Hernandez Family Assessment

Assessment is as essential to family therapy as it is to individual therapy.

Although families often present with one person identified as the "problem," the assessment process will help you better understand family roles and determine whether the identified problem client is in fact the root of the family's issues.

As you examine the Hernandez Family: Sessions 1-6 videos in this week's Learning Resources, consider how you might assess and treat the client family.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Assess client families presenting for psychotherapy

To prepare:

· Review this week's Learning Resources and reflect on the insights they provide on family assessment.

· View the Hernandez Family: Sessions 1-6 videos, and consider how you might assess the family in the case study.

Note: For guidance on writing a comprehensive client assessment, refer to pages 137-142 of Wheeler (2014) in this week's Learning Resources.

The Assignment

Address in a comprehensive client assessment of the Hernandez family the following:

· Demographic information

· Presenting problem

· History or present illness

· Past psychiatric history

· Medical history

· Substance use history

· Developmental history

· Family psychiatric history

· Psychosocial history

· History of abuse and/or trauma

· Review of systems

· Physical assessment

· Mental status exam

· Differential diagnosis

· Case formulation

· Treatment plan

Note: Any item you are unable to address from the video should be marked "needs to be added to" as you would in an actual comprehensive client assessment

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice. New York, NY: Springer.

Chapter 12, "Family Therapy" (pp. 429-468)

Nichols, M. (2014). The essentials of family therapy (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Chapter 3, "Basic Techniques of Family Therapy" (pp. 29-48)

Chapter 4, "The Fundamental Concepts of Family Therapy" (pp. 49-68)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Note: It is highly recommended that you use this resource as a reference guide throughout the course.

L'Abate, L. (2015). Highlights from 60 years of practice, research, and teaching in family therapy. American Journal of Family Therapy, 43(2), 180-196. doi:10.1080/01926187.2014.1002367

Mojta, C., Falconier, M. K., & Huebner, A. J. (2014). Fostering self-awareness in novice therapists using internal family systems therapy. American Journal of Family Therapy, 42(1), 67-78. doi:10.1080/01926187.2013.772870

Nichols, M., & Tafuri, S. (2013). Techniques of structural family assessment: A qualitative analysis of how experts promote a systemic perspective. Family Process, 52(2), 207-215. doi:10.1111/famp.12025

Papero, D. V. (2014). Assisting the two-person system: An approach based on the Bowen theory. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 35(4), 386-397. doi:10.1002/anzf.1079.