A family-larger-system perspective.

Abstract

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the wider social context in which families live. A significant aspect of that wider context is the larger systems with which all families must interact. Such larger systems generally include work systems, and for some families may include public welfare, child welfare, foster care, courts, mental health clinics, and systems designed for special populations, such as agencies mandated to provide services to the mentally or physically handicapped or the aged. This article will explore the contributions of a family-largersystem perspective to the theory and practice of therapeutic work with families.

Mental Health Issues and the Foster Care System: An Examination of the Impact of the Adoption and Safe Families Act

“…Others have asserted that when a parent's social competence is questioned, it is important to look at parental behaviors in context (Benjet et al, 2003;Street, 1994). Imber-Black (1991) also calls for a wider lens when working with at-risk families. It has been stated that the current standards for assessing parental competency are limited because they are based on White, middle-class families (Street, 1994).…”

Utilizing Family Strengths and Resilience: Integrative Family and Systems Treatment with Children and Adolescents with Severe Emotional and Behavioral Problems

“…When practitioners from different agencies are involved with these family systems a new system is temporarily created which can help or hinder the resolution of the presenting problem (Anderson, Goolishian, & Winderman, 1986; Boyd‐Franklin & Bry, 2000; Schwartzman, 1985). Practitioners from these agencies can involve themselves with families in ways that “can sometimes perpetuate the very problems they were intended to solve” (Imber‐Black, 1991, p. 584). Frequently, practitioners from these agencies get involved with these families by restraining the out‐of‐control child and placing her or him outside the home in various settings such as residential care, foster care, juvenile detention, or a hospital.…”

“…In those situations, the family's interactional pattern with the problematic child may not change for several reasons two of which may be: (1) the goal of the intervention is safety and not changes in how parents deal with the problems the child has, and (2) the child is settled down by professionals outside the family rather than empowering the parents as the primary solver of the child's problem. For home‐based services to be a cost‐effective alternative to out‐of‐home placement home‐based staff must be able to influence practitioners from the institutions in charge of placing children outside the home and empower parents to be the ones to regain control over their out‐of‐control child (Imber‐Black, 1988, 1991). Consequently, collaboration between and among practitioners from the different systems involved with these families is integral to achieving positive outcomes.…”

The Importance of Cultural Sensitivity and Therapist Self‐Awareness When Working with Mandatory Clients

“…While there is evidence that these interventions can be problematic, there is also a substantial body of literature to suggest that interventions by social agencies benefit the family (Adams, 1992; Deveaux, 1992; Horton, 1992; Imber‐Black, 1991; Sandau‐Beckler, 1992). For example, social service agencies can insure that families obtain public services and proper healthcare.…”