Family class

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A family class is a form of family help that parents visit once a week with their children.

Emergence

The basic idea of ​​the so-called family classes can be traced back to the systemic approach of the Marlborough Model of Multi Family Therapy , which was developed in London by a team led by the specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry Eia (Karl Michael) Asen. This approach assumes that patients are experts in their problems and that they follow the advice of other patients with the same problem more easily than that of the therapist. In the group sessions, the aim is for the participants to advise one another on an equal footing, while the therapists present merely moderate the discussions and do so as little as possible. As part of this approach, the first family classes also emerged. The method has been recognized as effective in UK government publications since 2003, including a Compilation of Methods for Improving Child Aid, Every Child Matters 2003 and the government paper Aiming High For Children, Supporting Families DFES and HM Treasury 2007.

Family classes have also been practiced in Germany since 2006, and different versions of the concept have developed. The original application of the method in clinical settings has been extended to family classrooms in mainstream schools . According to their own statements, this should also have a lasting effect on violence prevention, among other things.

But even in the so-called low-threshold area, many children have difficulties with work and social behavior such as lack of punctuality, lack of homework and inappropriate behavior towards classmates. In order to cope with these problems, schools are to be supported with the concept of family classes in a socio-therapeutic , preventive , low- threshold way. Pilot projects have been running since 2009 with different approaches depending on the requirements of the application area.

Basics

The basic idea for the creation of family classes is based on the assumption that every person is part of a system of people around him, and only an approach that addresses as many people involved in this system as possible can help the individual sustainably. Working with several families at the same time is based on the observation that "those who are in a conflict situation usually have a narrow view of their own problem, but a lot of understanding, empathy and problem-solving skills for similar problems in others." Families receive psychosocial support in exchange with "like-minded people" .

In terms of a therapeutic community , this approach should allow problematic behaviors and symptoms of a family to be viewed in a more differentiated manner in the context of different external perspectives in the context of a therapeutically aimed group dynamic . Accordingly, the participating families contribute directly and indirectly to solving the problems themselves, which should lead to a strengthening of their own self-esteem . The prerequisite for this is the systematic creation of a “ group atmosphere with mutual participation, understanding and transparency”.

According to the company, the specific therapeutic approach is based on the following principles:

  • Voluntary participation
  • Promotion of appreciation towards all participants
  • Promotion of help for self-help and self-reflection
  • Participation of everyone in the definition of development goals with visualization of the degree of goal achievement
  • accompanying parent coaching by a teacher or multi-family trainer
  • Creation of an atmosphere conducive to learning for the child.

There is a basic framework for implementing the respective models. A family class, in which eight to ten families can take part at the same time, takes place once a week in the morning, otherwise the children attend their regular or clinic school . It is made up of children from different classes and years, with at least one parent or older family member in the family class. There is a regular exchange with the associated, cooperative school regarding the children's goals and their degree of goal achievement. Participation in a family class usually takes around 3 to 6 months.

The teaching process of a family class is subject to a three-phase structure. Beginning with a welcome round for an appreciative evaluation of the goals of the individual children, there follows a work phase in which the students work on school topics with or without direct support from the parents present. In a final round then takes a final reflection instead.

Family classes in Germany

FiSch - family in school

FiSch - Family in School is a clinical model and has been integrated into the treatment concepts of the Baumhaus psychiatric day clinics in Husum and Schleswig, at the Helios Clinic Schleswig and at the Flensburg day clinic for children since October 2006 .

Education authorities, school psychologists, support centers , the University of Flensburg , the specialist service for youth and family, the specialist service for health, the district consultant for educational assistance and the day clinic tree nursery were involved in the creation of the offer . The FiSch concept has been spreading in the Schleswig-Flensburg district since autumn 2009 and was integrated into nine regular schools and support centers in 2011 . It is planned and managed by a multi- professional FiSch team, whose members come from the fields of psychology , alternative practitioners for psychotherapy , as well as elementary school and special education . You are equally involved in the planning and execution of the FiSch classes.

The first fish classes that were more or less connected directly to a clinic, were aimed at re- integration of students who have been treated in some hospitalized for psychiatric problems, starting in their regular classes. In the meantime, the FiSch classes are also generally working on the integration of children who cannot attend school in special schools . The Hesterberg Clinic School, for example, trains children who are psychiatric inpatient and partial inpatient treatment at the Helios Clinic Schleswig. In their FiSch classes , the treatment team at the day clinic mainly works with children who ostensibly have school problems or who have psychiatric problems in connection with these school problems.

“FiSch in der Regelschule”, on the other hand, is a prevention offer that supports children whose care needs go beyond regular school operations to develop active, positive, goal-oriented behavior and their own strengths and competencies within the school framework, following the principle of self-efficacy . A steering group made up of employees from the school and youth welfare office as well as district advisors on the advice of the respective class teacher at the regular school decides on participation in the family class. The work of the FiSch team is aimed at children, parents and school alike.

At FiSch , the welcome round has a coaching character , which the parents lead with a professional parent coach and the children with their teacher, followed by a joint presentation of the weekly evaluations. The work phase consists of two lessons in which parents and children work together. The final round uses mutual interviews as a method in which parents and children, including children with other parents and vice versa, question each other about their daily experiences and feelings and evaluate them again.

Previous studies show that the participation in FiSch classes has improved essential aspects of work and social behavior such as the acceptance and implementation of rules. The participating parents stated that they had permanently found more serenity in dealing with their children. In summary, according to the project members, the satisfaction of the people involved can be rated as high. However, the teachers' scores are based on too few participants to be statistically relevant.

The Bremen model - family classes in high schools

In Bremen , family classes are a model project within the offer of the Bremen-West coordination center under the direction of a Bremen family therapist . It is funded by the Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) from the European Social Fund (ESF) of the European Union through the program "School Refusal - The 2nd Chance" .

The Bremen School Act provides for inclusion instead of integration , so that the family class in Bremen itself forms the determining element for its own content and structure, with the leading family therapist playing a mediating role between the “family” and “school” systems. The focus of the work is on the skills and interaction of all those involved, with these skills being seen as sufficient resources for the group's work to be successful.

Family classes have been practiced at two Bremen schools since May 2009, the Oberschule am Waller Ring and the support center for learning, language and behavior - FÖZ. The Paula Modersohn School in Bremerhaven has had a family class since February 2011 . Passive and active school refusal from the age of 12 up to the beginning of their last school year are invited to the family classes with their parents.

The Oberschule am Waller Ring has a special feature. Due to their demographic data, the lessons take place in the family classes with a teacher, a family therapist and a Turkish-German-speaking interpreter.

In this model, the welcome round consists of two parts, presenting the evaluation results of the past week and the teaching method 'speed dating', an exercise to fuel group-internal communication . The work phase is also divided into two parts: a teaching phase, in which the parents assume an observer position, and multi-family work, in which, for example, cooperation games are carried out. In the final round, self-assessment and external assessment of behavior are compared.

Statistical surveys on the effectiveness of the method have not yet been carried out scientifically in Bremen. From her point of view, the lead therapist can report various positive effects on the school system from the parents 'and teachers' side, which particularly affects the willingness to cooperate with one another.

Multi-family work at primary schools in Hessen

On November 1, 2010 in Hesse Aßlar the first Hessian Multi family class in a primary school set up. It is a cooperation project between the Albert-Schweitzer-Kinderdorf (ASK) Wetzlar , the elementary school Aßlar, the community foundation Aßlar, the city of Aßlar, the youth welfare office of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis , and the Lions-Club Wetzlar. The city, the community foundation, the Lions club and the district share the cost of 13,500 euros.

The Aßlar elementary school and the ASK are primarily responsible for the technical implementation . The model of systemic family orientation determined the differentiation and qualification of the Albert Schweitzer Children's Village , which has been working with resource-oriented interventions in multifamily therapy since 2008 . The simultaneous work with several families in a group context is referred to here as multi-family work (MFA). The clinical concept according to Eia Asen was further developed here, primarily from an educational point of view. The family classes in Hesse were developed and managed (as of 2013) by a multi-family trainer from the Albert Schweitzer Children's Village and a special needs teacher from the school for educational assistance in the Lahn-Dill district as an equal team. The multi-family trainer has an educational role. As the person responsible for group dynamic processes, he promotes communication between the parents and children involved. The main tasks of the special needs teacher include the transfer of knowledge, the early detection of special educational needs and the initiation of preventive measures for children whose success at school is at risk. She is in close contact with the class teacher. In addition, both family class leaders offer further help here, including home visits. Children are admitted to the family class at the request of the class teacher to the head of the family class.

With this concept, evaluations from the past week are appreciatively evaluated as part of the welcome phase. The work phase is available as “learning time” for homework or exercises from the core classes with the support of the parents. The final round serves to reflect and formulate further, positive milestones for the children.

An evaluation of the primary school project by the head of the family class in Asslar showed a participation rate of over 90% with positive mention of the willingness of the employers of the respective parents to cooperate. In an evaluation questionnaire, 80% of parents said that their children's problems had improved and they would recommend the family class to others, 70% that they had become calmer themselves and that there was generally less stress at home. The teaching staff were also positive. In spring 2012 a second family class was set up in the Lahn-Dill district in Dillenburg . A third is currently still in the planning phase.

Critical note

Since family classes have not been around for long in Germany, there are no long-term studies on the sustainability of this approach. The evaluations of the individual models listed here do not meet the quality criteria of psychodiagnostic methods . They therefore have no scientific relevance and can only be assessed in relation to the respective project.

literature

  • Eia Asen, Neil Dawson, Brenda McHugh: Multiple family therapy: The Marlborough Model and its wider applications , H. Karnac (Books) Ltd. London 2001, ISBN 1-85575-277-8 .
  • Ulrike Behme-Matthiessen, Thomas Pletsch (Hrsg.): Handbook family class: Multi-family coaching in the classroom. Shaker , Aachen 2012, ISBN 978-3-8440-0690-2 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Eia Asen, Michael Scholz: Practice of multifamily therapy . Carl Auer Verlag, Heidelberg 2009, ISBN 978-3-89670-662-1 , p. 11 .
  2. ^ Every child matters. (PDF; 830 kB) The Stationary Office, accessed on March 30, 2013 (English).
  3. ^ Aiming high for children. (PDF; 490 kB) (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on May 3, 2012 ; accessed on March 30, 2013 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Ulrike Behme-Matthiessen, Thomas Pletsch (ed.): Handbook Family Class: Multi-family coaching in class . Shaker, Aachen 2012, ISBN 978-3-8440-0690-2 .
  5. ↑ a b Contribute to solving problems in everyday school life with a family class. In: Gießener Allgemeine. December 9, 2010, accessed March 27, 2013 .
  6. ↑ Heike Petersen, Horst Rieger, Roland Storjohann: FiSch in the regular school: Experiences from the Schleswig-Flensburg district. (PDF; 8.0 MB) on the occasion of the Schlei Symposium in November 2011. Accessed on March 27, 2013 .
  7. ↑ 2nd Schlei Symposium for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 4./5. November 2011, Schleiklinikum Schleswig FKSL: Abstracts of the lectures and workshops , p. 10, query on February 28, 2013.
  8. ↑ a b Heike Petersen, Horst Rieger, Roland Storjohann from the FiSch team in the Schleswig-Flensburg district: Powerpoint presentation "FiSch in regular schools - experiences from the Schleswig-Flensburg district" on the occasion of the Schlei Symposium November 2011. 2nd Schlei Symposium, S. 5. Query February 28, 2013.
  9. ↑ fisch-online. Query on February 28, 2013.
  10. ↑ Heike Petersen, Horst Rieger, Roland Storjohann from the FiSch team in the Schleswig-Flensburg district: Powerpoint presentation "FiSch in regular schools - experiences from the Schleswig-Flensburg district" on the occasion of the Schlei Symposium November 2011, p. 32. Abstracts and presentations. Query February 27, 2013.
  11. ↑ 2nd Schlei Symposium for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, abstracts of the lectures and workshops , p. 12.
  12. ^ Matthias Wack, head of the Aßlar family class, in an evaluation lecture on June 7, 2011 in the Aßlar primary school