Assignment task:
Student Instructions:
You are working in a public child welfare office as an ongoing protective services worker. Your job is to try and keep families intact. Your office received a call from the police department stating that they had gone out on a domestic violence call and found two children living in what they consider a violent situation. They transported the mother, Selina Wallace, and her two children to the battered women's shelter and her boyfriend, Kenneth Thomas, was taken to jail. They would like the department to look into this situation and make an assessment. The department sent investigators out and they felt the children were safe now. However, it appeared to them that the mother was planning to return to the situation, although she told them that she was afraid to return home at this time. Ms. Wallace did not want to press charges against her boyfriend. However, the police decided to press charges because this was the fourth time they had been called to that residence for a domestic dispute. The police initially started to remove the children, but instead made a referral to your office and your office has decided to open the case as an ongoing protective services case and try to work with this family.
Family Composition:
The Wallace family consists of the mother, Selina, age 28, and her two children, Gloria, age 7, and Camilla, age 4. Ms. Wallace's boyfriend, Kenneth Thomas, age 30, also lives in the home and is the father of Camilla. The maternal grandmother, Katherine Jackson, is involved in the family but does not live in the home. She lives about thirty minutes away from the family.
Current Situation:
Ms. Wallace has been in this relationship with her boyfriend for six years. He has always been somewhat abusive. However, in the last two years he has become violent over many things. He has broken her leg and her arm. She is concerned because the last time he got angry, Gloria started to scream and begged him to stop and he slapped her. He begged her not to tell anyone and said he would never hit the children again. She says she loves him and does not want to leave him. He is the only father her children have known. Her mother is very frustrated with her because she continues to return to the situation. Her mother is also afraid of Kenneth. Selina knows that she should leave Kenneth but feels that she cannot just walk out on him. He is the financial provider for the family, and he contributes all of his money to the household. They attend church, and Kenneth is well liked and respected. Selina feels that at least she has a man who works and cares for his family. Most of her friends do not have a man, and they are on welfare or some type of public assistance. She considers herself lucky or blessed just to have someone in her life to help raise her children. According to Selina, Kenneth told her that if he ever got locked up she had better "look out." Selina thinks he might kill her and the children, because he told her no one interferes with his family. He also told her that if he ever has to take money out of his children's mouth to pay for court because of her, he is not sure what he will do. Selina says she cannot walk out on him: he has no one else. Selina states that Kenneth's family is not supportive, and that he has always wanted a family and she cannot take this from him. She thinks his attorney is trying to get probation for him if he agrees to go to counseling. However, Kenneth told her that he would rather do his time than go and see a "shrink," because he is not "crazy." Selina thinks maybe if the case worker demands that he go to counseling, he will listen. She feels that the case worker must find a way to make him understand how serious this is and also how much his family needs him.
Family Background:
The Wallace family consists of the mother, Selina, age 28, and her two children, Gloria, age 7, and Camilla, age 4. Ms. Wallace's boyfriend, Kenneth Thomas, age 30, also lives in the home and is the father of Camilla. The maternal grandmother, Katherine Jackson, is involved in the family but does not live in the home. She lives about thirty minutes away from the family. Kenneth Thomas Mr. Thomas is the fourth of seven children. He has three older brothers and three younger sisters. He is employed as a construction worker, a seasonal job. When he is not working construction, he does odd jobs. He always wanted to attend college, but his family is primarily blue-collar workers and would not assist him financially. His father was in and out of the house during his childhood. He remembers that whenever his father was there, he constantly argued with his mother. He never really understood why his mother took so much abuse from his father, and he vowed that he would never be like his father. He is not close to any of his family. He visits his mother on occasion, but he refuses to talk to his father. He will not let Selina take the girls to see his family. He admits to hitting her but says she provokes him. He does not see himself as violent, and he despises men who beat women for no reason. He does not talk to people about his problems, and he has told Selina to keep people out of their family business.
Selina Wallace:
Ms. Wallace is an only child and a stay-at-home mom. She would like to work, because she went to college and received a B.S. degree in Biology. "I have always wanted a family and a man to work with me." She is feeling very disappointed in her boyfriend, because he promised to marry her about three years ago but each year he puts it off. She feels that their relationship is not as good as it was, but she is afraid to bring it to his attention. She was once a very happy young lady, but lately she finds herself feeling sad most of the time. She has left her boyfriend before, but she never had to go to a shelter. She hopes that maybe this is not the end of their relationship and that maybe now they can go to counseling, but she does not know how to convince him. She knows that he is a good provider and loves them all. Selina thinks her mother would take the girls until she could work things out, but Kenneth told her that the girls cannot stay with her mother. She feels her choices are limited as to what she can do.
Gloria:
Gloria is 7 years old and appears somewhat slow. School personnel have given her a number of tests but do not seem to be able to find any problems. She just does not perform in the classroom. Her teacher is concerned about her, because she stays alone and does not want to play with the other children. Sometimes, the teacher says, Gloria does not want to go home. The teacher has talked to her mother, but no one seems to know what the problem is. She loves Kenneth, calls him "Daddy," and always tries to please him. She wishes her parents would not fight. She enjoys baby dolls and has a lot of imaginary friends. Camilla is 4 years old and seems very happy. She laughs all the time and is very close to her mother. Camilla really enjoys playing with Barbie dolls and dressing up in adult clothes. She does not know what is going on in the family. She is having too much fun playing and creating imaginary friends.
Camilla:
Camilla is 4 years old and seems very happy. She laughs all the time and is very close to her mother. Camilla really enjoys playing with Barbie dolls and dressing up in adult clothes. She does not know what is going on in the family. She is having too much fun playing and creating imaginary friends.
Extended Family:
Katherine Jackson is Selina's mother. She lives approximately half an hour away from her daughter. She has supported her daughter and does not know why her daughter got mixed up with someone like this guy. She says, "Selina never saw me mix with any low-life people. I told her he was not any good and she moved in with him anyway. I have taken her and the children in so many times and have begged her not to go back. I give up, and she is on her own. She will go back to him for sure. I want peace in my life. She should kill the 'son of a .' " She feels sorry for her grandchildren and says that she will take them in, but not her daughter. She is financially stable, because her husband left her plenty of money when he died. She states that her husband left Selina a nice savings account too, but Selina cannot access it until Gloria goes to high school. She says that she would help Selina out financially if she was assured that she would not go back into that abusive relationship.
Write a paper answering the following questions:
Q1. What forms of neglect are present in this family?
Q2. How do these forms of neglect impact the child's protection or the children in the family?
Q3. Does the neglect impact family preservation? Explain.
Q4. What characteristics are present in the abuser and abused?
Q4. Knowing these characteristics, what forms of assessment would you use for screening?
Q5. What information are you lacking about the situation and its context that you feel you need to know to gain an in-depth understanding?
Q6. What assumptions about human and social behavior are you making, and how would you follow up with these?
Q7. Identify the strengths, limitations, risks, and barriers present in this family. Based on the strengths, where would you start to work with this family?