HSV 521 Post University Family Case Counseling Case Study

You will be required to integrate the following family systems models to the case studyassignments:

o Case Study 1: Integrate two of the following theories: Experiential,Transgenerational, Milan Systemic, or Strategic.

? This paper should be submitted in APA format. Each paper must be double spaced with size12 Times New Roman font and 1 inch margins on all sides. You will need a title page, body(using the Case Study Report template), and reference section all in APA style. Please usecomplete sentences, appropriate grammar, spelling, and references. You will also berequired to use in-text references in your work in accordance with APA style to avoidplagiarism. Information to help with your writing is provided under the APA resources sectionof the course information tab. Papers not submitted on time will have 5 points deducted perday late.

Case Study Session Notes: In Case Studies #1, you will be provided with SessionNotes taken from intake interviews with hypothetical families. These documents provide you with the information needed to complete theassignment.

Case Study Report Template (Submit for Case Studies #1):

o Use this template to write-up your report. Your report should be no more than sixpages in length and no less than five pages. This requirement will be strictly3observed. In professional life, brevity is a virtue. Your goal should be to say a lot usingas few words as possible. Be comprehensive in scope but efficient in wording. If youfind yourself going over the six page limit, don’t worry. Continue with your thoughts.However, once finished, go back and edit your report. Remove any parts of your reportthat are not essential to understanding the family, its issues, your interpretation of theircase and your plans for treating them. Communicate only the essential. You must usea minimum of three scholarly journal sources to support your work (many successfulCase Studies require more than three). Please be sure to avoid using Internet sourcessuch as Wikipedia or other web-based resources that do not have strong academicbacking. You will also be required to use in-text references in your work in accordancewith APA style to avoid plagiarism

o Please review the Case Study Report Template at this time. Below are the sections ofthe report:

? Assignment Information is for your instructor’s benefit, letting him or her knowwho has written the report and so forth. The last item in this grouping isimportant. It will tell your instructor the model or models you have selected tointegrate in this case. The models will drive your assessment of the family andthe treatment plan you develop. If you select, let’s say, a Transgenerationalmodel to apply, your instructor will expect to see an assessment and treatmentplan that is rich in the vocabulary, principles, approaches and techniques putforward by that model. Your report must reflect a good grasp of the models youare applying. The assessment should tell me what is really going on for thefamily through the lens and language of your models. It should be rich in theassessment language of the model, thereby showing me your mastery of themodel. Once you have assessed the family through the lens and language ofyou models, you will then treat the family using the treatmentinterventions/techniques of the models. Be sure to treat what you assess.

? The Initial Information section is pretty self-explanatory. For the last twoitems, briefly describe the reason the family has sought help as stated by thefamily. What are they saying is the problem? No need for you to state whetheryou agree with them or not at this point. Your opinions and hypotheses aboutwhat is really going on within the family system are presented later on in theassessment (case conceptualization) part of your report. Also, if the family hassought help to address the problems, behaviors or issues of a specific memberof the family, state this up front by identifying this person in the “IdentifiedPatient” box.

? Use the Summary of information provided section to summarize the facts ofthe case (the facts, just the facts). Tell your reader what you KNOW about thecase (not what you THINK about it) as reported by the family and captured inthe session notes that are provided. The key word here is “Summary”.Summarize the session notes, don’t just restate them. Organize the informationin a format that will be meaningful to your reader. Consider using sub-headingssuch as “Family History”, “Description of Individual Family Members”, “CurrentLevel of Family Functioning” and so forth. How you summarize the factualinformation of the case and how you present it in this section will be an importantpart of your grade. Also, remember you have only 3-5 pages available so becomprehensive but brief. Only the essential stuff.

? The following section, Assessment of information provided, will be the heartof your report. It is central to this assignment and should receive the greatestattention (and length). Now that we, your readers, know the facts about thecase, as summarized in the previous section, how are we to make sense of it?What is really going on with this family? What are the real issues at play aboveand beyond the family’s presenting problem? What are the dynamicsunderlying their problems and the interpersonal relationships between them?This is where you, the expert, interpret the family data, offer your insightsregarding family systems and dynamics, and state your hypotheses about thetrue nature of their problems. It is essential that you explain your insightsthrough the lens and language of your model(s). The goal of this sectionand paper is for you to show mastery of theory in a clinical family case.Therefore, your assessment should be rich in theoretical language, explainingwhat is really going on for this family according to your selected model(s). Hereis where you offer your expert, professional opinion or, in other words, yourcase conceptualization from the perspective of your model(s). You can discussindividual family member functioning, family functioning as a whole, familyhistory as you see it relating to the problem, the quality of interpersonalinteractions, interactional sequences and relationships. It is also important toidentify and describe individual and family strengths and resources that can beaccessed and utilized during treatment (e.g., good insight and self-awareness,a genuine caring for one another). Be sure to base you opinions on themodel(s) you are applying. This is a crucial point. Be sure to tie yourdiscussion back to the model you are using. You should be using thelanguage and theory of your model(s). As new counselors it is importantto understand the theoretical basis and to understand what you theoryyou are applying. In a clinical summary written for a client (at work) youwould not be citing resources, however for the purposes ofdemonstrating research, understanding and application of knowledgeyou should be citing your work with outside resources in this paper.

? Use the Ethical or Cultural Factors of Concern section to identify any issuesthat you as the primary care provider should be mindful of. This section can bebrief, but feel encouraged to form multiple hypotheses, even if they mighteventually prove to be incorrect. In addition, be sure to tie these concerns into theremaining two sections of the Case Study.

? You will use the final section of this report, Initial Treatment Plan to proposean initial treatment plan. This plan is based on the information gathered (yoursummary), your case conceptualization (assessment) and the models you areapplying. Given what you know and think about the family, what are you goingto do (at least initially)? Remember, your treatment intervention mustreflect four strategies from the models you are applying. Also, keep inmind that this is an initial plan subject to change over time. It should berelatively modest in scope since you’re only now getting to know the family andunderstand its issues. Your treatment plan should be firmly grounded in yourcase conceptualization. In other words, don’t prescribe a treatment interventionthat has nothing to do with the issues you discussed in your assessment5section. The assessment should flow into the treatment plan. You treat whatyou have assessed. Recommendations can reflect referrals to outside servicesif (and only if) appropriate. They can also reflect the need for furtherassessment and exploration if you feel additional information is needed toeffectively treat the family. If you do make a recommendation for additionalassessment and information gathering, be specific. What specific areas orissues will you be exploring and why? Your initial treatment plan should include• the goals to be pursued,• the approaches to be taken,• the techniques to be applied,• Recommendations for “expanding the family system” if indicated(e.g., does anyone else need to be invited to the therapy sessions?Grandma, a favorite aunt, a trusted neighbor?).

• Recommendations for referrals if indicated (e.g.,psychiatric consult,psychological testing, individual counseling).In addition to your 5-6 page case study report, you are required to submit the followingdocuments:Family Timeline Template: Instructions:

At the top of this template, fill in your name (i.e., “Student Name”) and information relevant to thecase you are working on (i.e., “Case Study #” and “Family Name”). Below this information,create a timeline of important family events (e.g., divorce, birth of a child, death of a familymember, geographical relocation) based on information presented in the case study. A goodtimeline will not include every event in the family’s history, only those events that are relevant tounderstanding the dynamics of the family and its problems. Some events that seem important inthe family’s history (the marriage of the parents) may actually be less relevant to understandingfamily dynamics than smaller, seemingly unimportant events (e.g., the targeted patient gets cutfrom the varsity baseball team.) Therefore, think carefully before including an event on thefamily timeline (e.g., “Does my reader really need to know this information about the fathergetting laid off when the son was only two years old? Will this information give the reader abetter understanding of what the family has been struggling with in the past year?). Althoughdates or time periods that events occurred is nice to know when available (e.g., December,2001 or the spring of 2003), getting the sequence of events correctly is much more important tounderstanding family history (e.g., knowing that family’s move to a new state preceded a declinein the oldest child’s performance in school). Also, when available, include the age of familymembers at the time of the event.List family events in sequence on the Family Timeline Template beginning with ‘A’. The firstrelevant event in the family’s history is identified and briefly explained on the line labeled A.Continue identifying and describing events in sequence on lines B, C, D and so on. Use onlythose lines needed to adequately cover relevant family history (no need to fill in all the lines,only if necessary).Structural Family Map: Instructions (Case Study #3): Using the boundary names (i.e., Clear,Diffuse, Rigid, Detouring, and Conflict), describe the relationships between the Buchman familymembers as depicted in the film (e.g., Between ‘A’ and ‘B’: Clear boundary as evidenced byhealthy interactions between the two family members and ……..) Address the boundaries as6well as their alignments, coalitions, and triangles.Since this is an on-line assignment, you do not have to create a picture, but rather note therelationships between all family members. For example, describe the relationship betweenKym and Abby; Kym and Paul; Kym and Rachel. (A-B; A-C; A-D). Then, do that for the otherrelationships between the family members. (B-C; B-D); (C-D). If you want to include the stepparents in this, you may do that as well. Be sure to explain your rationale regarding yourboundary choice by giving an example or examples.Between Kym and AbbyBetween Kym and PaulBetween Kym and RachelBetween Abby and PaulBetween Abby and RachelBetween Paul and RachelAdditional Helpful Hints

? Spelling, grammar and the use of language count! Therefore, proof your paper beforesubmitting it. Poorly written papers will be graded down so take the stepsnecessary to submit a well-written paper.

? When writing your paper, keep it simple. Write in clear, concise sentences. Say a lot using thefewest number of words. Don’t go on and on about something. Make your point and move on.If your paper exceeds the six page maximum. Go back and edit your paper. Cut outunnecessary words and information.

? Use the language of the model that you are applying to the case. If your case conceptualizationand treatment plan contain only a few vocabulary words from the model, something is seriouslywrong. The goal of this paper is to show your mastery of theory in a clinical case. Being ableto integrate theory into practice is essential in this field. Go back and rewrite these sectionskeeping the model in mind. Integrate theory with the case study. If you are applying BehaviorTherapy to the case, we are not interested in your opinions. We are interested in your opinionsas a behavior family therapist. Talk like a behaviorist would talk when discussing the case.

? Do not simply discuss the model (“I would use role playing in treatment”). Be specific to thisparticular family. Apply it to the family you are treating (“I would use role playing with John, theoldest child, when working on his need to be more assertive with his dad.”).

? When introducing the vocabulary and concepts of the model you are using, briefly define them7for your reader (e.g. “I would use role playing with John, the oldest child, when working on hisneed to be more assertive with his dad. Role modeling is a technique where the family memberpractices certain behaviors in the session and…….”). Assume your audience knows less aboutwhat you are writing about than you do. Write to your audience, not to yourself.

? Do not use slang expressions in your report (e.g., She often gets wasted on the weekend whenshe drinks) unless you are quoting someone (e.g., When asked about her weekend drinking,she replied that she often gets “wasted”). Remember this is a formal, professional report. Theuse of slang is not acceptable.

? Avoid first-person statements and the use of personal words such as “I” (e.g., I believe thatthe family may be suffering from…..”). Instead, take a less personal approach even whenstating your own opinion (e.g., “Evidence indicates that the family likely suffers from…..”). Ifyou have to refer to yourself, it is good practice to refer to yourself as “this examiner” in clinicalwriting.

? State your hypotheses about the case, the family and its problems in tentative terms (e.g., “Itis likely….”, “She may be harboring guilt associated with…..”, “He tends to shut down whenconfronted….”). Remember, your hypotheses reflect what you THINK, not what you KNOW.They are not the facts. They represent your interpretation of the facts. The more confident youare about your hypothesis, the more definitive your statement can sound (e.g., “He is likely”vs. “He may”). The less confident you are with your hypothesis, the more tentative yourstatements about the family should be (e.g., “There is a chance that she may respond withhostility when confronted with…..”).

? Do not state your opinions in the “Summary of information provided”, the factual part of yourpaper. Instead, state your opinions or hypotheses in the “Assessment of information provided”section. Always back up your opinion with fact. Support your hypotheses with facts or datafrom the case study (e.g., “He is likely to depend too heavily on his children’s approval asevidenced by…….”).

? Do not discuss treatment issues or recommendations in your Assessment Report. Save theserecommendations for your Initial Treatment Plan.

? When in doubt, keep your treatment plan simple. Do not let your treatment recommendationsmake things more complicated for the family than they already are.

The points below will help you begin to organize and prepare for Case Study #1:

• Use the Case Study Report Template to write up your “Assessment Report and Initial Treatment Plan / Recommendations”. The template MUST be used for all three case study reports.
• The HSV 521 Case Study Guidelines for Case Study #1 describes the requirements for this assignment. Please read it carefully.
• The Marble Family: Case Study #1 Notes serves as the source of information needed to complete Case Study 1.
• Use the Case Study Family Timeline Template to develop a timeline of relevant events in the family’s history. Include only those events that are relevant to understanding the family’s clinical issues and in chronological order. The key with this part of the assignment is to only include the most significant events, be brief, leaving rest of the details for the case report.