Case Presentation

Jessica Safley
Guardian ad Litem Client Interview

Background
I interviewed a 17 year old Caucasian male, named *John. John
grew up in the country, and lived with his mother and two
younger siblings until he was placed in DSS custody. Johns
family first came to the attention of DSS when his 6 year old
autistic brother left the home and was found by the police. This
brother had a habit of escaping the home and would disappear
for hours. The home John was taken from was in disarray.
There was a strong smell of feces, overflowing trash, laundry,
and filth. Johns mother struggles with depression and has a
difficult time getting out of bed. He, along with his siblings,
were adjudicated dependent and neglected by the court.
Though John understood why his younger siblings were taken
into custody, he did not understand why he was taken, as he is
approaching his 18th birthday. He promised to help care for his
younger siblings and pleaded with both DSS and the GAL to
keep him in the home to assist his mother. I first met John at his
high school, where he is completing his junior year.

*Real name changed to protect client

Problem Statement
John does not want to be in the custody of
DSS, and wishes to remain with his mother.

Services
Current services available to John include;
High School counselor and teachers
DSS Social Worker
Cumberland County Guardian ad Litem
Kinship Placement (Residing with a close
family friend)

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths:
John is a good student who has support from the
faculty and staff at his high school who are familiar
with his home situation
Johns family is very close and communicate well
with one another. John and his sister share many
responsibilities in the home and take turns caring
for their younger siblings.
Limitations:
John has a tendency to minimize the situation at
home. John believes that if he helps clean the
home, it will be safe for he and his siblings to
return. John is reluctant to talk about his mother
depression, and seems to avoid the deeper issues.
Johns family struggles financially

Assessment Goals &

Interventions
To obtain a high school diploma, and focus on taking care of himself
first.
John bears a large burden of responsibility in caring for his younger
siblings and his mother. Financial stability is important to John. He is
eager to return home and to help his mother by getting a job. I
spoke to John about the potential of signing a contractual
agreement for residential support (CARS) agreement with DSS
which would pay for his college tuition, as well as the benefits of
taking care of himself, as he is unable to attend court in place of his
mother, and though he worries about her, the best thing he can do
for her, is to take care of himself. We spoke about his favorite
activities and goals for the future. The interventions I utilized
included motivational interviewing and brief solutions focused
therapy. This helped John to move from ruminating on the negative
to planning for his future and thinking on the positive aspects of his
life now. John will finish his junior year in May, and will attend the
LINKs program to learn more about the services offered to
adolescents in DSS custody.

Areas of Bias & Value Differences

John is from the rural South. I expected him to be
religious, but there was no mention of church or God
when discussing areas of support. This was a good
reminder to ask the clients what they identify as a
support structure and hold as a personal value.
I was eager for John to sign a CARS agreement. Higher
education is important to me, but for John it was a
means to an end. He did not want to attend college if
that meant he was unable to provide for his mother.
John wanted to get a job as soon as possible to start
contributing to his family. I felt college should be his
next priority. I told him about the services available to
him. I understood, and made sure he knew that it was
his life and his decision to make.

Client Life Experience

Throughout our interview, I kept the person-inenvironment framework in mind. It was
evident that Johns actions and desires were
greatly shaped by his environment. He was
the oldest child, and felt the responsibility of
caring for the others. Johns family dynamics
influenced his choices in the possibility of
seeking employment over college, as well as
keeping him from pursuing extracurricular
activities while in school.

Agency Recommendations
The goal of the agency is reunification of the
family. It was recommended to the court that
the mother obtain mental health counseling and
medication management, as well the
completion of parenting classes. It was also
recommended that Joh receive mental health
therapy to help him cope and adjust to the
recent changes. It is the agencys mission to
pursue what is in the best interest of the
children. While steps are taken for reunification,
the children are placed in safe and caring home
environments. The GAL will continue to work
with John and encourage him to be a kid, and
enjoy the remainder of his high school
experience.

Treatment
It is unknown at this time if John has any diagnosable
disorders, but it was recommended to the court that
John see a therapist to help him talk through this
period of uncertainty. According to the National
Health Services, talking through transition and
challenges can help alleviate the negative effects of
stress.

Reference:
NHS, (2016). Benefits of talking therapy
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety depression/pages/benefits-of-talking-therapy.aspx

Core Competencies
During my interview with John, I utilized core
competencies 1,4,5,6,7,8,9 as well as their
corresponding behaviors. Particular emphasis
was placed on competency 7, behavior 19;
Collect and organize data, and apply critical
thinking to interpret information from clients
and constituencies. It was my goal to
thoroughly understand the clients
perspective. Collecting accurate data was also
necessary for the completion of the court
report as well.