Please read the instructions below carefully.
This assignment consists of a case study with several short-answer questions. Please read the case study and familiarize yourself with the case details. You may work on this individually or in pairs.
Following this, you will need to apply your knowledge of trauma-informed practice by answering several questions.
Please answer all questions on this form and expand beyond the space provided.
Use the marks allocated for each answer to guide the time and detail you give to that question.
Case Study: Jamila and her children Keandra, Joel & Shanna
You are an SSW working in a Women’s Shelter.
Jamila arrived at the shelter at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, the night before she was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at the local hospital following an incident of threats, and violence perpetuated by her ex-husband. The ex-husband fled the scene before the police arrived. The police called 911 due to her head injury and bloody nose. The officer transported her three children to the hospital, as there was no family near, and so their children sat alone in a waiting room, all night long, while their mother was being seen. She was treated for a concussion due to a head injury. She also was strangled and kicked in her ribs and legs. Jamila described that the children’s father threatened to hunt her down to kidnap his children and to kill their family dog, Jake.
Jamila told the hospital Social Worker that this was not the first time that she had been assaulted by her ex-husband. In fact, this was the reason that she had left him. She had stayed with him mainly because she was afraid that she would be deported. She does not have family and has few friends here in Canada. Jamila left her country to escape persecution from army and drug traffickers who had moved into the area where she and her husband had a small farm. Both sides were requesting their involvement, creating a situation that forced them to leave for Canada. Jamila confided that she was having significant difficulty engaging in sexual activities with her now ex-husband because she had flashbacks of the rape she endured by army members, who tried to force her to divulge information about the drug trade in the area and threatened to rape her daughter as well if she did not divulge the information. She had not disclosed the assault to her husband, for fear of his reaction and shame. Her guilt at not having been able to prevent the rape and the flashbacks of the incident were overwhelming. A contributing factor to her feelings was the prevalent idea in her culture of origin that, if a woman is raped, she is somehow to be blamed for it.
The hospital Social Worker called the shelter crisis line. Jamila spoke directly to the crisis line volunteer and was accepted based upon the safety concern and threats. The shelter provided a taxi to take her from the hospital to the shelter. The children were going to miss school and daycare.
Arriving at the Shelter: Jamila and her children, Keandra (age 13), Joel (age 6) and Shanna (age 4) arrive at the confidential shelter. The family had only eaten a peanut butter sandwich, juice and chips at the hospital and none of them had slept much during the night, because they spent all night at the hospital. They carried in only a tote bag of items with them. The family arrived at the shelter during shift change, when the day shift is leaving and the night shift is arriving. The office door typically remains closed, due to the confidential nature of the information being shared by staff working the crisis line and daily shelter activities. Jamila was given her room assignment and some personal care items by the staff member who greeted her at the door. The staff member was friendly and apologized for leaving her upon her arrival, but said she must get back to the office and go over resident plans and results before 5 pm.
Case Management Meeting: The next day you and the other shelter staff held their case management meeting to go over the residents’ progress, any house concerns and how people (residents) are doing on their chores and meeting their goals and objectives.
Maya reported during the meeting that Jamila was seen pacing in the hallway and repeatedly looking out the dining room window. She makes the other women uncomfortable because she walks around humming and constantly checking on her children, insisting that they stay next to her in the room. If Jamila goes to the bathroom, she makes the children sit outside the bathroom in the hallway.
Angelina, another staff member said that Jamila was not very open to talking to her and that she just wanted to find a place to stay. Angelina said Jamila should be more respectful and thankful for her bed because the shelter has a wait list and there are others who need the space more than she does.
Angelina thinks that perhaps maybe Jamila is going through withdrawal because she was using substances, and that is why she is so paranoid and withdrawn and keeping information from the advocates.
Mary, who works on the night shift, indicated that she believes Jamila needs a mental health assessment because she is rocking, listless, and nonresponsive to staff. Mary says that Jamila is super paranoid and hums all of the time.
There is some tension between staff at this meeting due to the alternative views of this woman’s behavior. There is obvious disagreement about what is going on with Jamila and how to respond.
Jessica, another staff member, asked if anyone had sat in a quiet space and talked with Jamila yet. She wants to ask Jamila is she feels unsafe, frightened or what she might need to help her.
Mary and Angelina disagree with Jessica’s approach, thinking that only mental health professionals should talk to Jamila about her feelings and fear.
Maya is more concerned about how the other residents are feeling with this new family’s arrival.
Case Study Questions:
-
- Which staff is/are thinking in a crisis intervention approach and which staff is/are thinking in a clinical counselling approach? (1 mark)
- What makes their thought process crisis intervention or clinical counselling? (2 marks)
- What is the potential impact of each (both) of these approaches for Jamila and her children? (2 marks)
-
- Do you believe that Jamila may be experiencing a trauma reaction and if so (a) Why and (b) what type of trauma? (1 mark)
- From what you know of Jamila at this point, describe/assess how the five factors studied in class may be influencing her response to traumatic experiences. Speak to each factor in detail in relation to Jamila. (5 marks)
-
- What are some of Jamila and her children’s potential trauma triggers from their abusive
experience? (2 marks)
- What may be the reason for her keeping her children close to her side? How would the threats and intimation of the abusive partner impact her in a communal living environment?) (1 mark)
- What rules of the shelter may impede Jamila’s needs at this time? Consider whether the agency is applying an AOP framework. (1 mark)
- What are ways you as an advocate can be a trauma champion for this family in the shelter setting? (1 mark)
- Using the exact words you would use, outline how you would engage/connect with Jamila and find out more about her needs (assessment). Your conversation with Jamila should include: (4 marks)
- Engagement strategies
- Supporting the client from an AOP and strengths-based approach
- Validating her experience
- Making choice and collaboration explicit
- Providing a rationale for your questions
- Finding out her priorities
- Establishing and maintaining a sense of safety
- Addressing her behaviours in the shelter
- Make the links with trauma
0 comments