Social Work Case Studies

The social worker gathered information for Christine’s case from her file, a treatment plan meeting, and a private conversation with the clint. Christine’s file provided an extensive history on her life since coming into foster care. Included in her file were previous incident reports, which allowed the social worker to learn what Christine’s areas of weakness are in regards to her behavior. One such incident report detailed a recent occasion where Christine and her boyfriend at the time were making out and touching each other inappropriately in the back of a classroom. This was beneficial information for the social worker because it helped guide her intervention for Christine. The social worker was also able to view her previous service plans,
She learned what Christine struggles with, but also saw the areas where she does well. After the social worker recognized how Christine’s poor boundaries with males are effecting her life, she decided to use that area of concern as the focal point for her intervention.
Strengths and Limitations One of Christine’s biggest strengths is that she desires to be a leader. When the social worker met with her privately, Christine stated that she wanted to set a good example for her foster siblings and her classmates. She knows that as she gets older, she will have an increasing influence on others and can encourage individuals to do the right thing. This is a strength because it shows Christine understands how her actions affect other individuals. She realizes what appropriate behavior looks like and desires to help others achieve it. Christine is also resilient. She has survived her parent’s drug abuse, her uncle’s sexual abuse, and placement in foster care. Since coming into care, Christine has had little say about what happens in her life, but she still manages to thrive. When the social worker asked Christine how she learned to be so flexible, she stated that she leaned to ‘roll with the punches’ from an early age. This strength will help Christine recover quickly from anything life throws at
Their mother has managed to hold down a part-time job at a local fast food place, and their father is on disability for a work related injury. They live in the uncle’s home, though, because they are unable to afford their own housing or transportation. Christine is unable to have contact with her uncle, which means she can never have visits with her parents in their home. She is also unable to have visits at a restaurant or park, because the uncle would have to drive the parents to the location. If Christine decides to move back home once she leave foster care, she will be responsible for contributing to the family income. She feels that her parents will expect her to begin working instead of continuing her education. Christine is also worried that her income will help support her parent’s drug habit, something she realizes is unhealthy. While she does not yet know what she would like to do with her life, she knows that she does not want to spend it working in low-paying jobs to help support her family’s poor