UNITAS - Family Circle

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The Family Circle intervention continues to be the hub around which the very structure of the caretaker system, as a social support network, is built and maintained.

Structured in circular format, the whole community of staff, children and caretakers sit in tribal council. As is the tradition in Unitas, this session, conducted under skilled leadership, aims to build social competencies, provide nurturance and a sense of discipline and inculcate the values of unity, cooperation, communication and mutual helpfulness through storytelling and socio-drama.

During the Family Circle, members of each symbolic family sit together. The symbolic parent, or head of household, is responsible for overseeing the caretaker system within their symbolic family. The children are invited to communicate, problem solve and contribute as resources for the good of all community members present.

	This means that everyone is expected to offer solutions to problems presented during the session. The idea is to draw upon the resources and influences already existing in the community, rather than accessing a stranger outside of the community for help as in traditional clinical practice.

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