CRMGTPV X017 - Working with Families in Crisis: Shifting the Focus from Problems to Potential

Anyone who has worked with families knows it can be messy! Those who avoid working with families often do so for that very reason. The “messiness” is exacerbated when a family member is in crisis. Most professional helpers are trained to assess the strengths and needs of individuals and have limited training in recognizing the power and potential of the family system to support and sustain positive change. When family members are viewed primarily as contributors to the problem, their potential for solution-building and ongoing support is minimized. This training helps participants switch their focus from viewing the client or family members as the problem to recognizing the power of interactional patterns within the family system as points of intervention. This focus switch has the power to reduce judging and blaming individuals and uncover under-recognized connections within the family system.

What You'll Learn

After completing this training, participants will be able to...

• Recognize the value of engaging family members in crisis support. 
• Identify core concepts of systems theory.
• Consider the importance of relational connection in wellbeing.
• Distinguish interactional patterns between family members.
• Describe approaches that can support family members in identifying meaningful solutions.  

What You'll Earn

This training is approved for 2 CE clock hours for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, as well as substance use counselors in domain C5 - family dynamics in the state of Ohio.

Additional Information

Development Date: January 2025 

Target Audience: 988 crisis call line staff and other human services professionals

Content Level: Beginner

Training Outline

• Challenges associated with working with families 
• Family systems
  • Historical emergence of family therapy
  • Core concepts of systems theory
  • Defining family (beyond traditional, nuclear, biological kin)
• Benefits of engaging family members
  • Research evidence
    • Follow-through on hospital discharge recommendations (Czyz et al; Foster et al)
    • Need to involve in safety planning (Abbott-Smith et al) 
    • Association of parent self-efficacy and outcome
  • Sustainability 
    • Relationships that endure
    • Most powerful ongoing solution
  • Power of connection and belonging
    • Evolutionary biological imperative
  • Does not minimize the real challenges (observing genuinely problematic behaviors)
• Interaction patterns
  • Shifting focus
    • Assessing interactional patterns vs. assessing people
    • Karl Tomm’s work on Interpersonal Patterns
  • Advantages
    • Allows helpers to objectify patterns rather than individuals
    • Creates more compassion and empathy; minimizes judgment and blame
  • Interaction patterns can be evocative to the helper
    • May be a trigger
    • Identifying the pattern as the problem may be helpful
  • Professional role and response
    • Pay attention to evidence of “wellness interpersonal patterns” 
  • Narrative approach
    • Language use – externalizing language
    • Hear the “problem story”; ask about the counter story
  • Solution focused approach
    • Identify exceptions
    • Greene & Lee - “a process and use of language that promote searches for solutions”
    • Enhancing family member (parent) self-efficacy
  • Motivational Interviewing skills
    • Goal is to evoke, not to inform
    • Resist the righting reflex

Presenter

Pamela Scott, PhD, LISW-S

Director of Professional and Clinical Development, The Buckeye Ranch

Pamela "Pam" Scott, PhD, LISW-S, is the director of professional and clinical development for The Buckeye Ranch. She earned both her MSW and Ph.D. in social work from Arizona State University. Prior to entering the social work profession, she worked in early childhood education, focusing on the impact of poverty on early childhood development. At The Buckeye Ranch, she has worked across the agency training supervisors, clinicians and graduate students in clinical work, as well as participating in program development and oversight of the ongoing quality of the services offered to children and families. She currently directs the Professional Development Department, overseeing the professional development of all agency employees. Scott has taught in the social work programs of Arizona State University, Capital University and The Ohio State University. 

Continuing Education Approvals 

The Ohio State University College of Social Work provides approvals for continuing education for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists that are accepted by the state of Ohio Counselor, Social Work, and Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board.

The Ohio State University College of Social Work has been approved by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals (CDP) Board as a provider of Continuing Education, approval number: 50-24068.

Certificates & CE Reporting 

CE certificates will be available for download in your learner portal within 1 business day after submitting the evaluation survey.

Hours for those with Ohio licenses that are submitted with the evaluation survey will be reported to CE Broker every 14 days (twice per month). 

⚠️ Note: You may only complete this training once for CE credit. You may revisit the content, but only one certificate will be issued and credit will only be reported to CE Broker one time.

Cancellations, Refunds, Grievances, Accessibility Requests & Learning 

Please visit the Policies section of our website for more information on our processes for cancellations, refunds, grievances, training completions & certificates, participant conduct, and accessibility requests and learning accommodations. 

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you require an accommodation to participate in this training, please contact CSW Accessibility as early as possible and in advance of the training start date by email at csw-accessibility@osu.edu or call 614-688-1657. Requests received at least 14-days prior to the date you plan to begin a training will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the College will make every effort to meet requests that we receive regardless of lead time. 

Contact Us

For questions about the enrollment process, payment options, technology, or training records, please submit an inquiry and our Enrollment Support team will assist you within 24 hours during business days.

Submit an enrollment inquiry

If you have any questions, concerns or feedback about the training content or delivery format, please contact the CSW Office of Continuing Education at cswce@osu.edu. For questions related to the training content, our office will facilitate communication with the training instructor on your behalf and connect you, if applicable. Presenter contact information will be provided within the training for questions, feedback, or comments. 

The Ohio State University, College of Social Work, Office of Continuing Education, 302 Stillman Hall, 1947 College Road, Columbus, OH, 43210.

Phone: (614) 292-3032

Email: cswce@osu.edu 

Website: csw.osu.edu/continuing-education/