Vargas Family-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

Read “Topic 7: Vargas Family Case Study.”

Part 1: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT):Review the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Manual located in the topical materials. Identify a specific presenting concern that one of the Vargas family members has identified this week. Create a “transcript” of the session where the therapist uses solution-oriented language to identify a solution to the problem. The transcript should be 500words in length. Use the SFBT Manual transcripts as an example.

Part 2: Narrative Therapy: Identify one member of the Vargas family whose dominant story could use some re-writing. Consider the course of treatment and write a mid-treatment letter to the identified family member. See your book and the Dulwich Center for examples. The letter should be 500words in length.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

RUBRIC

Transcript of the SessionThe transcript does not identify a specific presenting concern of the family member from the session using solution-focused language and does not identify a solution to the problem.The transcript vaguely identifies a specific presenting concern of the family member from the session using solution-focused language and vaguely identifies a solution to the problem.The transcript fully identifies a specific presenting concern of the family member from the session using solution-focused language and fully identifies a solution to the problem.The transcript provides an advanced identification of a specific presenting concern of the family member from the session using solution-focused language and fully identifies a solution to the problem.The transcript provides a comprehensive identification of a specific presenting concern of the family member from the session using solution-focused language and thoroughly identifies a solution to the problem.35.0 %Part 2: Write a Mid-Treatment Letter to the Identified Family MemberThe mid-treatment letter does not identify one member of the family whose dominant story could use some rewriting.The mid-treatment letter vaguely identifies one member of the family whose dominant story could use some rewriting.The mid-treatment letter fully identifies one member of the family whose dominant story could use some rewriting.The mid-treatment letter provides an advanced identification of one member of the family whose dominant story could use some rewriting.The mid-treatment letter provides a comprehensive identification of one member of the family whose dominant story could use some rewriting.8.0 %Technical SkillExecution does not meet the criteria outlined.Execution is sloppy and unprofessional.Execution needs improvement.Execution is of good quality.Execution is flawless. Demonstrates an in-depth, high-level of understanding.8.0 %PresentationThe pieces are not neat or organized, and does not include all required elements.The work is not neat and includes minor flaws or omissions of required elements.The overall appearance is general, and major elements are missing.The overall appearance is generally neat, with a few minor flaws or missing elements.The work is well-presented and includes all required elements. The overall appearance is neat and professional.4.0 %ResearchNo outside sources were used to support the assignment.Few outside sources were used to support the assignment. Limited research is apparent.Research is adequate. Sources are standard in relevance, quality of outside sources, and/or timeliness.Research is timely and relevant, and addresses all of the issues stated in the assignment criteria.Research is supportive of the rationale presented. Sources are distinctive. Addresses all of the issues stated in the assignment criteria.5.0 %Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, and language use)Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice and/or sentence construction are employed.Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) and/or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied.Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed.Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech.The writer is clearly in command of standard, written academic English.5.0 %Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)Sources are not documented.Documentation of sources is inconsistent and/or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct.Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.100 %Total Weightage

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS

Discussion Questions (DQ)

• Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
• Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
• One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
• I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.

Weekly Participation

• Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
• In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
• Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
• Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.

APA Format and Writing Quality

• Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
• Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
• I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.

Use of Direct Quotes

• I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
• As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
• It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.

LopesWrite Policy

• For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
• Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
• Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
• Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

• The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
• Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
• If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
• I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
• As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

• Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: 
  • Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
  • Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.

Vargas Family-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

Vargas Family-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)