Barbara, 21 years old and a junior in nursing school, tells her nursing instructor that her father (aged 45 years) has just lost his job. Her father has been drinking heavily for years, and Barbara is having difficulty coping. Because of her father’s alcoholism and the increased stress in her family, Barbara wants to leave school. Her mother has multiple sclerosis and thinks Barbara should quit school to take care of her.
a. How many different types of crises are going on in this family? Discuss the crises from the viewpoint of each family member.
b. If this family came for crisis counseling, what areas would you assess, and what kinds of questions would you ask to evaluate each member’s individual needs and the needs of the family as a unit (perception of events, social supports, coping styles)?
c. Formulate some tentative goals you might set in conjunction with the family.
d. Identify—by name—appropriate referral agencies in your area that would be helpful if members of this family were willing to expand their use of outside resources and stabilize the situation.
e. How would you set up follow-up visits for this family? Would you see the family members together, alone, or in a combination during the crisis period (4 to 6 weeks)? How would you decide whether follow-up counseling was indicated