Reference no: EM133660788

Assignment:

Option A: The Rojas Family

The Rojas, a family of 5, are seeking services after the sudden death of Mr. Rojas' mother ("Nana" to the children) 5 days ago. Mrs. Rojas had resided with the family for many years. The youngest children, Mariana (age 5) and Gabriela (age 9), cannot recall a time when their Nana was not present in their daily activities.

The family has many strengths. Typically, they would not access services on their own, nor have they had reason to need prior services. Mr. Rojas is an administrator at the community wellness center where he has been employed over 20 years. Ms. Rojas volunteers her time between her daughters' elementary and middle schools and also provides pro-bono services for the community legal aid program. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rojas have large extended families, many of whom live close. Their support systems quickly offered assistance after Mrs. Rojas' death, and they continue to do so.

Mr. Rojas states he wants the family to start grief counseling because no one is talking about his mother's passing. He does not understand why no one seems concerned. He shares his grief openly and states, "If I hold it in, it only gets worse." He shares that Isabella, his oldest daughter (17 years old), is the only family member grieving "the right way." Isabella has not attended school since the passing of her Nana and reports being overly tired, an inability to concentrate, and a profound sense of loss. She reports coping by praying and talking to the family priest.

For her part, Ms. Rojas remains neutral about the situation. She acknowledges her husband's concerns and also supports her younger daughters' mild reactions to the death of their Nana. She explains that her younger daughters are more like her and keep their emotions "inside." She denies repressing her feelings though and states she copes by staying busy. She further asserts that she has allowed herself to mourn the loss of her mother-in-law, with whom she enjoyed a good relationship. "She will be missed," Ms. Rojas concludes.

Gabriela initially reports having difficulty sleeping, but later admits she only mentioned the sleep problems to make her father happy that she was grieving. When further questioned, she admits to pacifying him often. Mariana refuses to answer any questions and is actively engaged in conversation with her imaginary friend throughout the intake appointment. She stops at only one point to ask when Nana is going to wake up.

Mr. Rojas admits it is difficult for him to accept help from others as he has always been able to provide for the family, but he states he is "overwhelmed with grief and loss. I cannot even begin think about what to do now."

Despite Mr. Rojas' concerns, the family members believe they are functioning appropriately. Mr. Rojas appears to be struggling the most with the recent loss of his mother.

Option B: The Wilson Family

The Wilson family, a family of 5, is seeking services after losing their housing due to unemployment, which resulted when both parents became ill from COVID-19. While both parents have recovered physically, being without income for so many months has created financial burdens the family has yet to overcome.

Lala and Jon have been together for 15 years. Jon describes Lala as the stabilizing force and the decision maker for the family. Prior to COVID and becoming ill, Jon managed a local convenience store, and Lala was the clerk at a popular flower shop; they rented a single-family home in a culturally diverse neighborhood comprised mostly of families similar to their own. Several extended family members live nearby and are currently providing temporary shelter until the family can become independent once again.

Lala appears anxious. She seems overly concerned about family members with medical complications, such as her mother, who has breast cancer, and her father-in-law, who has COPD. She reports a history of worrying and states since COVID she does seem to be worrying more than usual about little things that didn't bother her before.

Gwen, the couple's 14-year-old daughter, appears to be caring for her 3-year-old sister, Nola, who appears hyperactive. Nola does not speak to anyone outside of her family. Gwen says that everything seems harder than it needs to be these days. She appears to be responsible and trustworthy per the description given by her parents. She is in advanced science courses and likes math club at school. She has seen a few kids from her school, but she has not found friends at the shelter.

9-year-old, Noah, is reportedly having difficulty sleeping, often waking with nightmares. Noah's dog has been unable to be located since the family's displacement, and he has been asking what might happen to his pet. Gwen reports that her mother has all the family's identification information, medical cards, and Social Security cards in her backpack. She repeatedly asks, "How long before we can go home?" She wants to see her mother worry less and states the family "really needs everything to go back to normal."

You discover the family has a strong support network through their religious practices, as Lala explains they are usually on the giving side when the community is in need. In fact, her family and religious community center helped them for a short time financially at the beginning of the crisis and continues to provide support at times. Jon admits it is difficult for him to accept help from others as he has always been able to provide for the family and never needed to rely on assistance before.

The family is struggling to cope with their current situation for many reasons, but all agree the biggest concern right now is there are too many unknowns.

Write approximately 30 to 90 words for each response. You have unlimited attempts, and your highest score will be recorded. After you submit the assignment, refer to faculty feedback to identify factors you will need to consider further before completing your family system case assessments in Weeks 4 and 5.

Format any references included according to APA guidelines

Question 1

Which culture and religion did you select to customize your client case study? What is your experience with this culture and religion, and why did you choose them as example factors for your case study.

Question 2

How would you present yourself as a social worker to the family? What behavior, appearance, and communication styles would be appropriate to show to the family in the case study you selected.

Question 3

What steps would you take to protect privacy and confidentiality with the family, such as release of information, self-determination, or other precautions? What considerations might need to be made to accommodate remote or telehealth support, if appropriate?

Question 4

How might you initially engage the family in the social work process? How might you build a relationship with the family? What skills and techniques would you use to develop the focus of your work and outcomes with this family?

Question 5

How might you use the strategies from Question 4 differently with the children versus the adults in the family? How might your approach and language look different for individuals in different life stages?

Question 6

How do you plan to work around your implicit biases to show empathy for the diversity of life experiences in your clients? How might you use your understanding of the concepts of worldview, self-concept and identity, and how to engage with and treat others to work with this family? How might you learn from and engage with your clients regarding their experiences?

Question 7

How might you use supervision and consultation to guide your work with the family? What information or support might you need from a supervisor to serve the needs of this family?

Question 8

Complete the Mapping Client Systems with Ecomaps in this week's learning activities before responding to the following.

What did you find helpful about completing an ecomap to understand a client's system? What challenges might you anticipate when completing an ecomap with a client? Will using an ecomap be useful for your desired role in social work? Explain.