heyhey people i thought u might need my groups in context assienment it was quite hard i must say
FAMILIES IN CRISIS
definition:
A family in crisis is a family suffering some kind of trauma. The trauma may be physical, emotional, social or financial, expected or unexpected, temporary or permanent. A family may be in crisis for many reasons; it may be due to a natural disaster, death of a family member, a family breakdown, drug or gambling problems, retrenchment, domestic violence or alcohol, mental health issues or chronic illness. Often families experiencing crisis are dealing with a number of the above issues, for example: mental health, unemployment and domestic violence are a common combination of problems that occur in a family at the one time. The nature of the crisis, the resources the family has access to, and the way they deal with the crisis will have a major impact on the family.
Characteristics:
The characteristics identifying a family in crisis vary widely according to the nature of the crisis and also the resilience and recourses of the family. There are no real general characteristics as each different type of crisis has such a different impact emotionally, physically, financially and socially on a family but here are a few examples:
A family suffering from violence or domestic abuse, especially women and children, display characteristics such as becoming more withdrawn from friends and family, this may be because they don't want people to be aware about the troubles they are having at home or ask questions about unexplained injuries. They may make comments or jokes about their partners/parents behavior but then laugh them off. People suffering abuse also often have low self-esteem and may be reluctant to leave their home, often missing work or school and canceling plans at the last minute. A very common characteristic of families suffering abuse is that the mother will become emotionally unavailable to her children and the majority of her energy will go to monitoring her partner's movements. Common characteristics of an abusive parent/partner include a short temper, throwing things around, making threats and constantly putting down family members.
Characteristics of a family suffering grief after a death in the family are often expressing feelings and emotions such as shock, anger, guilt, sudden depression, despair, hopelessness, numbness, unreality and fear. They may also be feeling and expressing a greater sense of vulnerability and heightened anxiety, as the safe world they once knew no longer exists. They may appear to be in a state of disarray and disorganization as they come to terms with the fact that a love one is gone and there is no one there to fill their space. There may also be strain put on relationships with family and friends as they grieve and come to realization of the full impact of the death.
Characteristics of a family in crisis due to a natural disaster may display characteristics such as working as hard as possible to toward survival and normality, although at the same time experiencing a sense of disbelief or unreality. They may display strong emotions such as panic, despair and disorientation and may be overly generous to others and have a need for a strong sense of cooperation and teamwork.
Specific needs:
Specific needs will vary according to the nature of the crisis, the importance of the following examples varies on the nature of the crisis but many of these needs apply to many different types of crisis. The needs of a family in crisis relate closely to Maslow's Hierarchy of well-being.
Housing is an important need for a family in crisis, whether the crisis is a natural disaster, abuse, family breakdown, retrenchment etc. A safe place to go home to will help the family to feel secure and keep a sense of normality in their lives.
Self-esteem and a sense of well-being are almost essential for a family suffering trauma of any kind to aid them in overcoming the impact of a crisis. After or during a crisis self-esteem and well-being often reach low levels. This is often because family members suffering from a crisis can feed of one another's negativity or put the needs of others before there own. Support from friends, family and the community can be of great help in building self-esteem and well-being.
A sense of security is often an essential need for families dealing with a crisis. Although the need for security is there for different reasons. For example a family suffering abuse will need physical security whereas a family dealing with a death need emotional security to help the deal with the fact that a family member is missing a there is no one there to fill there place and a family dealing with a financial crisis will need financial security.Financial support is an important need for many families suffering a trauma, especially because a crisis may force people to take leave or resign from work. Financial support will hopefully mean a steady income, which is of importance in most traumas. For example, a steady income will obviously be of great need to a family suffering a financial crisis but can also be needed when a family is suffering from a natural disaster as they may need to build a new home, rent a house or replace belongings and can also be needed during a family breakdown as new homes may need to be bought and many families may have to survive on a single income.
Rights and responsibilities of the individuals within the group to the wider community:
Families in crisis do not have as many responsibilities as they do rights with in the community due to the community trying to help them out:
RIGHTS:
They have the right to sufficient financial support if in financial difficulty just like any other civilian.
They have the right to be treated with respect.
They have the right to have there status or problem to be kept confidential.
Have the right to express there own point of view.
Have the right to vote and act as any other community member.
Have the right to receive sufficient help from charity who support the families who are in crisis, E.g. Salvos.
Have the rite to healthcare at a rebated price.
The right to accommodation.
Have the right to feel secure and safe.
Have the right to play an acting role in the community with out being stereotyped.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
To play a role in the community to some how try to benefit it.
Caring for there children.
The responsibility to still pay there debts and taxs.
The responsibility to act as a role model.
To pass on knowledge.
To help there family when needed.
Communitys responsibility towards the families in crisis:
The community can play a role in helping out the families by setting up support networks and charities. The community can also support families by providing adequate health services, food, housing and clothing. It is hard to state that it is the communitys responsibility to look after the families which are in crisis but most communities just do it out of kindness and generosity.
Government policy and legislation and examples:
Government policy and legislation related to families in crisis will vary widely depending on the nature of the crisis. For example; legislation and policy in regard to financial support (e.g.: Centrelink), natural disasters, family breakdowns and domestic violence.
The Australian Constitution divides legislative powers between the Commonwealth Parliament and the State and Territory Parliaments when it comes to dealing with family breakdowns due to any nature of crisis. The Commonwealth Parliament is given power to legislate in respect of specific matters identified in the Constitution. The Commonwealth has power to make laws with respect to (1) marriage and (2) divorce and matrimonial causes and in relation to parental rights and the custody and guardianship of children. The Family Court deals with private family law matters, marriage, divorce and related parental rights. Childcare and protection is the responsibility of the state and are known as public law matters. In NSW DoCs is the Government agency empowered to protect the best interests of children.
There are many different policies and legislations relating to families in crisis due to financial stress. For example the "Government's AAA package has helped the farm sector to grow and respond to change while providing a 'welfare safety net' for farm families in financial difficulty," (Australian Agriculture Minister Warren Truss)
Center link provides numerous payments to assist families in crisis. Legislation around payments from Centerline is legally bound by Commonwealth Acts and other legislative sources; for example The Family Law Act (1975) and the Natural Resource Management (financial support) Act (1992).
Access to resources:
The resources accessed will vary according to the nature of the crisis, although some people do not access the resources available due to pride or lack of awareness. The one resource that is used, or should be used by all families in crisis is the informal resource of support from friends and family. There are many formal resources that families in crisis have access to including refuges, counselors and social workers, respite care services, homecare, groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and a wide range of Centrelink payments. Refuges are available to women and children whose situation may leave them homeless or feeling as though it is unsafe to live at home any longer. Help lines provide twenty-four hour a day advice and counseling for anyone suffering any kind of trauma. Centerline offers a large range of payments to assist families in crisis for example, a widow allowance if a parent dies; parenting payment for divorce or separation, a hardship payment for people having financial difficulties, the list goes on. Some specific services available for families in crisis include; the Family Support service that provide counseling and home visiting services, Community Health services which provides a broad range of counseling and support for drug and alcohol problems, mental health and child and family issues, the Department of Community Services which monitors child abuse within families, the Family Court deals specifically with the legal issues of family breakdowns. All of these can be found in your local community or surrounding.
Societal attitudes toward the group:
There are many different attitudes displayed in society toward families in crisis ranging from concern to marginalisation. Although many people feel concern or empathy toward families in crisis many have a lack of understanding and knowledge about what the family is going through. This can cause people to feel uncomfortable around people who are suffering crisis or avoid them because they don't know what to say or how to act. On the other end of the scale there are those that support, at times smother them with attention and gifts to try and help out or cover their discomfort. Then there are people who look down on families in crisis and consider them not to be equal because of their problems or think they have bought the crisis upon themselves. Generally you would presume that society would feel concern for those suffering a crisis but there are many factors that can alter the attitude towards this group.
Issues of concern for the group:
Many of the issues concerning families in crisis are very similar to their specific needs mentioned above. But not mentioned is the issue of health. When someone is experiencing a crisis there health, both physical and emotional, often is at risk or get compromised, as other needs appear to be more important. Stress is a health issue that can easily be caused by a trauma and if it becomes long term can lead to many other health issues such as heart disease, cancer and alcoholism. If the crisis is due to abuse, alcohol and/or drug problems that can lead to violence, the family is at risk of both physical and emotional health problems developing.
Conflicts between the group and community interests and ways of resolving:
It is in the best interest of a community to be cohesive and work together, unfortunately families in crisis can often make this difficult. A family dealing with a crisis is often unable to contribute much, if anything to the community because at the time they are most likely finding it hard enough to deal with their own issues. Families in crisis can also cause conflict within a community if there is a divided opinion on an issue or specific situation. For example in an abuse situation there many be conflict between those who support the accused perpetrator and those who support the victim. Conflict or problems can also arise when groups of families in crisis are housed together because often the whole community will suffer from this in terms of losing hope and connectedness. There are key ways which can be placed into action but it is never going to make everyone in the community happy due to the problem how since the family in crisis which is benefiting another family will not be benefiting as much from the funds. Ways which can be resolved will have to be thought of for each individual matter but some are as follows:-
Have a fund set up for any crisiss which is run by the local council who has a set of rules which applies with the handing out to support.
Make sure the need of the community which is being meet is also Appling to the families in crisis.
Make the problem well known so people can see the issue which is happening.
For transport the community needs to lower the prices and have a wider access to the transport due to the families in crisis may be living in rural areas.
Ways around discrimination is to educate the public, use anti discrimination principals and form interaction groups so they dont feel alone.
Powers within the group and the community:
Due to the families which are in crisis still have the same powers of another community member together they have the power of voting in government parties. Choosing who is in the local council, having a say in what the local budget is spent on, having a say about the education which there children are receiving. They have the power to setup support groups to look after such groups as them self and other groups in need. The community and group joined can do anything if they all work together. 1 person can make a small difference but many working together can make a great impact. The powers can be used to further the right of the groups, to insure all there needs are being meet.
Positive contributions that the group makes to the community:
It is difficult for a family in crisis to make many positive contributions to the community because at the time of the crisis the family are involved in there own problems and do not have enough resources to support themselves, let alone the community. Although after the family has come through the crisis and are back on track again they can often help the community but sharing there experiences and what they have learned from the hard times they have suffered some people even go to the extent of becoming motivational speakers or counselors often returning the support the community gave them in their own time of trauma.
Equity issues and management strategies:
Equity issues are based in all groups and in society itself. Different factors can play part to produce inequity. Some factors such as transport, financial, lack of self esteem, insecurity, discrimination and unemployment may all play a part in not allowing some members who belong to a family in crisis to use particular facilities such as tennis courts, libraries and clothes shops. This can all be over come by management strategies as below:-
Lack of self esteem to be seen in public - a strategy would to advise your parents of your feelings and then seeing a councilor or a friend for advice and out come could be the friends and families reassuring them and helping the individual regain there self-esteem.
Unshore to use school technology because of insecurity about how to use and the price of the equipment- a strategy would be for the school to put in place a after school learning bee to teach the student to learn how to utilize technology such as computers and use it to there advantage- an out come may be the technology may help increase the individuals school grades.
The community as one can get rid of inequity yet individual groups can also play a big role in it. The group could bring it to the community knowledge through the council or where ever then since the knowledge the community will set up groups to lower the rate or even remove in equity. In out society families can access different facilities for different problems. The facilities were brought upon because some people where not beneficial enough to use certain resources. Some which were brought upon are technology which can be accessed at the town library and can be lernt at after school classes for elderly.
there sre some graphs missing to see the graphs just ask me and post your email address and i will send u the document. please feelfree to comment on what u think
FAMILIES IN CRISIS
definition:
A family in crisis is a family suffering some kind of trauma. The trauma may be physical, emotional, social or financial, expected or unexpected, temporary or permanent. A family may be in crisis for many reasons; it may be due to a natural disaster, death of a family member, a family breakdown, drug or gambling problems, retrenchment, domestic violence or alcohol, mental health issues or chronic illness. Often families experiencing crisis are dealing with a number of the above issues, for example: mental health, unemployment and domestic violence are a common combination of problems that occur in a family at the one time. The nature of the crisis, the resources the family has access to, and the way they deal with the crisis will have a major impact on the family.
Characteristics:
The characteristics identifying a family in crisis vary widely according to the nature of the crisis and also the resilience and recourses of the family. There are no real general characteristics as each different type of crisis has such a different impact emotionally, physically, financially and socially on a family but here are a few examples:
A family suffering from violence or domestic abuse, especially women and children, display characteristics such as becoming more withdrawn from friends and family, this may be because they don't want people to be aware about the troubles they are having at home or ask questions about unexplained injuries. They may make comments or jokes about their partners/parents behavior but then laugh them off. People suffering abuse also often have low self-esteem and may be reluctant to leave their home, often missing work or school and canceling plans at the last minute. A very common characteristic of families suffering abuse is that the mother will become emotionally unavailable to her children and the majority of her energy will go to monitoring her partner's movements. Common characteristics of an abusive parent/partner include a short temper, throwing things around, making threats and constantly putting down family members.
Characteristics of a family suffering grief after a death in the family are often expressing feelings and emotions such as shock, anger, guilt, sudden depression, despair, hopelessness, numbness, unreality and fear. They may also be feeling and expressing a greater sense of vulnerability and heightened anxiety, as the safe world they once knew no longer exists. They may appear to be in a state of disarray and disorganization as they come to terms with the fact that a love one is gone and there is no one there to fill their space. There may also be strain put on relationships with family and friends as they grieve and come to realization of the full impact of the death.
Characteristics of a family in crisis due to a natural disaster may display characteristics such as working as hard as possible to toward survival and normality, although at the same time experiencing a sense of disbelief or unreality. They may display strong emotions such as panic, despair and disorientation and may be overly generous to others and have a need for a strong sense of cooperation and teamwork.
Specific needs:
Specific needs will vary according to the nature of the crisis, the importance of the following examples varies on the nature of the crisis but many of these needs apply to many different types of crisis. The needs of a family in crisis relate closely to Maslow's Hierarchy of well-being.
Housing is an important need for a family in crisis, whether the crisis is a natural disaster, abuse, family breakdown, retrenchment etc. A safe place to go home to will help the family to feel secure and keep a sense of normality in their lives.
Self-esteem and a sense of well-being are almost essential for a family suffering trauma of any kind to aid them in overcoming the impact of a crisis. After or during a crisis self-esteem and well-being often reach low levels. This is often because family members suffering from a crisis can feed of one another's negativity or put the needs of others before there own. Support from friends, family and the community can be of great help in building self-esteem and well-being.
A sense of security is often an essential need for families dealing with a crisis. Although the need for security is there for different reasons. For example a family suffering abuse will need physical security whereas a family dealing with a death need emotional security to help the deal with the fact that a family member is missing a there is no one there to fill there place and a family dealing with a financial crisis will need financial security.Financial support is an important need for many families suffering a trauma, especially because a crisis may force people to take leave or resign from work. Financial support will hopefully mean a steady income, which is of importance in most traumas. For example, a steady income will obviously be of great need to a family suffering a financial crisis but can also be needed when a family is suffering from a natural disaster as they may need to build a new home, rent a house or replace belongings and can also be needed during a family breakdown as new homes may need to be bought and many families may have to survive on a single income.
Rights and responsibilities of the individuals within the group to the wider community:
Families in crisis do not have as many responsibilities as they do rights with in the community due to the community trying to help them out:
RIGHTS:
They have the right to sufficient financial support if in financial difficulty just like any other civilian.
They have the right to be treated with respect.
They have the right to have there status or problem to be kept confidential.
Have the right to express there own point of view.
Have the right to vote and act as any other community member.
Have the right to receive sufficient help from charity who support the families who are in crisis, E.g. Salvos.
Have the rite to healthcare at a rebated price.
The right to accommodation.
Have the right to feel secure and safe.
Have the right to play an acting role in the community with out being stereotyped.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
To play a role in the community to some how try to benefit it.
Caring for there children.
The responsibility to still pay there debts and taxs.
The responsibility to act as a role model.
To pass on knowledge.
To help there family when needed.
Communitys responsibility towards the families in crisis:
The community can play a role in helping out the families by setting up support networks and charities. The community can also support families by providing adequate health services, food, housing and clothing. It is hard to state that it is the communitys responsibility to look after the families which are in crisis but most communities just do it out of kindness and generosity.
Government policy and legislation and examples:
Government policy and legislation related to families in crisis will vary widely depending on the nature of the crisis. For example; legislation and policy in regard to financial support (e.g.: Centrelink), natural disasters, family breakdowns and domestic violence.
The Australian Constitution divides legislative powers between the Commonwealth Parliament and the State and Territory Parliaments when it comes to dealing with family breakdowns due to any nature of crisis. The Commonwealth Parliament is given power to legislate in respect of specific matters identified in the Constitution. The Commonwealth has power to make laws with respect to (1) marriage and (2) divorce and matrimonial causes and in relation to parental rights and the custody and guardianship of children. The Family Court deals with private family law matters, marriage, divorce and related parental rights. Childcare and protection is the responsibility of the state and are known as public law matters. In NSW DoCs is the Government agency empowered to protect the best interests of children.
There are many different policies and legislations relating to families in crisis due to financial stress. For example the "Government's AAA package has helped the farm sector to grow and respond to change while providing a 'welfare safety net' for farm families in financial difficulty," (Australian Agriculture Minister Warren Truss)
Center link provides numerous payments to assist families in crisis. Legislation around payments from Centerline is legally bound by Commonwealth Acts and other legislative sources; for example The Family Law Act (1975) and the Natural Resource Management (financial support) Act (1992).
Access to resources:
The resources accessed will vary according to the nature of the crisis, although some people do not access the resources available due to pride or lack of awareness. The one resource that is used, or should be used by all families in crisis is the informal resource of support from friends and family. There are many formal resources that families in crisis have access to including refuges, counselors and social workers, respite care services, homecare, groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and a wide range of Centrelink payments. Refuges are available to women and children whose situation may leave them homeless or feeling as though it is unsafe to live at home any longer. Help lines provide twenty-four hour a day advice and counseling for anyone suffering any kind of trauma. Centerline offers a large range of payments to assist families in crisis for example, a widow allowance if a parent dies; parenting payment for divorce or separation, a hardship payment for people having financial difficulties, the list goes on. Some specific services available for families in crisis include; the Family Support service that provide counseling and home visiting services, Community Health services which provides a broad range of counseling and support for drug and alcohol problems, mental health and child and family issues, the Department of Community Services which monitors child abuse within families, the Family Court deals specifically with the legal issues of family breakdowns. All of these can be found in your local community or surrounding.
Societal attitudes toward the group:
There are many different attitudes displayed in society toward families in crisis ranging from concern to marginalisation. Although many people feel concern or empathy toward families in crisis many have a lack of understanding and knowledge about what the family is going through. This can cause people to feel uncomfortable around people who are suffering crisis or avoid them because they don't know what to say or how to act. On the other end of the scale there are those that support, at times smother them with attention and gifts to try and help out or cover their discomfort. Then there are people who look down on families in crisis and consider them not to be equal because of their problems or think they have bought the crisis upon themselves. Generally you would presume that society would feel concern for those suffering a crisis but there are many factors that can alter the attitude towards this group.
Issues of concern for the group:
Many of the issues concerning families in crisis are very similar to their specific needs mentioned above. But not mentioned is the issue of health. When someone is experiencing a crisis there health, both physical and emotional, often is at risk or get compromised, as other needs appear to be more important. Stress is a health issue that can easily be caused by a trauma and if it becomes long term can lead to many other health issues such as heart disease, cancer and alcoholism. If the crisis is due to abuse, alcohol and/or drug problems that can lead to violence, the family is at risk of both physical and emotional health problems developing.
Conflicts between the group and community interests and ways of resolving:
It is in the best interest of a community to be cohesive and work together, unfortunately families in crisis can often make this difficult. A family dealing with a crisis is often unable to contribute much, if anything to the community because at the time they are most likely finding it hard enough to deal with their own issues. Families in crisis can also cause conflict within a community if there is a divided opinion on an issue or specific situation. For example in an abuse situation there many be conflict between those who support the accused perpetrator and those who support the victim. Conflict or problems can also arise when groups of families in crisis are housed together because often the whole community will suffer from this in terms of losing hope and connectedness. There are key ways which can be placed into action but it is never going to make everyone in the community happy due to the problem how since the family in crisis which is benefiting another family will not be benefiting as much from the funds. Ways which can be resolved will have to be thought of for each individual matter but some are as follows:-
Have a fund set up for any crisiss which is run by the local council who has a set of rules which applies with the handing out to support.
Make sure the need of the community which is being meet is also Appling to the families in crisis.
Make the problem well known so people can see the issue which is happening.
For transport the community needs to lower the prices and have a wider access to the transport due to the families in crisis may be living in rural areas.
Ways around discrimination is to educate the public, use anti discrimination principals and form interaction groups so they dont feel alone.
Powers within the group and the community:
Due to the families which are in crisis still have the same powers of another community member together they have the power of voting in government parties. Choosing who is in the local council, having a say in what the local budget is spent on, having a say about the education which there children are receiving. They have the power to setup support groups to look after such groups as them self and other groups in need. The community and group joined can do anything if they all work together. 1 person can make a small difference but many working together can make a great impact. The powers can be used to further the right of the groups, to insure all there needs are being meet.
Positive contributions that the group makes to the community:
It is difficult for a family in crisis to make many positive contributions to the community because at the time of the crisis the family are involved in there own problems and do not have enough resources to support themselves, let alone the community. Although after the family has come through the crisis and are back on track again they can often help the community but sharing there experiences and what they have learned from the hard times they have suffered some people even go to the extent of becoming motivational speakers or counselors often returning the support the community gave them in their own time of trauma.
Equity issues and management strategies:
Equity issues are based in all groups and in society itself. Different factors can play part to produce inequity. Some factors such as transport, financial, lack of self esteem, insecurity, discrimination and unemployment may all play a part in not allowing some members who belong to a family in crisis to use particular facilities such as tennis courts, libraries and clothes shops. This can all be over come by management strategies as below:-
Lack of self esteem to be seen in public - a strategy would to advise your parents of your feelings and then seeing a councilor or a friend for advice and out come could be the friends and families reassuring them and helping the individual regain there self-esteem.
Unshore to use school technology because of insecurity about how to use and the price of the equipment- a strategy would be for the school to put in place a after school learning bee to teach the student to learn how to utilize technology such as computers and use it to there advantage- an out come may be the technology may help increase the individuals school grades.
The community as one can get rid of inequity yet individual groups can also play a big role in it. The group could bring it to the community knowledge through the council or where ever then since the knowledge the community will set up groups to lower the rate or even remove in equity. In out society families can access different facilities for different problems. The facilities were brought upon because some people where not beneficial enough to use certain resources. Some which were brought upon are technology which can be accessed at the town library and can be lernt at after school classes for elderly.
there sre some graphs missing to see the graphs just ask me and post your email address and i will send u the document. please feelfree to comment on what u think
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