Ecomap Activity

EcomapActivity

Creatinganecomapisagraphicandusefulwayofassessingfamiliesinwhichthefamilies themselvescanparticipate.Theassessmentprocessdependsuponthemutualengagement andparticipationofboththeAdoptionSpecialistandthefamilymembers.Thismethodof diagrammingdepictsthefamilyintheirdynamicecologicalsystem.Otherimportantsystems thatinfluencethefamilyareincludedintheecomap.Theecomapalsoprovidesapictureofthe importantnurturingorconflictladenconnectionsbetweenthefamilyandtheworld; demonstratestheflowofresources,orlacksanddeprivations;andhighlightsthenatureofthe interfacesandpointsofconflictstobemediated,bridgestobebuilt,andresourcestobe explored.

TheecomaplendsitselftothecreativityoftheAdoptionSpecialistandthefamily.Anindividual familymemberorthewholefamilycanbeinvitedtoproducethemap.Theprocesscanbe revisitedandthemapredrawnatvariousintervalsthroughouttheassessmentandmatching processtoillustratehowthe"picture"canchangeasthefamily"changes"andatthepossible introductionofnewmembersintothefamily.

InstructionsforEcomapping:

1.Drawalargecircleinthemiddleofthemap.Thisrepresentsthemembersofhousehold.

2.Insidethelargecircle,drawagenogramthatdescribesthemakeupofthehousehold.Itis oftenusefultoaddnamesandages.Limitedspacemaypreventaddingadditionaldescriptive information.

3.Inquireintowhatoutsidesystemsinfluencethefamilyunitanditsmembers.Examplesof

theseoutsidesystemsmayincludework,extendedfamily,church,school,healthcare,social

welfare,recreation,andfriends.

Drawsmallercirclesaroundthelargehouseholdcircleandlabelthemto

representtheoutsidesystems.

4.Thenextstepistobegintodrawtheconnectionsofthefamilyunitanditsindividualstothe

varioussystemsintheirenvironment.Theseconnectionsareindicatedbydrawinglines

betweenthefamilyandthecirclesrepresentingtheoutsidesystems.

Someoftheconnectionsmaybedrawntothefamilyunitasawholeortothe

individualmembers.Thisdifferentiationdemonstratesthewaythevarious

familymembersareconnectedtotheenvironment.

5.Next,indicatethedirectionoftheflowofresources,energy,orinterestbydrawingarrows alongtheconnectinglines. 6.Finally,writeawordortwobesidetheconnectinglinesorsmallercirclestofurtherdescribe, clarifyorhighlightinformationdrawnontheecomap.

Below,youwillfindanexampleofanecomapandakeytothesymbolsmostcommonlyused onecomaps.Afteryouhavefamiliarizedyourselfwiththeseitems,youwillhavethe opportunitytocompleteanecomapofyourown.

RelationshipKey

Examplesofsystems

Strong

ExtendedFamilyCulture

Stressful

HealthCare Church

Tenuous

Friends

Work

Broken/ended//////

SocialWelfareRecreation

School

Courts

Nowitisyourturntocreateanecomap.Utilizingtheinformationabove,interviewaco worker,friendorfamilymember(orworkwithanotherAdoptionSpecialisttointerviewa perspectiveadoptivefamily).

Family

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