ASSIGNMENT #4
My client is a 10th grade Latino female who lives with her mother, grandmother and two sisters. One of her sister resides in a group home because her mother was unable to supervise her. Her mother is currently out of work due to a back injury. Her mother is concern that she will turn out like her sisters therefore she keeps her close to her. The client is not going to her classes on a daily bases. When she goes to class she leave to go to the bathroom and returns when the class is just about over. At times she pretends to be sick so she can get out of class. The client is at risk of dropping out of school. We consider students physically disengaged from school when they exhibit behavioral and attendance problems, such as cutting classes and logging unexcused absence. Minority youth typically exhibit more behavior problem than white youth (Finn & Rock, 1997); they are also more likely than white youth to be absent for school (Bryk & Thum, 1989; Rumberger, 1998). Within racial and ethnic minority population, Latino students typically miss more school than African American students (Finn & Rock, 1997)” Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. She is also struggling with developing relationships with her peers because of the demand her mother puts on her to manage their house. Her mother is not able to work because of her back problems and other conditions. Her grandmother had diabetes and high blood pressure. My client complaints that her mother interferes with her social time for she must come home right after school is over. She is having difficulty communicating her needs to her mother. Her mother wants her to act like a young adult for her demands are in conflict with her developmental stage. According to Newman and Newman (2009) “Early Adolescence brings a heightened focus on physical development, emotional express, sensuality, and membership in a peer group. The Bathers suggests the playfulness of early adolescence. Typical of the period, friends find times to be together, away from adult supervisor, sharing music dance, and relaxation” (p.316). My client is not allowed to socialize with her friends after school because her mother requires her to assist with her needs. My client lies to her mother about her whereabouts so that she could spend time with her friends. Her mother doesn’t trust her because of her behavior and action which puts a stain on their relationship. They argue and yell at each other using profanity to get their points across to each other. My client explained that she knows she should not speak to her mother in that manner but she has become tried of her mother treated her in that way. Another problem with my client is that she has put herself in harms way just to spend time with her peers for she went to a hooky party with her friends. We consider students physically disengaged from school when they exhibit behavioral and attendance problems such as cutting classes and logging unexcused absences ((Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 2004).
The theory used in this case is the Cognitive Developmental theory because the theory helps the client to think about her actions. The frame works assume to meet the clients where they are tapping into their hidden strengths. The Ecosystem Perspective focus on the client’s environment by looking at things like adaptations, life stressor stress, coping measures, relatedness, self-esteem, self-direction, habitat and niche, social time life course and individual time. The ecosystem also assumes that the clients are the experts on their own lives (p.6). This framework is extremely important to me as a social work student. My client’s home environment is stressful for I think that is why she is having such a difficult time in school. When she is in class she falls to sleep because she went to bed late the night before. She feels bad about her physical appearance; at times she feels there can be no positive outcome to her situation. The ecosystem perspective is most helpful to me as a social work student at the field placement agency for many students are struggling with the same issues.
The cognitive theory help’s one to obtain knowledge of how people solved their problems and how they use their reasoning skills. Social learning theory focus on how people learn from observation an imitating people in their environment. My client spends most of time with the adults in her life. She treats her teachers like they are her peers and that behavior gets her into trouble. School engagement includes a student’s affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses related to attachment, sense of belonging, or involvement in school. (Wehlage et al., 1998). A high level of school engagement may be especially important for the academic achievement and educational attainment of Latin youth (Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 2004).
The practice model I will use is the cognitive behavioral model. According to Hepworth (2010) “The goal of cognitive behavior intervention strategies is to increase the client’s cognitive and behavioral skills so as to enhance his or her functioning. Restructuring is a cognitive procedure that aims to change a client’s thoughts, feelings, or overt behaviors that contribute to and maintain problem behavior” (p.390). My client’s use of profanity and her needy position lead to my assumption that my client behaves in the same manner as her mother. My client fines it hard to accept responsibility for her actions towards staff, peers, and her towards her family members.
For the interventions in this case the client will be given a weekly behavior/academic improvement log to track her behavior.
- Her teachers will note and sign the log to indicate whether she remained or leaves the classroom before class is over.
- The client’s will also be responsible for getting the logs to me once they are completed.
- The client will meet with me at the beginning of the week to discuss her behavioral goals for the week.
- The client will meet with me at the end of the week to discuss the outcome of her targeted behavior.
The baseline will measure the amount of time she cuts class.
The graphs will show how many times she remained in class.
Setting: At the NYC high school
The Intern is a first year social work intern
The client is a 10th grade Hispanic American female who lives with her mother, grandmother, and two sisters. Currently she is struggling with cutting her classes and with her relationship and issues with her family members and her peers.
Pre-engagement comments: The weather was very nasty this morning. The rain was coming down very heavy. I didn’t have an umbrella so my hat got wet. I thought that since the weather was so bad that my client would not make it to school since she is absent normally on the first day of the week. But I thought that since she had a whole week off maybe she would make it in late, but at least she came to school. I thought all week about how she is making progress with improving her record of cutting classes. I couldn’t wait to talk to her about her improvement and hopefully continuing to encouraging her to get up the good work.
Narrative: Today is good for her; she came to school on time. She said she woke up on time for school but her mother didn’t believe she was leaving out of the house on time. She said that when she asked her mother for money for school, her mother told her she was late for school. She said that when she told her mother that she was on time for school her mother told her she was telling a lie. I said "did you have an argument with your mother about getting to school on time this morning". She said no. I asked her how she managed to get up on time for school this morning. She said she was restless so she got up at 5:30 am this morning and she couldn’t go back to sleep. I said "how did she feel arriving to school on time". She said that she didn’t mind coming to school on time. She said getting to school on time made her feel like she accomplished something. She said it made her feel like she got a good start on the right foot. I said that I hope you continue on the right foot with your academic improvement log. I said you have been doing well, how you feel about the logs. She said that she thinks she will continue to improve. I said I will remind my supervisor about your reward. I told her that I’m looking forward to calling her mother with another good progress report. She smiled me too.
I said "how was the winter break". She said it was boring because she didn’t get to go the places she wanted. She wanted to go the Candy store shopping and clothes shopping at a N.J. mall. She said but her mother brought 2 pair of jeans from Fordham Road. She said she brought herself a bottle of perfume. I said where you got money to buy perfume. She said she took it from her mother. I said "did your mother tell you to take the money from her purse". She said no. I said "why did you take money from your mother’s purse without her permission". I said "is your mother ok with that". She said her mother says she is stealing. She said they augured about it but she gets her way all the time when she takes money without her mother's permission. I said" why don’t she just ask your mother for the money since you always your way. She said that than her mother will say that she don’t have it. I said "what does it mean to you when your mother say she don't have money to give you". She said that it means that she does because every time I look in her purse the money is there. I said "do you think that she has money but not money to give you but money that she will use on something else like paying her bills". She said that she still have money to pay her bills too, she said her mother is just be playing with her because she always gives her money. She laughed and started to talk about the new Mac computer her mother brought. I said that I must let you know that your mother is right you are stealing. I said when someone takes money from someone without their permission that is stealing. I said just take a few minutes to think about what you just told me. I waited and said do you understand now what stealing is. She said yes, but I don’t want to steal from anybody because it’s wrong. I said good so now you can practice following your mother directions when she says she don’t have money to give you. She nodded her head to say yes.
She said that she was excited and their computer. She talked about her mother purchasing her a new phone too. I said to her where was all the money coming from. She said her mother got her income tax refund check. So I started singing the song “she’s into money” and she joined in. I said "you seem happy today". She said she is happy about her mother getting her tax refunds check because her mother has been out of work for some time and their bills were piling up. She also said there were things the house needed. I said" it sounds like there was times when you couldn't get the things you needed". She said yea there was times when the phone service was turned off and she couldn't use the computer. I said "I understand".
A sad look came over her face so I said "why are looking sad now". She said she was having boy trouble. She said that there are two boys she likes but she can’t make a choice. She said her best friend wants her to date G.O. because she has known him for about a year. She said that C is cool even if she only knew him for a short time. I said "do you feel like you are being pressured to make a choice. She said no not really but her friend said that she wants her to date GO since she has known him for a longest. She said that she stopped spending time with GO because he was going through some personal stuff and didn't have time for her. She went on to say that G.O. is cuter that C. She said that looks don’t’ really mean anything. She said her aunt told her that looks don’t matter when the person has a good heart and respects you. She said that she would not go out with a person just because he is cute. I said "are you ready to date since you say you are having boy trouble. She said that she is not dating she is just having an experience. I said "explain that to me". She said an experience is when you are getting to know the person. She said that when you are dating you already know the people. I said "so you are getting to know both of the guys", she said yes. She said her mother doesn’t want her to date. She said that her mother doesn’t want her or her sister to date. She said her mother knows her sister has a boyfriend but her mother is not happy with their relationship but her sister continues to see him. She said her mother don’t want her to date until she graduates from college. She said "Ms. Brown I told my mother I will not wait that long to date", and she start to laugh.
She started too talked about her grandmother and her concerns for her health. She said she thinks her grandmother’s diabetes is getting worst because her sugar level was vey high. She also said she is also concern because her grandmother will be admitted to the hospital to receive oxygen from a chamber. She asked me if I know what the chamber was. I said "I don't have much knowledge about that". I suggested that she speaks to her mother to get more information about the chamber. She said she thinks her grandmother is going to die because of her diabetes. She said her grandmother would be going to a chamber for oxygen. She said her family is anger at the grandmother because she is not taking her medication during the day so she can't get sleep at night because she is up all night going to the bathroom. I said "did you ask why she takes her medication at night". She said "no". I suggested that she should ask her grandmother why she takes her medication at night so that she can understand her choice. She said that she would try to talk her grandmother about the situation. I said "what are your feelings about your grandmother going the hospital". She said that she is worry because she doesn't know how things are going to turn out for her grandmother. She also said that her grandmother needs to get the operation on her foot but they won't operate until she brings her sugar down and her blood pressure down. I said "is there anything you can do to help your grandmother with her situation". She said there is not much she could do but try to remind her grandmother to take her medication and don't eat the foods she should not have. I said "that sounds like something you can do". It was time for our session to be over. I said I will remind my supervisor about your reward as soon as I see her. I said what kind of candy you wanted". She said it's a snickers bar. I said "I will see you on Friday". She said "ok good bye Ms. Brown".
Impression: I'm glad to see her making process in not cutting her classes and she is happy for herself. However I get the impression that she really wants to have relationship with her peers outside of school so she can avoid lying to her mother. She also wants to change her grandmother's situation. MP has a lot on her plate to deal with at such a young age. It sounds like she has thoughts adults do when that worry about the people they care for.
Plan: My plan is to continue to encourage her to keep on the path she is on. I will continue to support her in obtaining her goal of reducing the amount of classes she cuts. My plan is to also help her to become more mindful of how her actions continue to hurt the relationship with her mother by discussing the consequences.
Questions/Issues: One of my issues of concern is how can I get her to really understand that lying to her mother about her whereabouts will continue to hurt there relationship. My question is how can I help her to cope with her grandmother's medical condition.
