Case Scenarios

University of Phoenix Material

Case Scenarios

Read the following scenarios. Answer, in a 50- to 100-word response, each of the following questions:

Scenario 1

Sophia has been removed from her family and placed into foster care for the second time in the last 2 years due to her mother’s ongoing substance abuse. Sophia has missed many days of school and often comes to school dirty and wearing clothes from the day before. Sophia’s mother does not think she has a problem and blames the system for once again taking her daughter.

1. What can a human service professional do to help this family? We all may have a family member that have the same problem. Human service can help Sophia’s mother by getting her help for substance abuse. Her mother may not feel that she needs help or have a drug problem. I f the daughter is coming to school dirty and missing school the teacher can see that there is a problem. She can report this problem to Human Services and they can place Sophia in foster care until her mother is able to care for her properly.

2. Sophia’s mother is thinking that child protective services as the worst people for taking her daughter for the second time. The mother needs to get help for her substance abuse and prove that she can be healthy and stable for her daughter, then she could be allowed to have her daughter back.

Scenario 2

John has been homeless for most of his adult life. He is often seen on the medians of busy intersections asking for food and money or wandering through the park talking to himself. John used to seek housing in a homeless shelter but often chooses to sleep in the local park. During the winter, the local homeless coalition attempts to talk to John about staying in the shelter but he refuses. Staying out in the cold has led John to being hospitalized on several occasions, but he maintains that he is better off without anyone’s help.
1. We all may have a family member that have the same problem. Human service can help Sophia’s mother by getting her help for substance abuse. Her mother may not feel that she needs help or have a drug problem. I f the daughter is coming to school dirty and missing school the teacher can see that there is a problem. She can report this problem to Human Services and they can place Sophia in foster care until her mother is able to care for her properly.

2. Sophia’s mother is thinking that child protective services as the worst people for taking her daughter for the second time. The mother needs to get help for her substance abuse and prove that she can be healthy and stable for her daughter, then she could be allowed to have her daughter back.

Scenario 3

Juan often runs away from home because his parents constantly fight and often blame him for their issues. Juan runs away for 2 to 3 days at a time and will do this at least once a week. When he is at home, he typically does not follow the rules and will yell at his parents and siblings. Juan has a history of defiant behavior, but his home environment has often been chaotic. Juan’s parents have been through family counseling, but they feel it was not helpful and are reluctant to do it again. Juan sometimes will run to a local group home that takes in runaway youth.

1. If you were a counselor at the group home, how might you work with Juan to get him to stop running away from home so that he is not sleeping on the streets?
*If I were a counselor, I would arrange an in-home sit down with the child, and the parents, I would find out the details of which needs are not being met in the home that was constantly causing the arguing, and try to find a solution(s) to the families problems. Next I would arrange for weekly counseling sessions for the parents and the child to try and see if we begin to meet the family’s needs if then it would stop the arguing which would then stop the child from being defiant and running away weekly, and bring peace and happiness in the home.

2. How might you try to work with the family even though they have participated in family therapy previously and did not find it effective?
* Next I would arrange for weekly counseling sessions for the parents and the child to try and see if we begin to meet the family’s needs if then it would stop the arguing which would then stop the child from being defiant and running away weekly, and bring peace and happiness in the home. I know that they said it didn’t work previously but I would give it a try just to try and help them, I would address the way that the previous counselor went about it and try a different approach to make the counseling for the family work, realizing that not all methods work for all families, but I would try different techniques or ask the family some things that they like to do together and try to incorporate that into the counseling to make for a happier time in the home. As a counselor I would have group sessions with the family and private sessions with the child with the parent's permission as well. The purpose of the group sessions would be to validate that the family does not blame the child for their problems. The purpose of the private sessions would be to allow the child to open up and talk about their true feelings. Through being an attentive listener for the family and advising the parents to keep an open and stable relationship with their child. If the parents notice and issue with a child they should immediately address it. Although the family has had previous experiences with counseling it is best to keep their focus on communicating and positively encouraging with each other. This will allow each member of the family to feel comfortable enough to open up which will help each member gain a better understand of each other. Becoming a healthy functioning family starts with talking, listening, and understanding. Helping Teens. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.teenhelp.com/parenting-teens/teen-runaways