Legal Case Study Scenarios

Mom has a total of four children two younger children and two older children were taken away due to neglect and abuse; the older children placed with their biological father. The younger two children have been placed with Aunt Debbie. All the children have been in the Child welfare system since their births.
Both parents have some issues with the local law and have outstanding warrants for their arrest. The Father of the little ones has a problem with drugs/alcohol abuse. Mother unknown about abuse with drugs and alcohol.
Debbie the client: Came to seek out some assistance with her current circumstance; becoming the guardian for her niece and nephew; who are both young adolescents.
Core Competency 1
Client: Reached out for assistance and resources for her new role of a parent/custodian to two small children.
Core Competency 2
Clinician: Newly graduating from school,
and new on the job knowing this case was going to be a challenge for her. Sue prepares for her new client. Being aware that she could always speak with her boss or her assigned mentor on the job, to help relieve some of the anxiety she was feeling and to get assistance about resources she might need for her client.
Core Competency 3
The session begins Debbie relates the story of how she became the children’s guardians.
Debbie: a brief explanation of when the children came into your care.
Sue: Ask Debbie: If she needs assistance with daycare, and questioning the status of the kids shot records and any other health issues that need to be addressed. Does she need resources for WIC and other public services that are available to her?
Debbie: Makes a list of what she should do and who to contact if needed. They set goals together to help with making a smooth transition for the kids and herself.
Continuing their sessions with goals Debbie can set for herself and goals for the kids to achieve while they are in her custody.
Clinician: Do research on guardians and Foster Care parents’ rights! Within the county and state jurisdictions.
Core Competency 4
Discussing how the kids are doing and Debbie’s life change from being a single woman to a caregiver of two small children full time. Discuss how the children have changed her lifestyle and the adjustments she had to make to accommodate the little people
population.

Core Competency 5
Discuss how her act is promoting human rights and social justice for these small children.
Are there any concerns she has with her role as their guardian? Do you have any outside support with the kids?
Core Competency 6
Feedback the information Debbie shared with you about her accomplishments, her problems she is facing so far. “What does she see as the next step to be.”
Core Competency 7
Continue to use the knowledge that you have gained from the children and how to continue to make them happy and find peace with themselves.
Core Competency 8
Start talking about the future of the children and the placement with their parents. The magic question, “What if you went to bed last night and upon wakening up, you could change one thing in your life. What would that be?
Core Competency 9
Start preparing to end your sessions with Debbie: recap everything you both discussed and reinforce the completion of the goals that were set.
Core Competency 10
Say goodbye to Debbie, and let her know that you will be available if she needs anything.