Assessment Techniques and Intervention Goal Planning - Research Paper Example

On the other hand, questionnaire based assessments are more methodical in nature that can be applied to evaluate multiple family cases using the same set of questions (Boss, 2009). Thus, such formal methods can be useful in identifying trends among a group of families on the basis of age, gender, religion and ethnicity. According to Rasheed (2010), Families with issues related to gender, ethnicity or diversity are more often influenced by their cultural upbringing and history across preceding generations.

Therapists rely on the popular method of constructing ‘Genograms’ to understand the historical traits of the family and identify any generational influences (Boss, 2009). This is achieved by constructing a chronological timeline of all family members and discussing each ancestor’s relationship and notable actions during their lifetime. Therapists help family members record all specific events that they can recollect and record them against a specific date on the timeline. Studying past events within a family helps therapists understand any impacts of events or incidents across time.

Thomlison (2009) says that Genograms can be used to study a number of influences based on religion, culture and gender. Cultural myths, traditions and values are often passed down generations while religious influences affect many aspects of our daily lives, thus forming a core component of family evaluations. Therapists also use Observational methods that can range from simple descriptive sessions to highly structured interactions that are graded based on pre-defined codes. Interviews based on observations help understand the various self-perceptions and aspirations among family members.

Thus, observational methods focus on the present unlike Genograms that aim to understand any historical influences (Boss, 2009). Results from observational assessments can be evaluated against many hypotheses on family health and functioning based on the responses of each member. Observational techniques require more time then clinical methods like Genograms to provide any inferences and may also necessitate a broader participation from family members over multiple sessions (Thomlison, 2009).

Thus, the former set of techniques are often more expensive and require more resources in comparison to clinical techniques that may be concluded within lesser duration. //Need information on Quest family to associate these methods with the case study References 1. Boss, P. (2009). Sourcebook of Family Theories and Methods: A Contextual Approach. London: Springer. 2. Rasheed, J (2010). Family Therapy: Models and Techniques. New York: SAGE. 3. Thomlison, B. (2009). Family Assessment Handbook: An Introduction and Practical Guide to Family Assessment.

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