Effects of Trauma

Part 1

a. What are your thoughts and reactions to this case? How does this case not follow the FTS (Family Therapeutic Services) model?

The permanency worker did not understand what was required to make the interstate transfer, and they were operating like the child was being placed with a relative in the same county. Surprisingly, the Permanency Worker does not understand the urgency of Trenton staying with a close relative. A childs critical developmental years are immediately after birth, and they make connections and bonds with family at this time. Therefore, the delays that took place denied Trenton the opportunity to create a bond with his biological parents and family. It is distressing and disappointing to read such a case because numerous opportunities are available to ensure the child is placed with a family member. However, the lack of competency on the part of the Permanency Worker has resulted in Trenton staying in foster care for 11 months. Trenton is unaware of his parents and would struggle to recognize them in his life. The trauma Trenton will suffer stems from being placed in foster care at an early age, where he did not get to connect with his biological mother.

Family Therapeutic Services assists families in alleviating suffering, recovering from trauma, and maintaining a healthy level of functioning. The case failed to assist the family in alleviating suffering because the parents had to wait for 11 months before they could have their child placed with a close family member. Trentons trauma was not managed since no attempts were made to reunite the family during his formative months. A bond is formed between the mother and child when in the womb. However, the bond was broken when Trenton was placed in foster care. The chances of the family reuniting were slim because Trenton has formed connections with his foster family, and to him, these are his relatives. Therefore, he will struggle to form a connection with his aunt and uncle even though he has finally been placed with them.

b. How could permanency be achieved differently for this child? What are some of the long-term effects for this child?

Permanency could have been achieved differently for the child by making an exception and allowing the parents to take the child home after being released from the hospital. The paper could have been filed as the child stays with the parents, allowing him to form connections with his family and parents. Trentons parents did all they could to offer someone who stayed close to them and was a good candidate for child placement. However, the paperwork processing delays reduced the chances of reuniting the family. The parents could have been willing to fulfill their service plan, but the delay in placing their child with his aunt caused tension in their lives, making it hard to fulfill their service plan. Permanency Workers should be better trained on the importance and immediacy of the Interstate Compact (Menn, 2015). Without understanding the adverse effects, it would have on the child and parents when trying to reunite the family, Permanency Workers will continue taking their sweet time filing papers.

Some long-term effects for Trenton are struggling to form deep and lasting relationships, his life could be plagued with violence and substance abuse, and he might lack empathy. Being placed in foster care at an early age disrupts the childs connection to its mother, and the shock of seeking a connection but being denied causes the childs brain to stop trusting people. The lack of trust makes it hard for Trenton to develop or form deep connections with others as he grows and becomes an adult. Since Trenton lacked nurturing at an early age, he might fail to develop the necessary brain connections, and violence becomes his way of getting what he needs (Winston & Chicot, 2016). Substance abuse will be an escape method since Trenton is unaware of what is lacking in his brain and life. Being denied nurturing causes a child not to develop the necessary feelings to understand the impact of their actions on others. Therefore, Trenton might lack empathy because he did not develop the necessary emotions and feelings early.

Part 2

a. What would happen if you needed to be placed in foster care? Who comes to mind first for a placement option? Who would you and your parents choose and why?

My parents would try to prevent that from happening, but they would be distraught if they could not fight off the placement. The separation from my parents would not be an easy one since I have built bonds with them that would be broken. The trauma of being separated from the birth parents is too massive a burden for a child to carry, and assistance should be offered to the child to overcome the trauma. The placement option would be my grandparents, who live close to our home, and we have built a good bond with them, considering how often they visit. My grandparents would be willing to take up the responsibility of caring for and raising me because they had done it in the past when my parents traveled or needed some time alone. The maternal grandparents have been welcomed to our home and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. However, they might be a challenge in their age, and questions might arise about their capability to care for a young child.

My parents would prefer to send me to my fathers brother who lives in the same county though a bit far from our home. He has a big house and has managed to raise his children well. There is uncertainty about his willingness to accept being a placement option. I would prefer my grandparents since I have spent countless times with them, and they have supported me. My fathers brother though known to me is distant, and we do not have a close connection. We only see each other on major occasions, and the interactions are brief. However, I understand why my parents would prefer to have him take care of me. He is still young and energetic, and he has the potential to raise me properly. My grandparents might be frail and unable to care for me the way they should, which would lead to me being placed in a foster home later in life.

b. Should Walter have been placed in this home in the first place? What community-based services should have been put into place prior to the crisis with Mrs. Dees heart attack and fire? How could extended family have been used to fill in professional and social service gaps?

Yes, Walter should have been placed in the grandmothers home in the first place. It is always good to retain the family connection with a child before seeking placement in a foster home or group. The grandmother was willing to care for her grandchild, and she had demonstrated how vital t was for her to retain custody of her grandchild. Even with her advanced age, she still fought to have Walter in her home. Mrs. Dees was a familiar face to Walter, and they had a family connection that would enable Walter to overcome the trauma he suffered. To ensure Walter was safe and well taken care of by his grandmother, there should have been community services like home care, assisted living, and counseling for Walter. Walters trauma could be addressed while he was still living with his grandmother, and he would have had a familiar support system. Home care services will have enabled the grandmother to continue living with Walter and receive support in areas she might struggle with, like cleaning and cooking. Assisted living services come in handy when older adults cannot perform certain essential functions alone. For Mrs. Dees, it would have been a life saver since there would be a person helping her raise her grandson. Counseling services would have given Walter the support he needed to process and understand the trauma he suffered.

The extended family could have filled the gaps left by supporting their grandmother in areas where she struggles, like cooking and cleaning. They could also take Walter out on the weekends so he spends time outside the home in a play area and interacts with other children. Walter could have been left to stay with the grandmother, and the extended family was encouraged to support their grandmother in raising Walter. By spending time with Walter, they would have realized he is not a difficult child, and all he needs is love and care.

Part 3

Outcome/Action Steps Worksheet

Outcome

Strengths that support the needs of the family/individual: Elena needs to end her relationship with William Smith Sr. even though he is the father of one of her children.

Desired Outcome: Providing care and safety for the children

Action Steps:

1. Who: Elena Martinez

Needs to Do What: Elena needs to end her romantic relationship with William Smith Sr. because it is not healthy for her and her children.

Start Date/Target Completion Date

1. Who: Case Worker

Needs to Do What: Demonstrate to Elena how her romantic relationship with William Smith is unhealthy and detrimental to her family. Without ending the relationship, she would continue to abuse substances, impacting her chances of being reunited with her family.

Start Date/Target Completion Date

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Outcome

Strengths that support the needs of the family/individual: Counseling services to address the trauma she suffered as a child.

Desired Outcome: Healthy coping/overcoming the trauma she suffered as a child

Action Steps:

1. Who: Elena Martinez

Needs to Do What: Attend weekly counseling sessions for at least 12 weeks with a qualified therapist.

Start Date/Target Completion Date

1. Who: Case Worker

Needs to Do What:...

…in Nina scratching herself. Erica is controlling of Nina, demonstrated by her willingness to lock her up because of Ninas scratching the night before her opening day. Erica wants to control what her daughter does but fails to notice its impact on Ninas life due to her preoccupation with the details and order. Erica is rigid and expects her daughter to do as she says. When Lily came to see her one night, the mother was not willing to let Lily speak with Nina, demonstrating her controlling nature. When Nina goes to speak with Lily in the hallway, Erica keeps shouting at them, demanding Nina go back to the house because she has ballet practice the next day.

Rachel Getting Married Observe Kym

Kym presents characteristics of a person with a borderline personality disorder like difficulty with interpersonal relationships, drug abuse, and impulsive aggression (Trull et al., 2018). Kym also presents feelings of being unfairly mistreated or misunderstood, as evidenced when her father keeps checking on her on how she is doing. While her father is merely concerned with her safety and wants to ensure she is okay, Kym feels like he mistrusts her. Kym resents her sisters choice of best maid, demonstrating her distortions in thoughts. The sister is free to select whom she prefers as her best maid, and there is no justification as to why Kym would resent the choice made by her sister. Kym has intense bouts of anger, demonstrated by how she fights with her mother over the death of their brother. Kym blames her mother for leaving Ethan with her when the mother was well aware she was intoxicated. Kyms mother denies all responsibility for Ethans death and slaps Kym, who responds by hitting her mother.

Impulsive aggression is one of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder, and Kym demonstrates impulsive aggression when she intentionally crashes her fathers car. Kym was angry after arguing with her mother, who refused to accept responsibility for the death of Ethan. However, her reaction to crashing the car was unjustifiable, confirming her unstable condition. A person with borderline personality disorder can have a great attachment to their family and build immediate attachment. However, when conflict arises, they will switch immediately to the extreme and accuse the person of not caring. Kym did the same with her mother when she kept accusing her of being responsible for Ethans death. When her mother refused to accept responsibility, Kym became agitated and felt out of place at the wedding and party due to her anger. Kym accuses her mother of not caring because she refuses to take responsibility for her actions the night before Ethan died.

Part 6

What challenges have you had in regard to recognition of human rights through adherence to the NASW Code of Ethics in clinical practice at your site [Family Advocacy-Mental Health Agency]? What suggestions do you have to implement interventions to support the clients you serve?

When trying to adhere to the NASW Code of Ethics regarding the clients right to self-determination, there is a challenge. A social worker must respect and promote the clients right to self-determination and assist the client in identifying and clarifying their goals (NASW Code of Ethics, 2017). However, when looking at it through the lens of human rights, we might fal to recognize the clients human rights when we deny them their freedom and liberty. A client unable to care for their children will have the children removed from the home and placed in foster care. Looking at it from the lens of human rights, we can see that we are inhuman to the children because we are forcing them to move from their home and into a strange place where they will be away from their parents. Children have freedom from cruel, inhuman treatment, and forceful removal could be considered inhuman treatment when looking at it from a human rights perspective.

The best strategy would be to keep the children in the home and have a relative come live with the children as the parent(s) undergo treatment or rehabilitation. The forceful removal or separation is traumatic for children and can leave them with scars that will be hard to treat later in life. There is no way a social worker can leave children in an unsafe home. The principle of self-determination indicates that a social worker can limit the right to self-determination if the client poses a serious risk to themself or others. Therefore, in our attempt to keep the children with their parents, it cannot be possible to leave them in the home when we know it is unsafe. However, we can encourage the parents to invite a close relative who can watch the children as they undergo treatment. Using this strategy, we would respect the childrens human rights…