Introduction
The holistic approach should be used when evaluating the family system and developing the necessary treatment strategies. It enables social workers to have a broader perspective on issues the family of a drug addict faces (Van Wormer & Davis, 2012). The relationships between Fran and D’Andre and Derrod are based on resilience and co-dependence.
Main body
As far as resilience is concerned, it is possible to note that the family in question can be seen as a stable but open family system. Thus, there are certain limits that cannot be violated and there are behaviors that can be tolerated. For instance, Fran wants D’Andre to study and get his education. At the same time, she does not punish him for cutting class though she makes it clear that this behavior is not acceptable. Of course, being imprisoned is also an unwanted outcome, but the boundaries of tolerable things are expanded to keep the balance in the family.
As has been mentioned above, there is co-dependence in the family system in question. Fran depends on her sons who support her and give her a reason to live. She takes pride in her boys who are able to take care of themselves. At the same time, boys also depend on their mother. For instance, when D’Andre is taken to prison, he knows that his mother will come and help him. Fran does everything to help her son in that situation as well as in many other cases. It is clear that there are trust and assistance.
Conclusion
There are numerous external factors affecting the family. Fran is an unemployed addict and, hence, the socio-economic status of the family is quite low. They have to live in a neighborhood where a lot of criminal activity is taking place. Clearly, African American boys often have problems with the police, as there is still quite a lot of racism and discrimination. Of course, all these factors impose numerous threats to the family as such issues as lack of money and injustice can make the addict more depressed and vulnerable, which may lead to the mother’s alienation and will negatively affect relationships in the family.
Reference List
Van Wormer, K., & Davis, D.R. (2012). Addiction treatment: A strengths perspective. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.