#PURPOSE OF GENOGRAMS IN SOCIAL WORK SOFTWARE#
#PURPOSE OF GENOGRAMS IN SOCIAL WORK FREE#

Hartman made two related contributions to social work that still influence today’s practice. Her first contribution to social work was the introduction of the ecomap (often also called an ecogram) and the genogram as simple drawing techniques that enable social workers to depict social and family relationships.īoth were already embedded in her first influential publication, an article that appeared in 1978 in Social Casework (later renamed Families in society) entitled Diagrammatic assessment of family relationships.

Both can be used for assessment, planning and intervention. Hartman stresses the visual power of the tool: 'The connections, the themes, and the quality of the family`s life seem to jump off the page and this leads to a more holistic and integrative perception.' They can be used by the social worker only, or as an aid in an interview with clients.

This line of work was later expanded by others such as Monica McGoldrick on using genograms to visualise intergenerational family relationships and Mark Mattaini on using graphics for clinical practice. The second major contribution Hartman made to social work can be labelled ecological social work and follows from the ecomap and genogram. The focus of clinical practice should not be solely on the client but include his or her social network. One goal for the social worker is to engage with that social network and unleash what it can contribute in terms of caring and support. In that way, one could grow beyond the traditional approach where interventions are oriented on individuals. Given the demographic changes of recent decades, it is no surprise that Ann Hartman’s original focus on family relations has been expanded to other social relations. Family has become less important in many people`s lives.

This approach could be described as the middle ground between individual social work and political social work.

It can be found in family social work, and also in recent social policy developments, for example in the UK and the Netherlands where severe budget cuts on social workers are linked to a heavier reliance on care generated by family and other persons in the social networks of clients.Īlthough paper and pencil suffice to draw an ecogram and genogram, these days software is often used. There are several packages a social worker could use, such as that of Wonderware, Genogram Maker or Genopro. (1978), Diagrammatic assessment of family relationships, Social Casework, 59(8), 465-476.

(1983), Family-centered social work, New York: Free press. (1994), Reflection & controversy: essays on social work, Washington: NASW press. A collection of editorials Ann Hartman wrote for the NASW-journal Social Work.A genogram (also known as a McGoldrick–Gerson study, a Lapidus schematic or a family diagram ) is a pictorial display of a person’s family relationships and medical history. It goes beyond a traditional family tree by allowing the user to visualize hereditary patterns and psychological factors that punctuate relationships. It can be used to identify repetitive patterns of behavior and to recognize hereditary tendencies. Murray Bowen invented the concept of the genogram as part of his family systems model in the 1970s. Genograms were later developed and popularized in clinical settings by Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson through the publication of a book titled Genograms: Assessment and Intervention in 1985.

#PURPOSE OF GENOGRAMS IN SOCIAL WORK SOFTWARE#

#PURPOSE OF GENOGRAMS IN SOCIAL WORK FREE#

Purpose of genograms in social work