1. Hernandez Family Assessment Essay
Hernandez Family Assessment EssayHernandez Family Assessment
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Assessment EssayAssessment begins informally when the therapist first meets the client.
According to Nichols, (2013), assessment aims to help the therapist decode the challenges
and defenses that occur during the ongoing course of trying to help the family members
open up to one another. Nichols & Tafuri (2013) noted that the goal of assessment is not
just to gather information but rather, it should be an active and dynamic process in which
the therapist explores the presenting complaint, does not accept it at face value but examine
the possibility that the family interactions might influence the presenting complaint. The
subsequent paragraphs will present a family assessment of the Hernandez
family.Demographic informationJuan Hernandez is a Hispanic male who is married to Elena
Hernandez a Latina female. They both have two children named Juan Jr. who is 6 years-old
and Alberto who is 8 years old. Low socioeconomic status and a working-class family
Hernandez Family Assessment Essay.Presenting problemThe social worker requested
parenting classes and therapy for Juan and Elena because she believes their style of
discipline is too harsh.History or present illnessThe clients present with concerns of their
two children being taken away because the social worker thinks their discipline style is
harsh. They portray themselves as excellent parents, and they verbalize the fact that
disciplining a child is very necessary. They stated they were brought up that way and it is
part of their culture. The client reports that he was punished severely by his mother and
father while he was growing up and that did not break him. Hernandez Family Assessment
Essay.Past psychiatric historyThe client denies any past psychiatric history. He states his
father has been of sound mental health. Both Juan and Elena were punished severely as
kids.Medical historyJuan Hernandez denies any medical history. Need to be
added.Substance use historyNo history of substance abuse reported. Need to be
added.Developmental historyJuan and Elena Hernandez reported normal development. She
reported both of her sons met their developmental milestones. Need to be added.Family
psychiatric historyNo psychiatric history reported. Need to be added. Hernandez Family
Assessment Essay.Psychosocial HistoryA heterosexual couple, married. Juan Hernandez
works full-time and overtime to be able to provide for his family. Need to be added.History
of abuse and/or traumaBoth clients reported receiving similar harsh disciplinary treatment
from their parents. Juan Hernandez stated that when his dad was mad at him, he will send
him to get books from the encyclopedia and hold them on his hands until he will tell him to

2. stop. He also stated those caused so much pain on his arms, and he felt like his hands will
break off. He also indicated his mother did the same thing. To him, books only meant one
thing “misery.” He ended by saying “I guess I inherited it from then.” Elena also described
her childhood with one word “misery.” Both clients deny any physical abuse. Hernandez
Family Assessment Essay.Review of systemsGen: Denies any fever, chills or sweatsHead:
normocephalic. Denies any head injuryENT: Denies any tinnitus or ear tubes.Denies any
nosebleeds, epistaxis, nasal dischargeNeck: Denies any stiffness or
swellingCardiopulmonary: Denies dyspnea, tachycardia, chest pain, palpitations or
orthopneaGI: denies any decrease in appetiteGU: denies urgency or
frequencyMS: Denies joint painHeme/Skin: Denies any bleeding or bruising, pruritis and
rashNeuro: Denies muscle weakness and paresthesiaPsych: denies any SI/HI
ideationMental status examAppearance: both clients look appropriate for their age, well-
groomed and in no acute distress.Mental status examBoth clients are alert and oriented to
time, person, place, and situation. Well groomed, good eye contact. Juan Hernandez appears
agitated about attending parenting classes because he would instead work overtime to care
for his family. Elena, on the other hand, is more accepting and willing to compromise if her
privacy is guaranteed and if the classes will prevent her from losing her
children.Differential diagnosisStress and aggressive disorderPost-traumatic stress
disorderA client is diagnosed with PTSD when they have been exposed to an intense or
prolonged psychological distress (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In the case
scenario above, both clients described their childhood as “miserable.” The goal of therapy is
to assist the clients to change the behavior which as Juan stated: “I think I inherited it from
my parents.” Hence the question “is the discipline meted on their children justified or do the
parents have stress or anger issues that play a role in their method of discipline? According
to Coleman (2018) in the process of disciplining a child, parents who are fraught with stress
and anger could cross the line from discipline to abuse. Hernandez Family Assessment
Essay.Case FormulationThe clients were referred for parenting classes because the social
worker believed their discipline method was too harsh. During the therapy sessions, both
clients verbalized the fact that they were punished severely by their parent’s during
childhood. The goal of the therapist is to explore their parenting styles and create
awareness about other discipline techniques.Treatment PlanFamily therapy and group
therapy once a weekCognitive behavioral therapyBehavioral and learning theoryFamily-
Directed Structural Therapy (FDST) is an approach to family therapy that is concretely
organized, easily administered and family progress is easily measurable. According to
Mclendon, Mclendon, & Petr (2005), FDST approach to therapy aims to accentuate families
strength and decrease family conflict. Some of the critical issues that are explored during
family therapy are commitment, empowerment, and consistency. CBT can be incorporated
into family therapy to address caregivers behavior and consequences such as behavior and
emotional adjustment that might occur as a result of these behaviors.ReferencesAmerican
Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th
ed.). Washington, DC: Author.Coleman, P. (2018). What is the Difference Between Discipline
and Abuse? It’s all about what transpires in the moment. Retrieved from
https://www.fatherly.com/parenting/what-is-the-difference-between-discipline-and-

3. abuse/Mclendon, D., Mclendon, T., & Petr, C. G. (2005). Family-Directed Structural
Therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 31(4), 327-339. doi:10.1111/j.1752-
0606.2005.tb01574.xNichols, M., & Tafuri, S. (2013). Techniques of structural family
assessment: A qualitative analysis of how experts promote a systemic perspective. Family
Process, 52(2), 207–215. doi:10.1111/famp.12025Nichols, M. (2014). The essentials of
family therapy (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for
the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice. New
York, NY: Springer Hernandez Family Assessment Essay. IntroductionHernandez family has
health patterns which are essential in evaluating the models of provision of health care for
the in-depth look and overall examination of health situation of the family.Demographic
InformationThe Hernandez is a typical family that consists of three children, father, and
mother. Like any form of belief, the family has its values and beliefs. After carrying out an
intensive examination of the family, members of the family care for each other deeply
(American College of Sports Medicine Ed, 2013).Physical AssessmentSeeking of physical
help has been established as a norm where people such as Elena are the primary providers
of health care. The members do not have a regimen of carrying out physical activities. The
mother is left behind because of hypertension, high cholesterol level, and borderline
hypertension Hernandez Family Assessment Essay.Psychosocial HistoryThe family is highly
sociable, and it ensures that the family members communicate well thus creating good
relationships with everyone. The members of the family have strong interaction bonds
where they talk and respect each other’s opinions. There are annual check-ups where
everybody has an examination on hearing, eye and sight (Heyward & Gibson, 2014). The use
of Acne is highly discouraged from the family because of its impacts on children’s self-
esteem. It is clear that children who have Acne are required to on constant medical check-
up that ensure any negative effects are controlled. Medical HistoryThe medical history of
the family suffers because of the stretched schedule of the father and mother. It has become
difficult for the family to seek medical check-ups on a daily basis. Children are taken for
medical check-ups when they face any disorder because of the increased nutrition risks. The
family has lived a healthy life for a long time and monitoring of sons life (Weber & Kelley,
2013). Elena shows that their sons will be given good life when she is near her parents.
Hernandez Family Assessment Essay.Substance Use HistoryThe family advocates against
substance abuse and there have been no issues surrounding substance abuse within the
family members. The mother and father have shown their children on how to live
responsibly thus avoiding any form of family conflicts. Any child who is found to use any
substance abuse will lead to the denting the family’s reputation.Developmental HistoryThe
Hernandez family has an irregular and profoundly disturbed form of development. Mother
and father have a demanding schedule that mostly causes them to work for an extended
period until nighttime. Due to lack of adequate sleep, the mother always feels sleepy and
always overwhelmed with many responsibilities (Gurland et al., 2013). So that they can
realize their development agenda, the father helps in conducting household activities. The
children of the family have the belief of education as the only form where they can get the
required development.History of Abuse and TraumaThe father suffers from depression
because of the increased work schedule. Juan Hernandez states that she punishes her son so

4. that they would understand what should be done. She perceives such form of action as the
right thing to be done by parents. Children were raised the way they were initially brought
up (American College of Sports Medicine Ed, 2013).Mental Status ExamHernandez family
has a lot of health risks which are acknowledged mainly by the mother. Health issues
relating to psychological status have received attention from both the mother and father
because they are the man providers of the family. They have been able to give solutions to
problems facing the family (Hoge et al., 2014). Carrying out an appropriate diagnosis of
Hernandez family will be critical for maintaining the stable mental status of Hernandez
family.Review of SystemsThe family of Hernandez has worked to ensure that homemade
meals are prepared where they can form health choices. The father and mother have
managed to establish a well-documented plan where every member of the family is
allocated a certain task making them have a required and specialized self-care Hernandez
Family Assessment Essay.Differential DiagnosisThe family members have devised a
mechanism of having medical checkups after every one month. There have never been
issues of health problems because of the physical schedule where solutions to members of
the family are provided with the required patterns of metabolic provisions. The diagnosis
has helped in preventing any form of the disease that may affect any member of the family
(Hoge et al., 2014).Case FormulationThe Hernandez family advocates for the protection of
the children by advocating for abstinence. The mother has the responsibility of handling any
stressful event that may be caused forward and copies them by use of prayers. The children
are made to have more books for maintenance of their education level, and some of the
work was inherited their grandparents.Treatment PlanThe family has had a smooth
schedule of planning for their future medication. Hernandez family is encouraged to use an
appropriate form of treatment scheme where each is given the priority of consuming
enough water that is concerned with elucidating all the time. Children enjoy drinking juice
that has become a standard form treatment when faced with any form of human problem
(Gurland et al., 2013) Hernandez Family Assessment Essay.Family Psychiatric HistoryThere
has been no psychiatric problem before in the family of Hernandez. The family is committed
to ensuring that enough support is given to the child during family members
hospitalization. The family has displayed a strong familial bond that will be critical when
they will be treating their children lead by the father and mother (Heyward & Gibson,
2014).ReferencesAmerican College of Sports Medicine (Ed.). (2013). ACSM’s health-related
health assessment manual. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins..Gurland, B., Kuriansky, J., Sharpe,
L., Simon, R., Stiller, P., & Birkett, P. (2013). The Comprehensive Assessment and Referral
Evaluation (CARE)—rationale, development and reliability. The International Journal of
Aging and Human Development, 8(1), 9-42.Heyward, V. H., & Gibson, A. (2014). Advanced
health assessment and prescription 7th edition.Hoge, C. W., Lesikar, S. E., Guevara, R., Lange,
J., Brundage, J. F., Engel Jr, C. C., … & Orman, D. T. (2014). Mental disorders among US
military personnel in the 1990s: association with high levels of health care utilization and
early military attrition. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(9), 1576-1583.Weber, J. R., &
Kelley, J. H. (2013). Health assessment in nursing. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Hernandez
Family Assessment Essay. Assignment 1: Hernandez Family AssessmentAssessment is as
essential to family therapy as it is to individual therapy. Although families often present

5. with one person identified as the “problem,” the assessment process will help you better
understand family roles and determine whether the identified problem client is in fact the
root of the family’s issues. As you examine the Hernandez Family: Sessions 1-6 videos in this
week’s Learning Resources, consider how you might assess and treat the client
family.Learning ObjectivesStudents will:Assess client families presenting for
psychotherapyTo prepare:Review this week’s Learning Resources and reflect on the
insights they provide on family assessment.View the Hernandez Family: Sessions 1-6
videos, and consider how you might assess the family in the case study.Note: For guidance
on writing a comprehensive client assessment, refer to pages 137–142 of Wheeler (2014) in
this week’s Learning Resources.The AssignmentAddress in a comprehensive client
assessment of the Hernandez family the following:Demographic informationPresenting
problemHistory or present illnessPast psychiatric historyMedical historySubstance use
historyDevelopmental historyFamily psychiatric historyPsychosocial historyHistory of
abuse and/or traumaReview of systemsPhysical assessmentMental status examDifferential
diagnosisCase formulationTreatment planNote: Any item you are unable to address from
the video should be marked “needs to be added to” as you would in an actual
comprehensive client assessment Hernandez Family Assessment Essay