Problem
The Washington Post ran a series of articles on the Social Security Disability program, that provides checks to people with disabilities. One of the families they covered at length had four generations on disability. The family lived in an isolated area of rural Missouri where unemployment is chronically high. No one had much in the way of an education or job skills, and those who had employment worked in very low paying jobs and rarely stayed employed for long. The matriarch's father, a laborer, had gone on disability after injuring his arm. The matriarch herself went on disability next for both physical and psychiatric issues. Her daughter, who has a mild type of Down syndrome, became pregnant and dropped out of school at 15. She also went on disability due to intellectual, psychiatric, and physical disabilities. The daughter four children including twin sons, age 10, who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Although they were receiving disability checks, the government recently terminated the checks and, while the family has repeatedly appealed the decision and is searching for a doctor who will provide them with the "right" diagnosis for the boys, they have been unsuccessful. As a result, the family, which includes the matriarch, her daughter, and her daughter's four children, are living on about $2000 a month plus SNAP benefits.
Characterize the family using systems theory concepts.
What is working well for the family? What is working not so well?
Again using systems theory, what sorts of interventions might be appropriate?