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Our Scrapbook of Strengths
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| The Strengths Cafe is an online publishing project sponsored by Innovative Resources.
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Our Scrapbook of Strengths combines research undertaken by the Family Action Centre of the University of Newcastle with the 'tool making' skill of St Luke's Innovative Resources. Each of the 42 cards in this unique collection presents a powerful window into the strengths that bind families, groups and communities together. Eight broad topics-Communication, Togetherness, Acceptance, Resilience, Affection, Support, Sharing activities and Commitment are explored. Each card features a set of full-colour paintings arranged with small artefacts to create a 'page' from a photograph album or family scrapbook. The cards and booklet combine to provide a highly versatile resource for creating conversations about people living and working together. |
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Using the Scrapbook of Strengths From the Research to a New Tool In 1999 the Family Action Centre at the University of Newcastle initiated the Australian Family Strengths Research Project which aimed to identify those qualities that Australian families perceived to be strengths. Over 600 families were interviewed on the theme of what makes a strong family. The results suggested eight categories of strengths: communication, togetherness, sharing activities, affection, support, acceptance, commitment and resilience. Rather than just see the research in a report form the Family Action Centre was keen to translate the findings into a tool that could be used to build conversations about family strengths.
The collaboration with Innovative Resources that followed ran the research findings through a series of focus group which distilled the identified strengths down to forty-two. These became the Our Scrapbook of Strengths cards that were evocatively illustrated by Carolyn Morone. Producing the cards in a replica scrapbook was designed to match the contemporary interest in scrapbooking as a medium for recording family stories.
Our Scrapbook of Strengths is a unique tool to the best of our knowledge. It is the only hands-on tool that aims not only to describe what have been identified as key strengths generally for families, but to help individual families describe what makes their family strong. Further, the scrapbooking cards are therapeutic in the sense that they can be used to build strengths in families who may be struggling for whatever reason. While there is a sea of material that can vividly describe family problems and dysfunctions, there are few strengths-building resources.
Constructing a family-centred tool itself was not without its challenges, starting with the way 'family' was to be defined in order to be optimally inclusive. The scrapbook cards adopted a definition broad enough to cover all conceivable family household types, and to avoid any stereotyping around traditional family structures. Because of this breadth of description, Our Scrapbook of Strengths has a relevance to various social groups and committees that may not identify themselves as families. And without family in the title, we believe Our Scrapbook of Strengths can also function as a community building tool.
Using the Scrapbook of Our Strengths Like all strengths-based materials, Our Scrapbook of Strengths can be used in a variety of ways and relies heavily on the creativity and ingenuity of the user(s). In general, Our Scrapbook of Strengths encourages users to explore their relationship strengths, and how they have and can use those strengths to overcome setbacks, achieve goals and make changes. Our Scrapbook of Strengths can be used with families, community groups, work teams, support groups, school children, and many other people. Our Scrapbook of Strengths provides an opportunity to acknowledge and recognise the existing strengths and to identify ways in which these strengths can contribute to the resilience of the group. It can open doors to alternative stories about the group's relationships, thereby re-instigating a glimmer hope in an often problem-saturated story. It can restore faith in the group's capability to overcome issues, undertake new projects and successfully achieve their goals. What follows are merely suggestions in the use of Our Scrapbook of Strengths. Elements of each of the suggested exercises can be collaborated into a new line of discovery. The facilitator can either use the whole set of cards or separate the set into themes if a particular focus is considered valuable. During the activities, it may be of interest to observe whether a range of cards is selected-representing all themes-or whether the majority of selected cards come from one or two themes. It may be worthwhile for the facilitator to share any observations with the group to initiate further discussion about the presence (or lack of) certain themes. The lack of a particular theme in a selection is not indicative of a deficit or problem. There could be a range of explanations, which are worthy of discussion. A word of warning. The pictures and wording on the cards may trigger off memories and/or strong feelings, such as anger or grief. If possible, take a moment to explore these emotions and/or memories with the user(s). This exploration may mean a diversion from the intended exercise, but it offers an opportunity to unravel some of the meanings the user has constructed around relationships. Further exploration of these meanings may help the user gain a richer understanding of how the past and present relationships impact on her/him and how she/he wishes to relate in the future.
Story Telling This exercise can be useful in case reviews, peer/group supervision and/or staff development. When practitioners are struggling with a particular group (eg. a family, community group or work team), this exercise can bring light to some relationship qualities they may have overlooked or may have viewed as barriers rather than strengths. This exercise is best conducted in groups of four to six people.
In addition to the above, the participants can also be asked to reflect on their relationship with the discussed group
Resilience Building The resilience of a group is constantly evolving. It strengthens each time a group is faced with and overcomes an adversity. Sometimes when we are in the thick of a problem, we forget that every struggle has an end and that we have conquered other setbacks in past. When people are struggling with a problem in their group, it may be useful to reflect on past struggles to unfold the coping strategies they used during that time, and to determine with of these strategies were successful and could be useful to deal with the current issue. Below is a line of questioning which can be used in combination with Our Scrapbook of Strengths. Start the exercise by asking the participants to think back to a time when they were challenged by an issue, but had found a way to face that challenge and to rise above it. Ask them to give an account of that event. Spread the cards in front of the participants as possible prompts to the answers of the below questions. (Instead of 'your group' you may want to use the word the participants use to describe their group.)
Visioning Our Scrapbook of Strengths can be useful tool to assist a group that wishes to undertake a project to address a shared concern. For example, a neighbourhood group concerned about the safety of their children or a work team that wants to change their model of practice. This process often requires some brainstorming as to what the concerns are and how they may visualise the preferred future. When we apply a strengths perspective to project planning we build on the vision of the preferred future rather than on the resolution of the concerns. Although it is essential to name and explore the problems at hand, the focus is not on the current gaps, but on how we wish the future to be. Our Scrapbook of Strengths can be used first of all to assist the brainstorming session in which the group visualise the future, and secondly to identify the strengths, skills and assets the team possesses to achieve this preferred future. During the visioning process, it may be useful to ask a miracle question to get the process under way. For example, 'What would our neighbourhood look like if it were a safe, healthy and pleasant place to live?' or 'If all our problems disappeared overnight, what would be different for our group and what would we notice?' or 'If our workplace fulfilled all our needs and our clients, what would it look like?' Our Scrapbook of Strengths can be used to assist the participants to identify the type of relationships they would visualise for the preferred future. Once a vision has been formulated, the group can be taken through a process of identifying their strengths, skills and resources that they could use to actualise their vision. Again, Our Scrapbook of Strengths can be used to identify which relationship strengths they have that would facilitate the process of achieving their vision.
In Family Work The Scrapbook cards provide workers with a different way of exploring family dynamics when facing significant issues. A re-focus of the conversation onto the strengths within the family, even if these feel well hidden, may provide a richer picture of what is happening.
Questions that may be useful to introduce into any conversations with families include:
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Reviews of the Scrapbook Centres Collaborate on New Visual Resource
Review by Ellen Fish Stronger Families Learning Exchange, Bulletin No. 5 Summer/Autumn 2004.
St Luke's Anglicare is well known for its 'strengths-based philosophy', which was developed in the late 1980s. At that time working with this philosophy was seen as a radical model for delivering family services but this approach has fast gathered momentum in welfare organisations. St. Luke's Innovative Resources publishes 'conversational prompts' which show people the importance of strengths, values, relationships, and methods of learning and growing. Life-changing experiences prompted by art or symbols can be identified with this kind of resource. Peoples' strengths are also the best resource to draw upon in overcoming problems.
The Family Action Centre at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales and St Luke's Innovative Resources from Bendigo have collaborated to produce a very visual resource titled Our Scrapbook of Strengths. The Scrapbook is a visual resource comprising 42 'strengths cards' that are loose-leaf replicas of pages from a photo album or a scrapbook. The themes are colour-coded to make the resource easy to use. Each card contains full-colour illustrations grouped under a theme. For example, under the theme of 'Communication' are the following 'strengths statements': 'We are honest with each other', 'We listen to each other','We stay in contact with each other', 'We talk openly with each other', 'We can laugh together'. The cards are designed as conversational tools for use by those wanting to explore relationships that exist within families, couples, groups, organisations or communities. The ideas for this book were based on the findings of the 1999 qualitative 'Australian Family Strengths Research Project' funded by the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services. The project's aims were to identify family strengths as perceived by 600 Australian families using theme and language analysis. Seven strength themes emerged from this study: Communication, Togetherness, Sharing Activities, Affection, Support, Acceptance, and Commitment. The authors added Resilience. These themes were subsequently used in the development of the themes used in Our Scrapbook of Strengths.
How can the Scrapbook be used? Handy 'tips' and 'cautions' for using the Scrapbook are outlined in the introductory section, and the authors recommend use of the resource for a number of audiences and in variety of ways.
Building resilience. Their first suggestion for its use is to build resilience, and there are some suggested questions for resilience-building exercises.
Strengths-based storytelling. Inviting participants of a group or family to tell their story of strength and success can be empowering. Scanning the cards and choosing one can remind people of a highlight in the group's life. Then a few questions can be asked like 'Can each of you tell me a story of the group at its best?' followed by 'What was happening at the time? Why was the event or situation so successful? What strengths were evident?'.
Working on family of origin. Counsellors or others who work with children might choose to use this resource to discuss issues about their family of origin and use the cards to express their thoughts or feelings.
Working with couples. The authors suggest this tool can be used for relationship and pre-marital education particularly because of 'its ability to highlight similarities and differences in partners' experiences of family', in a non-threatening way, putting the experiences in the contexts of strengths rather than deficits, and using the cards to explore conflict resolution.
Working with blended and step families. The resource may be used in helping members of families that have come together to identify and compare the differences and similarities of the strengths from their respective families as a way of 'building acceptance, a sense of belonging and renegotiating rules in the new family constellation'.
Pictures of the future. The resource can be used as a solution-focused approach to family work, group work, community building or organisational planning, suggesting a preferred vision of the future rather than an analysis of current problems. These conversational prompts then, can provide participants with a vision of what relationships might look like in the future.
Other uses. The authors also outline how the Scrapbook would be a useful resource for family workers, for caregiver assessments, and for teachers and school workers.
Advantages This attractively presented resource has a number of positive features. It is practical and hands-on and provides a useful tool-or, as the authors state, 'a conversation prompt to assist in identifying, mobilising and celebrating strengths in relationships'. It is flexible and versatile, and gives workers with creative abilities scope to work with families, couples, organisations, or communities on their relationships. The resource makes a good attempt to represent diversity in all its forms and is likely to appeal to a wide range of people. It has a strengths-based focus on relationships rather than focusing on the negatives. It has the potential to raise children's awareness of the positive elements of belonging to a family and is potentially empowering. The resource would be excellent for people who respond well to visual aids-particularly children, and for people who find it difficult to express thoughts through words. It could be useful for helping children put together a scrapbook of their own experiences of family.
Limitations The authors point out that they have deliberately not used the word 'family' in this resource. Yet most of the pictures appear to be about relationships between family members. The Scrapbook tries hard to cater to a range of audiences but appears to have more relevance for work with young children or with adults working on parent-child relationships. It may have less appeal to teenagers, or to adults working on organizational relationships. Although it does contain pictures of Indigenous people, most of the cards would have limited cultural relevance in working with an Indigenous population. Thus use of this resource may be meaningful for some but not for others. The authors rightly point out that such a tool is not 'guaranteed to work in all situations and the use of any tool may have unintended consequences' and that 'no single metaphor exists for everyone'. The use of these cards would depend on the clients, their current state of mind, and the present circumstances of their life. Workers may wish to exercise caution in use of this tool with children who have had negative experiences of family or who have experience of family violence, as the positive images of family may not be well received. In these circumstances it may be harmful to show children some of these cards unless the worker is highly skilled and can deal with the strong emotions that these cards have the potential to evoke.
Conclusion Overall, this is a well-presented and hands-on resource, with the potential to be used by skilled workers to assist some families, couples or children to identify and build upon the strengths that exist within their relationships. Creativity, versatility and sensitivity in the application of the Scrapbook by skilled facilitators will be the key to its successful use.
Ellen Fish is a Research Officer with the Stronger Families Learning Exchange at the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Scrapbook Celebrates Family Strong Points Links (Queensland government publication, published by the Dept. of Health and Communities), May 26th , 2004.
Our Scrapbook of Strengths is the fruit of collaboration between two leading Australian organizations that focus on family strengths: the Family Action Centre of the University of Castle, and Innovative Resources, the publishing and training arm of St Luke's Anglicare.
The idea emerged in 1999 when the Family Action Centre initiated the Australian Family Strengths Research project, the first wide-scale investigation into how Australian families identify their strengths.
The result was the production of the Australian Family Strengths Template, a framework of eight themes of strengths:
The Family Strengths Research Project was funded by the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services and was assisted by the University of Nebraska's Professor John DeFain, who has researched family strengths for more than 20 years in some 27 countries.
St Luke's Anglicare is well known throughout Australia and New Zealand for its innovative, whole-of-agency incorporation of a strengths-based philosophy. Innovative Resources is a unique publishing and training venture that has equipped countless family workers and other human service workers around the world with practical, hands-on materials for identifying and mobilizing client strengths.
Having successfully completed the Family Strengths Research project, the Family Action Centre was keen to see their findings translated into useful resources such as a family strengths kit.
They approached Innovative Resources with their vision and this initiated another round of research to create a strengths-building tool.
The end result is Our Scrapbook of Strengths , an original, highly versatile 'conversational prompt' for exploring the strengths that can be found, not just in families but also in groups, organizations and communities. It all began with a focus on families, however, and family workers around the world now have a unique tool for celebrating the strengths in the families with whom they work.
Versatile The cards in Our Scrapbook of Strengths are produced in a loose-leaf replica of a scrapbook or photo album with more than 130 watercolour illustrations by renowned Bendigo artist Carolyn Marrone.
The versatility of this resource allows the cards to be viewed in the binder for one-on-one use, or spread out for ease of group and family work.
Spreading the cards out enables participants to handle the cards, make choices and comparisons, and has proven to be a powerful catalyst for conversation and insight.
Our Scrapbook of Strengths requires no prior training and is adaptable to every area of family work; building resilience; strengths-based storytelling; and working with couples, blended and step families, caregivers and family workers themselves.
A 37-page booklet provides not only a full background to the project but plenty of tips, and cautions, for using the Scrapbook.
Our Scrapbook of Strengths can build resilience and optimism for future change, identify the strengths we want to strive for, and suggest strategies for how a vision of new possibilities might be realised. |
