For social work professionals
Free Genogram Maker for Social Workers
Create professional genograms for family assessment, case documentation, and child welfare work. Used by social workers in agencies, hospitals, and private practice.
Create a Genogram — FreeHow social workers use genograms
Family Assessment
Visualize family structures, identify support systems, and understand intergenerational dynamics during intake and ongoing assessment.
Child Welfare & CPS
Document family relationships for court, identify kinship placement options, and track case history across multiple placements.
Case Documentation
Create clear visual records of complex family situations for case files, team meetings, and agency documentation requirements.
Trauma-Informed Practice
Map intergenerational trauma patterns, identify protective factors, and visualize the impact of historical trauma on current family functioning.
Medical Social Work
Document family medical history, identify hereditary conditions, and assess family support for discharge planning.
School Social Work
Understand student family dynamics, coordinate with families, and communicate complex situations to school teams.
Symbols social workers actually need
Family Structure
- • Biological relationships
- • Adoptive relationships
- • Foster care placements
- • Kinship care
- • Household boundaries
- • Multiple households
Relationship Dynamics
- • Close relationships
- • Distant relationships
- • Conflictual relationships
- • Enmeshed/fused
- • Cutoff/estranged
- • Abuse indicators
Case Markers
- • Substance use
- • Mental health conditions
- • Incarceration
- • CPS involvement
- • Domestic violence
- • Deceased markers
How to create a social work genogram
Identify the focal client
Start with your client or the child at the center of the case as the index person.
Map immediate family
Add parents, siblings, and anyone in the household using appropriate symbols.
Extend to extended family
Include grandparents, aunts, uncles, and any relatives involved in the family system or potential placements.
Add relationship dynamics
Draw emotional relationship lines — close, distant, conflictual, enmeshed — to show family dynamics relevant to the case.
Document relevant history
Add markers for substance use, mental health, abuse history, CPS involvement, and other case-relevant information.
Export for case file
Download as PDF for inclusion in case documentation, court reports, or team meetings.
Frequently asked questions
Why do social workers use genograms?
Social workers use genograms to visualize family structures, identify support systems, document intergenerational patterns of trauma or resilience, assess family dynamics, and communicate complex family situations to colleagues and courts. They're essential tools for family assessment and case planning.
What symbols do I need for social work genograms?
Social work genograms typically include: family structure symbols (biological, adoptive, foster relationships), household boundaries, emotional relationships (close, conflictual, distant), abuse indicators, substance use markers, mental health conditions, and involvement with child protective services.
Can I use genograms for child welfare cases?
Yes. Genograms are widely used in child welfare to document family structures, identify potential kinship placements, track removal and placement history, and visualize the child's support network. Many child welfare agencies require genograms as part of case documentation.
Is GenogramCreator suitable for agency use?
Yes. GenogramCreator is used by individual practitioners and agencies. Export genograms as PDF for case files, and our security features help protect sensitive client information. Contact us for team or agency pricing.
How is a genogram different from an ecomap?
A genogram focuses on family structure and relationships across generations. An ecomap shows the client's relationship with external systems (school, church, work, social services). Many social workers use both together for comprehensive assessment. GenogramCreator supports genogram creation; ecomap features are coming soon.
Start creating genograms for your cases
Free to use. No credit card required. Export as PDF for case documentation.
Create Your First Genogram — Free