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An ecomap template is a document used to keep record and extensively determine the social and personal relationships among a person or a family and their external environment. Social workers and counselors use Genograms to assist in determining the stressors or causes of depression and anxiety.
How to use an Ecomap?
Social workers and other professionals can use Eco maps for establishing case plans. They can provide useful information regarding individuals or families. You can create assessments of several relationships and how strong these connections are by using an ecomap. Furthermore, while working with refugee and migrant families, an ecomap template can prove its usefulness.
By mapping up areas of disconnection or isolation that you might need to require to address, their family Ecomap examples can offer detailed visualizations of their relationships. Ecomaps provide you a comprehensive visualization of the following;
- Family dynamics
- Every member of the family has a connection to the social support system.
- Every member of the family has a connection to the community.
- Area of deprivation.
- Areas of severe duplication.
When working with the family of a young person, you may consider disagreements amongst family members. These disagreements might be regarding the quality of relationships and the nature and level of support given by several influences. You may also like the process map template.
Types of Ecomap templates:
Assessing families to provide them the opportunity to participate in extensive ways is the main objective of an Ecomap template. You can get a picture of the connections between the family and their environment by this important graphical representation. Furthermore, it also explains the flow of resources, stresses, deprivations, and points of conflict. Below are the most common types of Ecomap examples;
- Ecomap social work templates
- Family Ecomap templates
How to draw your own Eco map?
Here are the steps that you should follow to draw your own Eco map;
- Firstly, in the center, draw a big circle to represent your subject.
- After that, draw small circles around your subject. It displays each of the groups, people, institutions, and other entities that they have an existing relationship with. Friends, family members, churches, workmates, and educational institutions are the included representatives. Note down the name of the entities in the middle of each circle.
- In the end, make connections among these entities and your subject. You have to do this with your subject. In the small circles, make connections between your subject and each of these external entities. To indicate different kinds of connections, you may use different kinds of lines.
For example, to represent distant connections, use dotted lines and double or thick lines to represent strong connections. The point is that in the illustration, you can use any kind of line. You just have to ensure to explain each line should in the legend.
- It is best to use arrowheads in order to denote the direction in which the resources flow or the mutuality level of a relationship. These symbols specify the direction of influence of each relationship.
For example, the arrow should point to your subject in case one of the entities is “Social Security.” This indicates that your subject gets resources from this agency. For another instance, to indicate a good relationship between a mother and a child, you can use a line with arrowheads on both ends. This indicates reciprocity in the relationship. Conversely, by using an arrow that points to a single direction, you can indicate a one-sided relationship.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, an Ecomap is a useful assessment tool that helps you to explain and organize the ways people relate with and to each system in their lives. It includes a person’s connection to the system. It is an important and powerful tool used to uncover hidden support systems of the subject.
