Respond to colleagues who selected a different family intervention than you did. Describe one benefit and one limitation of the intervention your colleague has identified. Then, explain whether you would use it in the case of Tiffani and her mother.

Use the Learning Resources to support your posts. I need references... Please

Colleague 1

Tiffani and her mother struggle to communicate and understand each other, causing conflict. Tiffani noticed her mother's unfriendly nonverbal cues at the start of their session, leading to a negative attitude for the remainder. Although Tiffani loves her mother, she doesn't feel safe at home and is afraid to return. Unfortunately, her mother doesn't appear to comprehend Tiffani's feelings, instead criticizing her for self-harm tendencies and clothing choices. This stressful situation has caused tension between the two, as Tiffani's mother's inability to empathize worsens the problem. Tiffani is working to heal, but her mother's unsupportive actions are impeding progress and causing further harm (Walden University, 2022).

As a social worker, my primary focus would be establishing trust and building a healthy relationship with Tiffany and her mother during the family session. According to Benitez et al. (2020), creating a non-judgmental and accepting environment is essential to help family members feel comfortable and secure. Therefore, right from the outset, I would make a safe space where Tiffany feels confident expressing herself, her feelings, and her experiences. This will enable Tiffany's mother to better understand and empathize with her daughter.

In contrast, in the video, the social worker interrupted and told Tiffany's mother that her venting was inappropriate, which might have made Tiffany feel uncomfortable and unsafe. As a social worker, I would take the time to let both Tiffany and her mother express their emotions before continuing to validate their feelings. Active listening, making them feel understood and validating their subjective experience, aids in building an emotional connection with family members (Benitez et al. (2020). I would work with them to make a plan of action to improve communication and problem-solving skills so that they are better equipped to deal with disagreements and conflicts in the future.

I would suggest implementing Trauma-Informed Therapy for Tiffani and her mother. Champine et al. (2018) highlight that this kind of therapy can potentially end the cycle of adversity from one generation to the next. Since both Tiffani and her mother have experienced trauma, a Trauma-Informed Therapy approach will allow them to discuss how these experiences have contributed to traumatic stress and other harmful health outcomes. Functional Family Therapy is a trauma-informed family practice that aims to reduce risk factors among families at risk of adverse outcomes, such as poor psychological health and behavioral issues. (Champine et al., 2018)

References:

Bentez, J. L., Abascal, A., Garrido, M., & Escudero, V. (2020).Building an expanded therapeutic alliance: A task analysis with families trapped in parentaladolescent conflictLinks to an external site.Links to an external site..Family Process,59(2), 409-427.https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12435

Walden University, LLC. (2022).Social work case studies.[Interactive media]. Walden University Canvas.https://waldenu.instructure.com

Champine, R. B., Matlin, S., Strambler, M. J., & Tebes, J. K. (2018). Trauma-informed family practices: Toward integrated and evidence-based approachesLinks to an external site.Links to an external site..Journal of Child & Family Studies,27(9), 2732-2743. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1118-0

Colleague 2

Various conflicts are present between Tiffani and her mother. First, there are communication barriers that affect Tiffani's ability to communicate with her mother how she is feeling. Bentez et al. (2020) notes recurrent episodes of hostile interactions between parents and adolescents can lead to dysfunction. Tiffani attempts to communicate in a way that she wants her mother to understand her, however, Tiffani's mother overtalks and yells at her. The message is being lost in transmission. Second, Tiffani feels unsafe, in a sense that her mother has allowed people in her life that has hurt her. Third, both Tiffani and her mother blame each other for their circumstances. Tiffani's mother also results to name calling, which may impact the way Tiffani feels about herself.

Conflicts arise in family therapy and social workers should possess skills to combat conflict and foster a therapeutic alliance. To manage conflict in this case, there are various techniques a social worker could employ. To manage conflict in this scenario, a social worker must strive to build the therapeutic alliance among Tiffani and her mother. Bentez et al. (2020) suggests a social worker should create a space where each member feels safe, accepted, and create a non-defensive environment. I would intervene on behalf of the client who does not feel face and offer an opportunity to change the way the sender is delivering their message. Next, Bentez et al. (2020) suggests creating an emotional bond through active listening and validating feelings is also beneficial to navigate conflict.

A family intervention I would employ when working with Tiffani and her mother is Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT). TF-CBT is a branch of CBT aimed to help youth and their families who have experienced traumatic events (Turner, 2017). TF-CBT involves psychoeducation, emotion regulation, correcting maladaptive beliefs, trauma narratives, and positive parenting. Tichelaar (2020) suggest TF-CBT aims to reduce maladaptive behaviors that occur as a response to a traumatic situation. It helps children and adolescents build and practice skills to process trauma. TF-CBT is appropriate for this family because it aims to build skills to combat trauma that interferes with other areas of their life such as school and home. Positive parenting is also a component in TF-CBT, which gives parents resources to handle behaviors that interfere with relationships.

Bentez, J. L., Abascal, A., Garrido, M., & Escudero, V. (2020).Building an expanded therapeutic alliance: A task analysis with families trapped in parentaladolescent conflictLinks to an external site..Family Process,59(2), 409-427.https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12435

Tichelaar, H. K., Dekovi, M., & Endendijk, J. J. (2020). Exploring effectiveness of psychotherapy options for sexually abused children and adolescents: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Children and Youth Services Review,119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105519

Turner, F. J. (Ed.). (2017).Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches(6th ed.). Oxford University Press.