Reference no: EM133193504 , Length: Wrod Count: 1200 words.

Assignment: Social Work Practice- Case Study in Singapore

Yusof Ibrahim and his wife, Lily Neo, both 38 have been married for 10 years. Their extended families were initially not in favour of their relationship due to the differences in their race and religion.

Yusof is an Indian Muslim while Lily is a Chinese and a freethinker. They had first met when they were training to become teachers at the National Institute of Education. After much convincing, the couple tied the knot with the blessings of both sides of the family.

The couple have two children, Shahan aged 10 and Shasha, aged 4. Things were working well for the couple till Shasha was diagnosed with Autism about 6 months ago. Yusof decided that it may be best for Lily to quit her teaching job to fully take care of the children while Yusof continues his teaching job. Lily had no choice but to go along with this plan. She decided to put on hold her lifelong ambition of becoming a principal.

The family used to have an Indonesian helper, Iva to care for the children while the couple were at work. However, she had to suddenly leave to attend to her own children back in Indonesia because of her mother's sudden demise. Her mother used to be the main caregiver of her two children aged three and two. Yusof and Lily were thereafter unable to find a replacement due to the restrictions of Covid-19 on domestic helpers.

The first few months were rather tiring for Lily. She struggled with having to cook, clean and attend to every need of Shahan and Shasha. Lily's every attempt to discipline Shasha did not seem to work. Lily hoped to learn more about handling her child with special needs but was caught up with a lot of other basic chores. The couple enrolled Shasha in several early intervention classes. Lily had to send the girl to these classes and rush back to complete the daily routine of household chores. Day by day, Shasha was getting a little more difficult to handle. Lily felt rather overwhelmed and broke down on those occasions.

The couple's parents occasionally come by to take care of the 2 children. However, they are unable to commit to fully taking over as they are gainfully employed. Lily often has to manage the different parenting style of her in-laws. They are very lax and do not stick to the structure she had set for the children. This becomes a greater challenge for Lily in managing her children after they leave.

Lily usually speaks to Yusof about her struggles. Yusof often brushes it off as something not so important. He wishes he could just have some time to unwind after a long, busy day at school. Moreover, he has also been a little worried lately about his dwindling savings and increasing expenses, especially with the special classes for Shasha. He often locks himself in his room playing online games.

Lily received a call from Shahan's form teacher, Ms Tan. She raised concerns over his lack of attention during class. According to her, he used to be a diligent and active child. She had also noticed that he had not been submitting his homework on time. She had spoken to Shahan briefly and he had shared that nobody loves him at home anymore. Ms Tan had suggested that Lily and her family seek counselling at your centre.

Task

Answer the following questions based on the case study above.

Question I

As the professional social worker assigned to support the family, outline and analyze FOUR concerns that the family is facing.

Question II

The systems theory is a useful tool to understand and help families in need. Describe and explain what is the systems theory. Analyse and illustrate how you can use the FOUR systems theory concepts, namely homeostasis, rules, boundaries and roles to help Yusof and his family. Use examples from the above case study to illustrate your points.

Question III

Demonstrate and explain how being attuned to culture is crucial when working with multi-racial couples such as Yusof and Lily. Outline THREE  things that you need to bear in mind when working with this family.

Question IV

The use of reframing with clients aims to help someone see a particular situation from a different lens. Appraise reframing and discuss how would you use reframing in the given case study. Cite relevant examples from the case to illustrate your points.

Textbook: Direct Practice in Social Work, by Scott W. Boyle.