• reciprocal exchanges (back and forth)
• life stress (positive or negative)
• coping (can be healthy or unhealthy)
• habitat (physical settings where one lives)
• niche (where you fit in)
• relatedness (support networks)
• adaptations (changing environments and changing yourself)
• transactional
• circular causality 

people affect the environment and the environment affects the people

• how people develop meaning
• it is not objective external or given
• links past, present and future with movement toward or away from goals
• outsiders can reflct themes for consideration
• you construct your own reality

E.g. a child failed 3 classes but passed one what was it about that class that they passed?

Systems theory-the interfunctioning of parts that make up whole systems

Key assumptions

• Wholeness
• feedback
• equifinality ( same result from diff starting points)
• circular causality (interrelatedness)
• one change impacts the whole

To be treated fairly

To express feelings (purposeful expression of feeling

To receive empathetic responses to problems (controlled emotional enviornment)

To be recognized as beings of worth (experience)

To not be judged (non judgmental attitude)

To make choices and decisions (self-determination)

To keep secrets about self and family (confidentialtiy)

Grounded knowledge base: moderate

Focus: equilibrium

Change process: homeostasis

intervention guidelines: as expert

Values: harmony

Grounded knowledge base: limited

focus: meaninglessness

Change process: new meanings

Intervention guidelines: as coauthor 

Values: meaningfullness

A challenge- the examination of assumptions regarding hiearchy, domination and power of one gender over the other

The task- women and men exploring ways to explore fullness and maturity and relate to a common humanity

Survival and well-being 

Basic needs (shelter, food, protection from danger, and health care)

Structure and Organization 

Setting Limits are prominent issues, maintaining authority

Space and Boundaries

Focus on privacy and access in regards to space

Richness and quality 

Spirituality, personal growth, sense of meaning in life

4. Self Actualization

3. Esteem

Love Belonging

2. Safety

1. Physiological

strong coorelation between poverty and single-parent households

12.7 million children live in poor families

children of color are disproportionally represented in poor families

Should be based on the comprehensive ecological systems assessment

Often required is a combination of: concrete services to meet basic needs, substitute or supplemental parenting services, psychosocial support services

Process can start with a list of expressed needs followed by prioritization

boundaries: who is in or out of the family relationship per the focal issue and what are their roles

alignment: who is with or against the other in the transactions resulting in the problem

power: what is the relative influene of participants in the interactions that create the problem

based on an underlying knowledge of how individuals and families develop and learn behaviorla patterns

2 primary contributions are teaching families to interact in positive ways and provision of organization and structure

people learn in a social context by watching how other people behave

problem behaviors are logical from a learning perspective 

people behave the way they do because that is how they learned or because they have not learned a more positive alternative

peoples belief processes affect their behavior

people attempt to maximize rewards of behavior while minimizing cost

to change how someone behaves a person has to change the way she typically responds to the last behavior

the more consistent the consequence and the more immediately after the behavior the faster the person will learn

repeated trying or testing is needed 

the family is the expert on its life and each family is uniqie

self-management skills training 

self control strategies involve relaxation training, positive reframing, child self-control strategies, and disciplinary strategies (time-out, premack principle, natural and logical consequences, extra chores , and loss of privileges

therapeutic relationship

process of preparing family for success is defining all members as being hurt by the circumstances, normalzing family problems, emphasizing strenghts and motivation, communicating empathy

the family is the expert, problems and solutions are not connected, make unsolvable problems solvable, change is constant and inevitable, only a small change is needed, and keep it brief

Coping question: With all the stress in your family from the recent crisis how have you managed to keep the family together

Scaling question: on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most stresssful you have ever experienced and 1 being a complete absence of stress where is you family right now

exception question: when was the last time all of you did a family activity together

The concept of case management 

Goals: mobilize family strengths, mobilize resources, maximize family functioning

Case management can assist families with adjustment to stress of nonormative situations and adaptations to life transitions and developmental changes

personalities and interaction patterns have origins in previous generations

Example: problems I had with my mom in the past I also have the same problems with my kids

Differentiation of self

(family systems assessments)

Level III

two meanings 

Persons capacity to distinguish between a thinking and feeling self

Ability to physically differentiate from family of origin

Triangles

Family systems

Level III

Anxiety 

Family systems

Level III