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Family-Focused Practice
Placing Families First
Family Definition | Family Strengths | Integrating Families | Cultural Relevance | Community Sensitivity | Principles
Family Definition
One component of this practice is family definition, which may be practiced informally by including informal members. An agency may support this principle by requesting workers to inquire inclusively and include casual members, as well as those related by blood or legal ties, and recognize family membership in court reports or as potential resources. Programmatically, an agency may invite all family members to case staffing or decision-making processes.
Family Strengths top
Family strengths can and should also be the basis of plans, which can be institutionalized through an assessment protocol that requires family strengths be elicited and documented. Court reports may require information regarding family strengths and supervision, or case staffing may incorporate family strengths as a significant part of the process.
Integrating Families top
Integrating families at the practice, program and policy levels can be more challenging. While most professionals concur with the value of self-determination, decision making about the family may be reserved by the professionals, shared in a team process that includes the family, or the family may be supported in making its own decisions within a set of parameters. Frequently and more challenging for agencies is integrating families at the program and policy levels. There is, however, considerable breadth that can be added by satisfaction surveys, focus groups and advisory committees in employing family members.
Cultural Relevance top
Another aspect of family-focused practice is cultural relevance, which honors and explores the unique culture that each family develops. Culture is viewed as a source of strength and expression of values and preferences. It may open the door to resources that would otherwise have been unknown. It includes a family's spiritual beliefs and connections, an often-overlooked source. While this can occur at a practice level, the explicit expectation of inquiry and documentation establishes the practice institutionally. The degree to which an agency actively recruits, promotes and develops culturally relevant resources is an institutional reflection of its support for the value of cultural relevance.
Community Sensitivity top
Community sensitivity recognizes the environmental influences and supports that families derive from those around them. From utilizing community resources, both formal and informal, to being an integral partner in community development-the worker and their agency has an opportunity to express the value and need for community.
Principles top
Family-focused practice principles are manifested internally as well as externally. Parallel processes within the organization are the most powerful promoter of the principles. Strength-based employee development and review processes and strength-based supervision are the parallel processes to strength-based assessment and case planning with families. Inclusion of all levels of staff in organizational decision making reflects the integration of internal personnel. These agencies consistently seek every opportunity to mirror the interactions that they expect from staff with families.
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