Suchergebnisse

This constructed narrative inquiry illustrates confluent stories of a young mother, Jenny, charged with child abuse and neglect; her foster care case worker, Rachel; and her therapist, Kathleen. As researchers, we discuss the positions of each person: mother, caseworker, therapist through storied fragments representing what is most important in how they came to understand the process of their year-long work together that led to Jenny's releasing her parental rights. Layering interviews and reflexive writings, we focus on decision-making and voice; about what it means to be a parent, a foster care worker, and a therapist in a community context where parent benefit from services and the child's best interest is a privileged societal discourse.

Multigenerational crises of traumatic physical and sexual abuse are commonly noted in the histories of families referred for intensive family-based services. This qualitative inquiry centered on women's participation in family-based therapy services in relation to their trauma histories. Sixteen women were interviewed using qualitative, feminist-informed methods. Women discussed how trauma experiences influence daily life, trust in community services and survival skills in relation to their participation in family-based systems of care. Thematic findings illustrate that facilitating a family empowerment process informed by a lens of trauma survival may enhance support for multi-stressed families by bridging obstacles and ending isolation. Implications for practice suggest that family-based services professionals address contextual obstacles and barriers that women experience.