About This Assignment

The intent of this assignment is to prepare you to assess families qualitatively and quantitatively by exploring your own family of origin history, to develop and use a genogram and ecomap for assessment purposes, and to reflect on how your family of origin or parentage has influenced you personally and professionally.*

In this assignment, students focus on their childhood/adolescent years to construct an assessment on their family of origin (or family of parentage) plus an evaluation using: 1) a three-generation family genogram, and 2) a socio-environmental ecomap, and 3) a portion of the FACES IV – Family Satisfaction Scale. Although not all social work students have complicated, complex, or traumatic family of origin histories, know that this is somewhat common for professionals in our field. One survey of 5,540 licensed social workers found that more than 23.6% reported a score of four or more (out of 10 items) on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) scale (Steen, et al, 2020).

*If you have concerns about completing this assignment (possible triggers, lack of family history information, or family disconnection), please advise your instructor so you can discuss together how to proceed and obtain assignment support given your situation.

Please note this information is confidential between you and the instructor. Keep in mind that we all have “issues” ourselves or have family members with “issues.” These will not affect how the instructor views you nor will it have an impact on your grade; however, the degree of disclosure about your family history is up to you. This first-person assignment does require authenticity and honest self-reflection, which are essential for effective social work practice.

Instructions

Start by reflecting and gathering information on your childhood/adolescent years going back three generations (you and your siblings, parents and their siblings, and grandparents – on both paternal and maternal sides). Some family history you may already be aware of, but there may be additional understanding you choose to ask family members about, especially if there are gaps or issues that have not been shared from an adult perspective. Questions might include important dates and names, relationship dynamics, social issues or family patterns; as well as, clarification of occupational, educational, and medical or mental health difficulties.

There are THREE attachments to the paper: the Genogram, Ecomap, and FACES IV Family Satisfaction Scale. Take your time to construct and present these professionally! For example, do not draw the genogram or ecomap on lined notebook paper. Your aim is to produce and present professional assessment tools using standard symbols and formats, and the FACES IV evaluation instrument portion as a demonstration of practice application with a family.

Attachment: Genogram

Qualitative Family Assessment: Diagram your family genogram using the standard 1) three-generation format, 2) symbols for family patterns, 3) significant relationship dynamics, and 4) an identification key. (See the McGoldrick handout and video materials for all standard elements of the genogram assessment tool.) Construct these NEATLY by hand, or use Microsoft Word, GenoPro, or any other genogram-constructing software. Identify yourself as the client and then use genogram symbols to indicate a primary family intergenerational pattern. Issues that had a social impact on the family history, such as, mental health, addiction, domestic discord, divorce, socio-economic impacts, incarceration, abuse or neglect, culture, ethnicity, immigration, education, and generational strengths. Also, include significant relationship dynamics that had an impact on you, such as, closeness, conflict, alliance, coalitions and/or abuses. Be sure to identify the family members you refer to in your paper. Remember to include a KEY!

Attachment: Ecomap

Ecological Family Assessment:

Diagram an ecomap depicting the social systems and environmental interactions between your family of origin (or family of parentage) during your childhood/adolescence with its broader community. Place your immediate family from that phase of life in the circle at the center, and then include systems relevant to the primary family intergenerational pattern, or social impact issue, you identified on your genogram. Include the flow of resources from these environmental systems to the family and add the layer of macrosystemic cultural values, privileges, and/or oppressions that affected your family’s history. (See materials and video on constructing an ecomap.) Remember to include a KEY!

Attachment: FACES IV

Quantitative Family Evaluation: Evidence-based family therapists may use an instrument like the FACES IV to rate the perspectives of individual family members on the functioning and dynamics of their family as a whole. In family therapy practice, it is common for parents to seek help because of their frustration with a teenager. Parents may demand you "fix this kid!" as if they are the problem, when in fact, the teen may have been "acting out" (either consciously or unconsciously) to bring attention to the needs of their family. Teens can be remarkable at drawing attention to their family's need for help!

To practice the application of this portion of the FACES IV instrument, follow this guidance on two of the scales: 1) Family Satisfaction - Reflect on a time, during your adolescent years, when you might have been worried about your family of origin (or family of parentage) concerning close members and/or a situation that affected your whole family. Imagine that a social worker had been available to help perhaps through your school, a medical clinic, a counseling center, a child welfare referral, or other settings. Complete ratings on the Family Satisfaction Scale handout; and 2) Family Communication - Reflect on the communication within your family of origin (or family of parentage) during your adolescent years. Consider the four scales (Disengaged, Enmeshed, Rigid, and Chaotic) on the Family Communication Scales handout and choose two scales to discuss that reflect your reaction per the likert ratings. Reflectively analyze all evaluation data by applying the research hypothesis.

Family of Origin Paper

After you have completed the genogram and ecomap assessment diagrams plus the FACES IV Family Satisfaction Scale, write a 6-8 page narrative assessment on your family of origin (or parentage) by addressing the following. Use APA formatting basics and headings for each of the five major sections:

Family Assessment: Genogram - a brief narrative overview of your family of origin history (not a detailed review of each family member specifically) and family patterns as depicted on diagram. Ecomap - a brief narrative overview of the social system interactions (either those present or missing) and macrosystemic layer of social impact as depicted on diagram. (~ 1 1/2 pages).
Family Dynamics: Discuss relevant factors that impacted the social issue you identified and support how you “make sense of” family dynamics, traditions, roles, societal trends, environmental factors, cultural and societal stressors, etc. (choose four from this list). Include anti-oppressive content by addressing privilege and/or oppression (~2 pages).
Family Evaluation: Using the FACES IV Handouts on Family Satisfaction and on Family Communication , briefly identify your adolescent age and family concern, Family Satisfaction score with percentage results, two Family Communication scales for discussion, and reflectively analyze all evaluation data by applying the research hypothesis. Students will identify self-ratings on Family Satisfaction and Communication, use scoring procedures, and offer reflective analysis. (~2 pages.)
Family Reflection: Reflect on any new learning about your family (it's history related to dynamic patterns) and how you understand what family “is” after having completed this assignment. (~ 1/2 - 1 page)
Future Family Practice: Our social work practice with families is often shaped by our own lived experiences as family members. Address both mezzo and macro future social work with families. Apply insights you gained from this assignment to guide your work with client families, and how you might advocate on behalf of families at the policy or community level. (~1 page)

Resources

Family of Origin Assessment PPT summary

Genogram: See Module Resources for Genogram construction
Ecomap: See Module Resources for Ecomap construction
FACES IV: Family Satisfaction Scale with Scoring HANDOUTDownload FACES IV: Family Satisfaction Scale with Scoring HANDOUT
FACES IV: Four Unbalanced Scales with Hypothesis HANDOUT

Assessment

See the point values listed above and the rubric below for specific grading criteria.