Biopsychosocial Assessment

Module 7 Case Assessment

Week 7 Biopsychosocial Assessment

Instructions

Select one of the cases from the Hutchison textbook.

Section 1

Social workers use psychosocial assessments to plan the most effective treatment plan for clients. Psychosocial assessments provide social workers with a holistic or multidimensional overview of a person’s life to help them identify physical, mental, and social connections.

Select one of the cases from the assigned Hutchison chapter. Use the following elements of the psychosocial assessment form (found below) as the basis for your psychosocial assessment. Based on the case, complete the different aspects of the psychosocial assessment.

Topic	Example(s) and Hints
Presenting Problem	history of problem, prior attempts to solve problem
Developmental History	childhood, adolescence, adulthood, education, relationships, parenthood or not, divorces/separations, losses
Current Ego Psychological Profile	significant relationship, family situation, general mood functioning including defensive functioning, anxiety, impulses, superego, object relations
History of Trauma	abuse, violence, substance abuse, traumatic losses, etc.
Factors of Diversity	culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, class, sexual orientation, religion/spirituality, differential physical or mental abilities, intergenerational factors
Psychosocial Effects of Oppression	“violations of clients space, time, energy, mobility, bonding, or identity due to membership in a marginalized population group; alienation from self or others due to institutionalized oppression, stage of identity formation as member of a group; strengths, resources, and sources of personal power in responding to oppression; primary patterns of coping with membership in a marginalized group” (Van Voorhis,. 1998, p. 124)
Grief Issues	death of a loved one, disbelief, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance/hope
Attitudes Toward Parenting and Nurturing and Development

Attitudes Toward Parenting and Nurturing and Development	joys and problems
Social Networks	family and friends, coworkers, etc.; short-term or long-term; supportive, draining, conflictual, etc.
Home Environment	conditions, hazards, supports, source of stimulation, peace, conflict, etc.
Other Relevant Information	Immigration status, etc

Section 2 Clinical Formulation

Write a clinical formulation/case conceptualization based on the information you gathered., This section is where you take your descriptive information and present your hypotheses. The formulation should involve your creative thinking, including your understanding/conceptualization, pulling all relevant data into an integrated, cohesive statement, including how the past affects the present, how the current behavior reflects both past and present patterns of behavior, and how all the systems involved have affected the client’s current functioning.

Weave together biological, psychological, social aspects of client’s past and present into speculation about dynamics, the interaction of factors contributing to client’s current difficulties. Goal is to move beyond “what” of a person’s self and situation into “how” and “why”. The goal of this aspect of the assessment is to bring all salient aspects of a person’s story into a critical speculation about his/her current situation in order to set parameters for the treatment plan. APA