#Social work family assessment genogram professional#

There is no agreement and uniformly acceptable symbols have not been worked out till date. It is a useful tool that displayed visually in a manner that anyone can understand what is happening in the multi-generational family homes.Īlthough, genogram’s basic structure and symbols have been accepted, there are some variations that appear from one author to another. Genograms have also been applied in education and religious counselling as an intervention tool. Such a ground principle can help practitioners to decide the sources of information that are creating problem in a system and determine the foci of interventions. Larger benefit of this tool is that client would be introduced in an ambit of systems theory, which are fundamental for social work practice. Genogram use in social work practice is supported by social work profession’s knowledge present in the field with core value and ethical standards. Now, genograms have been used beyond family dynamics context. The use of genogram has changed over time, paradigm shifts from custodial care such as adoption or foster placements in social service setting. It has been proven successful as an intervention tool with individual, couples’ family, and marital therapy. Genogram is a widely used tool for family assessment and intervention.

It helps both clinician and client in a larger picture to view about the current and historical context. It is a subjectively interpretive tool that help the clinician to generate tentative hypothesis for evaluation and intervention. This tool helps the mental health professionals to recognise visual representation of an individual or family problem through specified coding or symbols. The purpose of drawing genogram/family tree is to map out the complex interpersonal relation present in the family and their biopsychosocial environment. It is a standard tool to assess the composition and structure of one’s family background, roles, pattern of communication, social interactions, and interrelationship with the environment. Genogram depicted through pictorial form used to illicit and display three or more generational information tracts the source of stressors and available resources. This visual representation helps you to understand about the relationships and networks associated with the family. Genogram is a useful tool to gather information about the family and guide the clinical practitioner for intervention. Gobinda Majhi, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Institute of National Importance, Bengaluru-560029, Karnataka, India. The current paper attempts to highlight about the orientation of genogram, history, and its utility in psychiatric social work practice in changing social scenario.

In the present scenario, mental health professionals often ignore or underutilise these tools in assessment, diagnostic formulation, and as an intervention tool due to lack of time, inadequate knowledge about the application of tools in different situations.

These symbols are graphical, circle, rectangular, dotted lines, straight lines, vertical lines, etc.

This tool helps the mental health professional to recognise visual representation of the individual, family, and disorders running in the family through specified coding or symbols in a snap shot observation. It is a standard tool to assess the composition and structure of one’s family background, roles, pattern of communication, social interactions, and interrelationship with the environment. The purpose of drawing genogram is to map out the complex interpersonal relation present in the family and their biopsychosocial environment. Genogram depicted through pictorial form used to illicit and display the three or more generational information tract the source of stressors and available resources. Gobinda Majhi 1, Sadananda Reddy 2, D Muralidhar 3ġ Asssistat Professor, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, 2Psychiatric Social Worker, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, 3Professor, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India The use of family genogram in psychiatric social work practice

#Social work family assessment genogram professional#