; however, it is important to note that the manifestation of these levels may differ individually and culturally” (Harper, Harper & Stills, 2003). With this in mind, meeting the needs of the children for food while they are in the office or being transported should be of utmost importance if the caseworker is to continue to build a relationship of trust with the child. Project Design A new policy which clearly defines that shall a youth be retained in the DCS office for a period of four or more hours and/or during a customary meal time that said youth would receive a healthy meal. This policy would also address transportation times in so much that the same time frames shall apply and the caseworker may choose to provide food from the food pantry for this time or may purchase the youth’s meal and choose to be reimbursed. As the change agent in this process, I have identified that this problem requires attention as not only have the caseworkers complained about this issue but also there have been issues where the parents have complained that their child is not receiving adequate care while in custody. My action system will include the staff of DCS, community partners, and the youth themselves. The staff will be helpful in not only supporting the program but also in giving feedback as to how the program would best work for them. There will also be steps to gain approval from those in charge such as team leaders and team coordinators. Speaking with and gaining knowledge from the youth will also provide for essential information as to what kinds of foods they would want included. “Implementing the proposed solution also includes identifying, contacting, and utilizing available resources” (Toseland & Rivas, 2009, p. 341). The next step will be to solicit help and supplies from community partners and designate a storage area that is convenient for all parties involved. Budget The actual cost of this program will vary as the number of children each month varies however to begin with, establishing a baseline of goods will be key. If it is discovered that more is necessary then we can re-evaluate monthly. There will be some personnel costs incurred as someone will have to manage the project, organize the food pantry, and possibly pick up from donors and inventory to make sure there is adequate supply. The secretary could manage this in approximately 5 hours a month at $10.00 an hour. There is adequate space in the current office but will need shelving set up. This could be donated privately or purchased for approximately $100. By cost sharing with community partners, launching this project would be of minimal cost to the state. “Standard 2-500 which states DCS will manage financial resources in accordance with State guidelines for use of public funds and in a manner designed to achieve the most efficient use of public money. DCS will continue to increase spending to develop a wide range of program and service improvements needed to improve outcomes” (TDCS, 2003, p. 15). The main source of funding could be obtained from private donors and fundraising. The majority would most likely be assumed by the community partners. Another source of funding could come from federal funds. The Federal Foster Care Program helps to provide safe and stable out-of-home care for children until the children are safely returned home, placed permanently with adoptive families or placed in other planned arrangements for permanency. The program is authorized by title IV-E of the Social Security Act, as amended, and implemented under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 45 CFR parts 1355, 1356, and 1357. It is an annually appropriated program with specific eligibility requirements and fixed allowable uses of funds. Funding is awarded by formula as an open-ended entitlement grant and is contingent upon an approved title IV-E plan to administer or supervise the administration of the program. The title IV-E Agency must submit yearly estimates of program expenditures as well as quarterly reports of estimated and actual program expenditures in support of the awarded funds. Funds are available for monthly maintenance payments for the daily care and supervision of eligible children; administrative costs to manage the program; training of staff and foster care providers; recruitment of foster parents and costs related to the design, implementation and operation of a state-wide data collection system. (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/resource/title-ive-foster-care) Additionally, funding could be obtained from Title IV-E which is a federal reimbursement for the federally eligible foster care or adoption expenses that the state has already paid. Food while in custody would definitely qualify as an eligible expense. Evaluation One of the Guiding principles of DCS is “Reduction of Trauma to Child”.
This means that DCS “will strive to recognize and minimize the trauma children experience while in Departmental care” (Pre-Service Core, 2009, p. 14). This also implies that it becomes the department’s responsibility to take care of the child’s physical and emotional needs and to also anticipate what they may need, including paying special attention to food, sleep, physical affection and any health related needs. Sometimes the child will be unable to ask for these on their own as they have been accustomed to going without. It is the ultimate responsibility of a social worker to ensure that the child or youth feels safe and views you are a source of comfort and care. Many foster children are used to “no dinner” so by not providing meals and snacks without their asking or in a timely manner, they may be putting them back into their old world of neglect. Measuring success of this program is reliant on tracking each child while in custody and assuring they receive meals in a timely manner. Success would be 100% compliance to the program and all children feeling safe and well-taken care of while in care. A post-custody survey could accomplish determining if the children and their parents felt as if the care was adequate of the child. Case notes entered into TFACTS could be used to track the success of the program shall the caseworkers document their interaction with the
child.
Jeune, G.P, McCall, S., and Hamilton, L. (2007) Understanding Looked after Children: An Introduction to Psychology for Foster Care. London: Jessica Kingsley Pub.
Social agency and the court authorizing the placement, and caregivers are responsible for the continuing monitoring to ensure that the child in placement receives adequate care and supervision (Downs, Moore and McFadden, 2009, p.275). Services for children in foster care are a teamwork effort of the different parties involved (Downs, Moore and McFadden, 2009). Unfortunately in Antowne’s situation the agency and the court system failed him because although he was removed from his mother, the abuse and neglect continued. The systems involved did not provide the safety net Antwone needed.
For Precious, I have used a Systems theory/ Family Systems approach to evaluate and summarize her needs and interventions. One of the crucial aspects that I have addressed is that being removed from the abusive environment is crucial for her and her two children. At the moment she is able to stay at a half-way house that can accommodate her and her children. She is able to also utilize childcare while she attends her alternative school. I have spoken with Precious, and she states that she wants to get her own place and raise her children. Being that she is 17, she is still considered a minor so we spoke about how certain obstacles may bar her from leasing an apartment right away. I have made a referral for her
...t with a child in the foster care system. This paper gave me the opportunity to learn the positives and the negatives as well as more details about the little parts of the foster care system that I didn’t know existed. Even though my focus is to help the child and think about their best interest, this paper showed me that the parents, both biological and foster, are another important factor that helps the children. It made me realize that I will need to meet the parents and work with them to make a plan that fits their life. I will need to figure out what issues they feel are important to fix and how to get to those solutions. Foster care is a complex system that will challenge me daily if I enter the into this specific field but even if I work with children in a different environment I need to be aware that children come from all different types of backgrounds.
In the observation there were 14 other foster parents in attendance, 10 foster parents were non-kinship and 4 were kinship foster parents including myself. In observing we discussed the transition of children coming into foster care for the first time vs. long term instability of placement. A lot of the children are confused they are unaware of the wrong their parents have done to be removed. They become scared or fearful because the home they are placed in can be a stranger. Not all children go to kinship homes. Some children come into foster care with insecure detachment or the inability to eat, sleep or be normal functioning children. In learning that bonding and attachment of a mother/ caregiver and child during the first five years of the child’s life is important. That a child who is abused or neglected by parent or caregiver will form Insecure disorganized disoriented which is confusion about approaching or avoiding mother/caregiver, upon reunion acts confused and dazed (Site This). The foster parents in the training did not say much but when spoken about daily stressor of a child towards acceptance we had the same idea of trying to make the foster home as comfortable as possible. That is when we all was inform no matter how welcoming the home is or the pleasant smile at the door a child will still need time to adjust to the situation he/she is placed in.
Haight, Wendy L., James E. Black, Sarah Mangelsdorf, Grace Giorgio, Lakshmi tata, Sarah J. Schoppe, and Margaret Szewcyk. "Making Visits Better: The Perspective of Parents, foster Parents, and Child Welfare Workers." EBSCOhost. EBSCO, 1 Mar. 2002. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
The family structure is made up of individuals living together in intimate groups with the purpose of caring and supporting each other. Rules and boundaries, spoken and unspoken, are developed by the family members. Family rules and boundaries change and shift over time in order to evolve and grow as a family unit. Some changes are subtle, but some events force major change within the family system. This paper applies the concepts of systems theory to the family system in the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Reese Witherspoon (Melanie Smooter) and Josh Lucas (Jake Perry) star in this heart-warming film telling a story of a young woman who flees from Alabama to reinvent herself in New York City as a high fashion designer. She leaves behind her redneck husband and white-trash upbringing. Melanie finds herself engaged to the cities most eligible bachelor and has to return to Alabama to request a divorce from her first love and confront her past ("Alabama," 2002).
According to Richard Charles (2001) “the effectiveness of family systems theory rests not much on empirical research but on clinical reports of positive treatment outcomes, the personal benefits experienced by the families that underwent this kind of treatment, and the elegance of Bowen’s theory” (p. 279). Bowen’s family systems theory views the family as an emotional unit and is a theory of human behavior. Systems thinking are used to describe the complex interactions in the unit. However, the client’s ability to differentiate himself/herself from the family of origin is the basis for Bowen’s family systems theory. In addition, the primary focus for growth within the emotional system is differentiation of self. Differentiation of self will be explored as well as how it relates to a church congregation.
Children in foster care are removed from their families due to an abusive or neglectful situation. This can include physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, or neglect” (Being a Foster Parent). Many children may have behavioral and other types of problems that a foster parent should make sure they are equipt for. Foster parents must be good at talking and communicating with children in order to make them feel safe and wanted in their new and temporary home. They must be prepared to deal with how the child acts and what they say. Not only do they have to support them emotionally but they also must be able to support them financially. Even though almost all of the expenses that go along with fostering are usually reimbursable it still could be difficult for some to come up with the medical, dental, and therapy expenses off hand (Being a Foster Parent). Becoming a foster parent is a long difficult road but in doing so it could really help out a child in
In order for a possible successful future to take place, an appropriate selection of the caregiver must take place (Blythe et. al 88). Whenever an inappropriate foster parent is given responsibility over a child, all sorts of issues for the parent and child are created that could have been easily avoided. Foster care agencies must select foster parents that are completely capable to care for the health and safety of their new kids (Blythe et. al 88). This means that the foster parents must be able to supply all of the child’s essential needs so that they may be a valuable citizen in society one day. Research has discovered that foster parents will experience more anxiety and stress when compared to adults in their surrounding communities (Blythe et al. 88). This is directly because the foster parent was incapable of being a sufficient parent for the foster child. Since every child is special and unique in their own way it makes sense that the foster p...
Since the 20th century, researchers have sought out solutions to help assist families and the individual components that make up family systems overcome the challenges and schisms that can inhibit individuation and stability. Two theoretical perspectives, the family-systems theory and the family-development theory, were conceived to gain as Balswick & Balswick (2014) noted, gain “a wide-angle view of family life” (p. 22). Though these two theories have merit, one I found to be more advantageous in gaining a better understanding of the family as an actively metastasizing organism, which needs to be approached more adaptively.
Families make us who we are. From our families we learn communication skills, emotions and how to form relationships. Murray Bowen developed the Bowen family systems theory. The Bowen family systems theory provides the opportunity to learn about complex family relationships and emotional relationships. The Bowen family systems theory can be integrated with religion and spirituality. Everyone can relate the Bowen family systems theory. I can integrate my personal experiences with concepts from the Bowen family systems theory.
A significant facet of an early childhood professional is the ability to work with families. This however can be an area in which many professionals entering into the field can feel inadequate. In order to fully support all areas of a child’s performance as a professional it is critical to work with their families. In order to effectively work with families, you must be able to understand the diversity and complexity of families.
When looking at family systems, you must begin by looking at Murray Bowen’s family systems theory and “his views on the eight interlocking forces that shape family function,” (Haefner, 2014). Within Bowen’s family psychotherapy research, he noted that “family patterns and problems often repeat over generations, he also noted that families make up their own emotional systems, and within these systems they try to maintain stability and reduce conflict,” (Haefner, 2014). The eight interlocking forces noted by Bowen through (Haefner, 2014)
"A family is a small social group of people related by ancestry or affection, who share common values and goals, who may live together in the same dwelling, and who may participate in the bearing and raising of children. They have a physical or emotional connection with each other that is ongoing" (Vissing, 2011) and is the foundation of all societies. They can be formed by a grouping of father-mother-children or even more complicated combination of relatives. In the primary stage of family life in the United States, everyone from every generation lived together in one house. Subsequently, the idea of traditional family evolved and a married couple with children is at present, often called the traditional family. There are many types of families; however, this paper will focus on the traditional family. It will describe how the functionalist perspective, conflict perspective, and the interactionism theory apply to the sociological institution known as a family. It will explain some of the similarities and differences between the sociological theories in regards to families and how they affect the family members.