SOCW-6510-WK6-Assignment
Date: 6/29/15
SWI met with resident for individual session today. SWI met with client last week and was introduced as an intern at the program. Client is a 36-year-old, AA female living in the community. Client has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. Resident’s mood was neutral and affect was congruent with mood. Resident’s ADL’s were fair; presented well with clean clothes. SWI and resident explored past to current situations involving IR’s family along with describing her mental illness and how treatment stabilizes her. IR stated that before being treated for her mental illness she was having auditory hallucinations telling her to harm herself and her two younger children. At the current time, one of her sisters is granted custody of her two children. IR is permitted supervised visitation rights and saw her children last on January 01, 2015. IR loves her children and wishes she were able to be the mother they need. IR has goals of finding employment to help support them in any way that she can. Due to being undocumented, finding employment is not possible at this time. Insight is limited; speech is soft; concentration was poor; IR was restless and constantly was moving her hands or body during the session; thought processes are fair; judgment and impulse control appear fair. Worker gave IR an assignment to write down 10 goals to work towards in regards to learning something new. IR enjoys being educated but has difficulty concentrating. Next individual session is scheduled for 07/07/2015. The next steps are to continue to work weekly with IR and speak about her future and her children. I will also give her mini homework assignments to complete. |
Dialogue | Identify skills or techniques | Analysis or observation of client behavior | Personal reactions and self-reflection to the interaction |
Good Morning IR, how are you doing today? | Sustaining | Resident’s mood was neutral and affect was congruent with mood. | |
Ct: I am doing fine | |||
SWI: Do you remember me from last week? | SWI was happy that client agreed to talk with her | ||
Ct: Yes, Ms. John right | Client spoke softly, not looking directly at intern | ||
SWI: Yes, Mrs. St. John, but you can call me Ms. John | |||
Ct: ok | |||
SWI: Ms. IR can you tell me a little bit about yourself ? | Open-ended question to probe | SWI was nervous but did not want client to know how much so I took a deep breath and looked at client, she wasn’t looking at SWI | |
Ct: What do you want to know, I am here, I am taking my medication and doing fine, I would like to see my kids . | Client seems anxious, bit tense | ||
SWI: How many children do you have? | Closed-ended Question | IR was restless and constantly was moving her hands or body during the session | |
Ct: I have 2 kids | Client seems happy, she smiled | SWI did not want to push but I needed to find out how client feel about her kids | |
SWI: Where are your Children now? | Reaching for feelings | ||
Ct: They are with my sister | Client seems indifferent, she did not seem sad or happy, like she was having second thought about answering the question | SWI wanted client to know that she can trust me but I also did not want to push client too much. I wanted her to let me in when she feels comfortable | |
SWI: Do you get to see them? | Probing | ||
Ct: I saw them about 6 months ago; my sister said that she does not want to confuse them because of my illness she feels that I might do something to them so she is always watching me. | Actively listening, nodding | Client liked sad, like she was in pain | I empathize with IR because she was sick and without help when the occurrence with her children occurred. |
SWI: How does that make you feel, not having your children around? | Empathizing with client feeling | I feel bad that she cannot have more visitation rights but that is only for the best for her children at this time. | |
Ct: I can’t take care of them because I am undocumented, how can I work and take care of them, you tell me | Client seems upset, because she was fidgeting. | This is very frustrating for intern. Client cannot legally work without proper documentation, how can I help her. | |
SWI: Ms. you seem upset, would you like to take a break ? | Validating client feelings | Client looked down at the floor before replying, she looked up with tears in her eyes. | I did not know how to console my client, I empathized with her but I feel as if I was not prepared for her emotions. |
Ct: Ok Ms. John | |||
SWI: Thank you for meeting with me today would you like to meet again next week, same time? | Client was shaking back and forth but she was not upset, she just seems sad | SWI needed to gather herself so decided to start again next week. | |
Ct: Sure, Ok | SWI felt good about the session but does not know hoe client feels about talking about her life with an intern. |
As IR continues to help herself psychiatrically at Kingsboro, in time if she continues to do the right things, she may be granted with her wish of having more time with her children maybe unsupervised. That is a goal but will not happen anytime soon. Family Reunification can also be applied to this case.
Being undocumented in this country inhibits her from being a part of the workforce. This must be frustrating for her. Conflict theory may be applied, because it represents how power structures & power disparities impact people’s lives.
IR seems to have much strength but is not able to use them in the workforce due to being undocumented. I feel bad that she cannot have more visitation rights but that is only for the best for her children at this time. By emotionally tuning-in to my reactions makes me only want to find better ways of finding activities for IR. I want her to be able to one day tell me something she is proud of. But I know that it is her treatment and I have to work on her timeline, meeting client where she is presently. By giving IR weekly assignments I give her to do during the week enables her to think about the responses on how to better help herself. By speaking with her, this grants her with someone she may confide in and just let everything out. Since IR is undocumented in America, she does not have many options in this country. She cannot legally work without proper documentation. And finding her volunteer work is quite difficult. IR is oppressed with trying to give back. This is very frustrating for intern. I empathize with client, not having much family support.