FAP Case Studies

The intervention that was implemented was the invitation for the father to participate in the therapeutic sessions with his son and ex-wife. I explained the client’s recent behavior and the subsequent admittance to my agency. I clarified that the client’s behavior worsens after their divorce which is evidenced by the increased disciplinary infractions he received at school. The client also became more combatant and argumentative with his mother and siblings as reported by them. I proposed the idea of meeting for a family therapy session to uncover the cognitive reasons behind the

To begin, the counselor described her client and the ethical dilemma that took place. CMB was seeing her client, a 36-year-old white woman, for one and a half years. The client’s reason for attending counseling was to work through family issues, particularly, managing the effects of growing up with an alcoholic father. One day, the client asked CMB if she would take on her sister as a client. Initially, the counselor was hesitant, explaining that she does not normally like to take on new clients who have a personal relationship with her current clients. However, the client pushed, and explained that her sister was going through a very specific situation, unrelated to her own therapy, that would only require short term counseling. Further, the client said that is will not interfere with her counseling experience. So, CMB decided to take on her current client’s sister as a new client.

Morgan McElheran shared with viewers, her experience from the past 15 years working as a clinic psychologist. She told us about her unimaginable experiences from her clients, and she told a story about a father, whose family was involves in an horrific accident Morgan told us about his activities before hearing the information about his family, and what must be experiencing after hear the news of the accident and death of his child. I thought the information was both informative and life changing for the people involved, and am glad people how people trauma victims can talk about there work and cases without divulging on confidential information of the families involved. What

How did Francie mature as time progressed throughout the early years of her life? When Francie grew up and had to help support and keep the family together, she gained an early peek of maturity and womanhood. She then gained the privilege to be independent and earn the title of assistance. Meanwhile, as time passed she lost her father, Johnny Nolan, and had to earn income to keep the family afloat to continue to progress despite the hardship and heartbreaking sacrifices that lies ahead. From a little girl to a young woman, Francie learned to do things a lot earlier to help support and keep her family together with the power of gaining and losing at the same time.

Following my internship, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and accepted a position with the Department of Child Services (DCS) as a case manager; the same one I had observed in the forensic interview room years ago. Intervening in the lives of families as a DCS case manager is extremely fast-paced, stressful, contentious and heartbreaking. Entering a stranger’s home and making a decision that will impact their lives for years to come forces one

For my senior year field placement, I am currently working at Elwyn’s Media campus in the Children’s Behavioral Health Services Outpatient program. At the outpatient program I am working with the Director of Clinical Operations, Ellen Chung. I also work with Jennifer Torrey who is the Clinical Coordinator for Elwyn’s Media location’s Outpatient program. I also work one on one with the Outpatient Case Manager, Shaneen Brown. I am also working in the Therapeutic After School Program (TASP). At the TASP I work with the Case Manager Jennifer Ziegler and the Clinical Case Manager Denise Georganas. The outpatient therapy team at Elwyn is a multidisciplinary team that works to help children reach their fullest potential. Some services offered by the Outpatient program at Elwyn are psychiatric evaluations, individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, medication management, client/family education and community resources. The goal of the Therapeutic Socialization Program is to facilitate socialization and communication skills and to decrease problematic behaviors through participation in fun and engaging in activities. This program is based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis and other proven approaches to develop individually tailored treatment protocols to help children, adolescents and young adults in the areas of socialization, self-regulation and communication. The TASP also focuses on providing parents with new information to better understand their child’s

For my Family Service Report, I met with and talked to Katie Conklin, Director of Services for the program Tuesday’s Child. Tuesday’s Child is a non-profit program that is operated out of DePaul College Prep. The program was established as a means to help parents with children ages 18-months to 6-years-old who are experiencing behavioral issues. The training is completed with both parent and child, and done with one-to-one peer assistance––with each family being paired with their own counselor. The individualized attention ensures that each family is given the appropriate amount of assistance to problem solve their specific needs. Tuesday’s Child’s mission statement is as follows: “Tuesday’s Child enables families to thrive through positive parent training, inclusive behavioral classrooms and support services. Our proven model impacts home, school, and the community.”

To help identify and interrupt harmful interaction patterns within a family, I would start with the assessment and diagnosis process, here the therapist will see tedious patterns of each member. As counselor, I will center on what is being stated by the family members, discussing the family’s history, physiognomies and nature of the interaction that have taken place within the family, and what they have attempted to do in order eliminating the issues.

For example, Tracey could explore what may occur if she is not allowed to see her male friend or interact with her sister a year from now. Using this technique will not only foster attention to Tracey’s discomforts but will allow the family to engage in a difficult communication that the social worker can best identify the current problematic support patterns and dynamics. My favorite, reframing, will allow the therapist to place a problem, Tracey’s unproductive behaviors around the house, into a different context so that problem can be more workable for Tracey and the foster family. For example, the therapist could reframe Tracey’s behaviors as intentions to connect with the family outside the house or have time outside of the house with clear boundaries. SFT will be effective because of it has clear and limited therapist’s role, which will ensure that the family and all members involved in the treatment are processing and doing most of the therapeutic work. Overall, providing therapeutic services to adolescents in the child welfare system requires exploring inherited family patterns and the new family’s boundaries, dynamics, hierarchies, rules and rituals. Thus, requiring the involvement of the whole family, biologically and foster families, to reduced, eliminate or examine the teen’s

Establishing therapeutic relationships is an effective way in facilitating positive change with an individual. It encourages both, working professionals and clients to participate in a relationship built on respect, acceptance, trust and empathy, to name a few. Building such trusting bonds, can allow professionals to gain a better perspective in the challenges and experiences of at-risk children and youth. In my own words, the term “at-risk children and youth” can be defined at those experiencing far greater risks than resilience in their most critical settings, often making their transition into adulthood difficult. Based on the content in Trouble Youth and Children, Chapter 5 by Brendtro and Shahbazian (2004), I will outline five key guidelines I, as a child and youth worker would use in my work with at risk kids, when developing therapeutic relationships and extending attachment.

Functional family therapy (FFT) is an evidence-based practice (EBP) for high-risk youth that concentrates on multifaceted and multidimensional issues through a practice that is validated by research, culturally diverse, and submissively structured (Robbins, 2016). Furthermore, the FFT program’s goal is to increase protective factors while decreasing the risk factors that have a direct impact on youth offenders (CrimeSolutions.Gov, 2011).

To be supportive and make the client feel your concerns for their situation you have to convey empathy. Empathy may not mean you feel sorry for the client or you can repair all their matters but you are able to have a level of compassion for the clients.

I conducted an in person interview at Deaconess Cross Pointe, 7200 East Indiana Street; Evansville, Indiana 47715. I interviewed Natalie Goffinett, who has achieved her Master’s Degree in Social Work, and counsel’s children and families at that facility. When setting the appointment to interview Ms. Goffinett, I offered her the option to conduct the interview either in person or over the telephone. Ms. Goffinett and I agreed that an in person interview would be best if I wanted to have the opportunity to tour the facilities, as well as develop a sense for inpatient and outpatient environments. Deaconess Cross Pointe is a

As part of our preparation for placement, we were required to make a role play on a given scenario in pairs. Each of us had to play the role of the social work student and the service user. We chose to use Miss Allen’s scenario, because we both had experience of working the adults. In preparation for this task, we met twice to clarify our roles and discussed the scenario as we understood it. We also discussed how we were going to assess Miss Allen, and what help we would offer her. The preparation was an important part of our task because it challenged us to think of the interview within its widest context, taking into account the particular needs of Miss Allen, agency policy and procedure and ourselves as student social

For six hours per week, I will have the chance to serve as a role model for residents as they transition from a juvenile delinquency back to their families, schools and neighborhoods. I am excited to intervene at this crucial junction in their lives, when they face a host of new challenges and choices, and I look forward to enhancing my understanding of a population I will undoubtedly encounter as a child and adolescent counselor. Though my struggle has differed significantly from theirs, I know my experiences have given me patience and perspective that will inform our conversations and, hopefully, prove value to them. I am very proud of my accomplishments over the past year and a half, and I am determined to keep moving