Hernandez Family Assessment

Hernandez Family Assessment

Group and Families Psychotherapy

A comprehensive family assessment is an ongoing practice of considering, identifying, and weighing all the factors that impact families to make an informed decision.  The assessment usually occurs after a family develops an awareness of their child welfare. Additionally, it happens when couples want to solve an issue.  Factors that lead to child assessment are future maltreatment, child safety, and protective capacity of the child require an accurate appraisal. Assessment lays the ground for assisting families, youth, and children when families experience challenges, and when the family has a safety concern about their children.  Secondly, the assessment lays a foundation when a decision requires to be made concerning specific needs. Culturally competent practices and family-centered principles guide a comprehensive family assessment.

A family therapy/counselor helps members of the family to address issues affecting the functionality of the family. It’s also used to help the family undergo a transition and challenging period. Group therapy comprises one or more counselors working with several individuals in a session. Group therapy is available in community centers, hospitals, and mental health clinics. In some cases, group therapy is used alone, but in most cases, it’s integrated into a treatment plan that includes medication and individual therapy. Group therapy is advantageous as it helps in the installation of hope among members, creates universality, imparts information, provides a safety net, promote social skills, promote communication, and help members to understand themselves better.

Comprehensive Assessment of the Hernandez Family

The assessment of the Hernandez family will be based on the six videos.

Demographic Information

The demographic information about the Hernandez family is that it consists of Juan Hernandez, and Elena Hernandez is a married couple. The couple has two children,  Juan’s junior and Alberto, who are 8 & 6 years old, respectively.  Hernandez’s family has its beliefs and values. The couples are Latins. The couple is working, although Juan is forced to work extra time to ensure the needs of the family are met. The two are loving parents who discipline their children based on how their parents disciplined them. The couple believes in the traditional way of disciplining their children.

Presenting the Problem

Discipline is the act of training the child to obey by using punishment to correct disobedience. The method of disciplining the child, a parent, can be abusive or appropriate in correcting behaviors. Juan and Elena are using the traditional approach for punishing their two children are considered unsuitable and offensive by the Administration of Child Abuse. Juan and Elena fully support their children, and they believe at their ages, they should listen and obey them. Juana believes that children should be punished if they fail to follow the rules. The method of punishing the child should be the one which the parent view as better for correcting the mistake done by the child. Juan and Elena stated that our parents used to punish us when we were young to behave appropriately.

Juana recalled how his parents used to tell him to hold books straight to the Encyclopedia. When the mother was angry, she instructed him to hold more books straight for some time.  They, therefore, revealed that they have been punishing their two children by telling them to kneel for hours holding an encyclopedia. Since the couple never wanted to cane their children, they believed the punishments were appropriate to their children. The parents made it clear that their two children have a behavioral issue, and the best way to shape them is by punishing them. In the course of the counseling, Elena is anxious about losing the two boys if they will not comply with the stipulated worker’s requirements by the Administration of Child Abuse. Recalled miserable punishment she received from her parents. The two couple use the same strategy their parent used to discipline their children

History or current illness

The two parents are concerned by their two children being taken by the ACS because they are served by harsh punishment. Juan and Elena admit they passionately treat their children and add that they do anything to meet their needs. However, they said that the two children rarely follow the rules, and thus they need a physical discipline to shape them. The couple explained to the group therapist that they experience the same punishments. They insisted that disciplining children is not mental/physical abuse. The couple is very angry with what the social worker told the ACS since they believe that the way they punish their children is a cultural practice that has no harm to children. The ACS workers made it compulsory for Juan and Elena to attend classes to learn new skills of training and disciplining their children.

                                                Past Psychiatric History

“Needs to be added to.” Juan and Elena revealed the punishment practices since they were brought out the same way. Additionally, the said children are only punished when they misbehave. The video brings forth how Juana and Elena were treated, such as holding heavy books and holding their hands straight while kneeling.  The two couples denied any history of mental disorder.

Medical History

There is no information regarding the medical history of the Hernandez family thus “needs to be added to”

Substance Use History

There is no information regarding the medical history of the Hernandez family, therefore “needs to be added to”

Development History

The videos showed n development concern in the Hernandez family. Both the parents and children are of good health and nourished. Juan Jr. and Alberto are seen playing with toys.

Family Psychiatric History

There is no information regarding the medical history of the Hernandez family thus “needs to be added to”

Psychosocial history:

The couple reported to be a hardworking parent, and providing the needs of their children is their priority. Juan is forced to work extra time to ensure all the needs of the family are satisfied. The couple is in an excellent spousal relationship. However, Juan seems angered when he is summoned to attend the parental class by the ACS worker. The couple understands their affairs and themselves.

                                                      History of Abuse/Trauma

Their parents improperly treated Juan and Elena, and that’s why they believe corporal punishment was suitable for their children too. Juan recalled the worst punishment he received from his mother. Elena also revealed the childhood misery she receives from her parents.

Review of Systems

Head: No headache was reported in the case

Eyes: The patient had no eye problems.

Ear: no problem identified

Nose: no problem was identified

Throat checkup:  no issue of the throat was observed.

Neck: The patient denies any masses, goiter, swelling or neck pain

Cardiovascular:  the patient had no heart issues

Respiratory system:  The patient denies any case of coughing and breathing problems

Gastrointestinal: The patient had no signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal complications. Genitourinary: there was no history of genitourinary observed.

Neurological system:   no signs were found.

Musculoskeletal: They denied any history of bone dysfunction in all the extremities.  Psychiatric: No psychotic symptoms observed.

Hematologic: it was not evident with the couple

Endocrinology system: They denied cases of hormonal therapies.

Physical assessment

The family had no signs of physical deformities. Juan junior and Alberto are in their development stage, and no signs of mishandling noted. The behaviors and appearance of the two children are within their age cohort, very healthy, and groomed well. Juan and Elena are also of good health.

Mental Status Exam

The mental status exam is questions that are used to assess encounters experienced during the early years that may have mentally affected the patient. The mental status exam is used to evaluate adults when they are suspected of having experienced childhood abuse. Juan and Elena are aware that they may be at risk of losing their children if they continue with harsh punishment. Due to this, Elena requested the therapist to have a private discussion.

Differential diagnosis:

 Acculturation Difficulty. This diagnosis usually occurs when an immigrant has difficulty in adjusting to the new environment. The diagnosis applies to this case as the couple is having trouble to adapt to the American way of disciplining the children.

Stress disorder

Anger management

Depression

Trauma

Case Formulation

Case formulation is the assessment of biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors. Juan and Elena are accused of abusing their children by punishing them harshly. The couple punishes their children severely because they believe it’s the best way of disciplining the children. The couple provides all the needs, love, and care to their children.  Juan and Elena are required to attend group therapy for a parenting program to understand the best and acceptable way of disciplining children. The group therapy program will help the couple from losing their children to ACS.

Treatment plan

Hernandez’s family was recommended to take a compulsory parenting session by ACS due to their inappropriate disciplining strategy. The group therapy will help the Hernandez family to interact with other families with a similar issue. The treatment plan takes place on a weakly basis, and it aims at equipping the parents with different parenting skills. Juan junior and Alberto will be required to have a counselor as the trauma from corporal punishment might affect them in adulthood.   The therapist will also need to handle the issue of accumulation difficulty by having a multidimensional view of the couple accumulation progression