Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further re.docx
1. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Analysis of Theory Worksheet
Use this worksheet to help you apply a theory as a lens to the
case study for your assignments. Fill in the column on the right
with all applicable information, and then consider it a reference
for how to apply the theory. You must submit this worksheet,
where indicated, in applicable assignments. Then you will
compile the worksheet for your Theories Study Guide (that you
can use for the licensure exam) at the end of the course.
Name of theoryResiliency Theory
Author or founder
3. CASE STUDY DISCUSSION 2
It is common for social workers to be presented with a crisis
situation brought forth by clients, families, communities, and/or
organizations. The ultimate goal is to restore the client to
equilibrium. The five stages of the crisis are (1) the hazardous
event, (2) the vulnerable stage, (3) the precipitating factor, (4)
the state of active crisis, and (5) the reintegration or crisis
resolution phase.
There are times when a social worker will use more than one
theory to assist in conceptualizing the problem and intervention,
particularly if the theories complement each other. For example,
resiliency theory can be used alongside crisis theory.
To Prepare
· Review the same case study you selected in Week 2.
· Use the Analysis of a Theory Worksheet to help you dissect
the theory. Use this tool to dissect the theory, employ the
information in the table to complete your Assignment, and then
keep it to add to your Theories Study Guide in Week 11.
Submit a 1- to 2-page case write-up that addresses the
following:
· Map the client’s crisis using the five stages of the crisis.
· Describe the client’s assets and resources (in order to
understand the client’s resilience).
· Describe how you, the social worker, will intervene to assist
the client to reach the reintegration stage of the crisis. Be sure
that the intervention promotes resiliency.
· Explain how using crisis theory and resiliency theory together
help in working with a client.
Submit also, as a separate document, your Week 5 Analysis of a
Theory Worksheet.
Be sure to:
· Identify and correctly reference the case study you have
4. chosen.
· Use literature to support your claims.
· Use APA formatting and style.
· Remember to double-space your paper.
Case Study:
Ella Schultz
Identifying Data
Ella Schultz is a 16-year-old White female of German decent.
She was raised in Ohio. Ella’s family consists of her father,
Robert (44 years old), and her mother, Rose (39 years old). Ella
currently resides in a residential group home, where she has
been since she ran away from home. Ella has been provided
room and board in the residential treatment facility for the past
3 months. Ella describes herself as bi-sexual.
Presenting Problem
Ella has been living homeless for 13 months. She has been
arrested on two occasions for shoplifting and once for loitering
(as a teen in need of supervision) in the last 7 months. Ella has
recently been court ordered to reside in a group home with
counseling. She refuses to return home due to the abuse she
experienced. After 3 months at Teens First, Ella said she is
thinking about reinitiating contact with her mother. She has not
seen either parent in 6 months and missed the stability of the
way her family “used to
be,” although she is also conflicted due to recognizing the
instability of her family. Ella is confused about the path to
follow.
Family Dynamics
Ella indicates that her family worked well until her father began
5. drinking heavily about 3 years ago. She remembers her parents
being social and going out or having friends over for drinks, but
she never remembered them becoming drunk. Then, her father
lost his job as an information technology (IT) support
professional and was unable to find meaningful work. He took
on part-time jobs at electronics stores, but they left him
demoralized. Her parents stopped socializing, and then her
father was fired from his last job because he arrived drunk.
Ella’s father would regularly be drunk by the time she arrived
home from school.
When Ella started having trouble in school, her father would
berate her when she came home if she didn’t study immediately.
Then, he would interrupt her studies by following her around
and verbally abusing her. Soon after, he began hitting her or
throwing objects at her. Once she went to the emergency room
for stitches on her brow when she was struck by a drinking
glass her father threw. She was able to convince the emergency
room (ER) staff, however, that it was a bike accident, as she
was known as an avid biker around her community, often riding
to and from school and elsewhere.
Ella’s mother did not witness these events, as they often
occurred before she returned from work, and her father might be
passed out by this time. Ella reports that her mother was in
denial about her father, often pretending there was no issue.
When Ella tried to report the abuse, her mother took her father’s
side. Finally, after the stitches, Ella confronted her mom with
her father present. Her father denied it, flew into a rage, and
then physically abused both Ella and her mom.
The next day, Ella’s mom acted as if nothing happened. After
the abuse quickly escalated in the next week, to the point where
she could no longer hide it or cover it up, Ella fled home and
has been homeless since. She left a note before leaving for
school one morning and did not return home.
6. Educational History
Ella attends school at the group home, taking general education
classes for her general education development (GED) credential.
Shortly after her father lost his job, Ella began experiencing
learning disabilities. Her difficulties began in math, where she
had difficulty sorting and making sense of numbers. Then she
began to fall behind in her reading. Her grades went from a B
average to consistent D’s. Some of Ella’s Instructors began to
raise the issue of a possible learning disability. A counselor
made an appointment to discuss possible causes, but Ella left
school and home just prior to that meeting, and did not attend.
Employment History
Ella reports that her father was employed as an IT support
professional at a bank. When the bank downsized and closed
many branches, her father was laid off. He was unable to secure
another IT support position, as many companies had begun
outsourcing this work to contractors or overseas. He began to
work part-time retail jobs at consumer electronics stores but
quickly became demoralized and lost a series of those jobs. Her
mother works as a full-time home health aide.
Social History
Ella reports that the homeless encampment (where she wound
up for a long stretch) had a group of teens that stuck together
for protection and to shield themselves and each other from
certain bad choices. It was at this time that Ella reports she
became bisexual, seeking out and bonding to a group of women
who were able to avoid being exploited for human trafficking.
The encampment group did still engage in risky behavior,
however, including frequent shoplifting and other theft to
7. secure food, supplies, etc. Likewise, although Ella reports that
she did not engage in prostitution, she did engage in
unprotected sex with one woman whose sexual history may have
included prostitution or intravenous drug use. Thus Ella
contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in one
instance.
Ella reports she might consider trying to go home if she knew
her father was no longer there, despite feeling betrayed by her
mother. She would also be willing to reconcile and attend
therapy with her. However, Ella feels that her mother, who
comes from a very religious family (though does not practice
much now), would ultimately reject her due to her bisexual
identification.
Ella also feels a strong bond to the group of teens and women
with whom she stayed in the homeless encampment. She reports
that she misses them and wishes she could see them—especially
one teen in particular named Marisol. She says she considers
these women to be as much, if not more, her family as her
biological family.
Mental Health History
Ella began counseling to address the abuse in her history. In her
initial reports, as detailed above, she cites mostly verbal and
psychological abuse with only two instances of physical abuse.
She denies any sexual abuse.
When Ella recounts the physical abuse specifically, however,
she shows added signs of acute distress and trauma. The
physical harm caused by the event that triggered her leaving
was reportedly significant—bruising on both arms, a split lip, a
bloody nose, and a bump on the head—all from punches—as
well as bruises on her leg from being kicked. She did not seek
8. medical help and avoided as much social contact as possible the
day she ran away, so as not to encourage inquiries about her
home situation.
Ella does have positive memories of what she calls “the before
time,” and she shows a desire to return to that time. She worries
for her mom, despite feeling betrayed by her. The last time she
did have contact with her mom, she promised to leave her dad,
but Ella does not know if this ever occurred.
Legal History
Ella has been arrested three times, twice for shoplifting and
once for vagrancy. Citing the abuse she reported at home and
the fears she felt, Ella was mandated to services at the Teens
First agency, unlike her prior arrests when she was sent to
detention.
Alcohol and Drug Use History
Ella denies any alcohol or drug use while living homeless. She
reports the homeless encampment (where she wound up for a
long stretch) had a group of teens that stuck together and were
able to shield themselves from certain bad choices.
Medical History
During intake, it was noted that Ella showed signs of living
homeless, including carrying all her possessions in one bag,
signs of malnourishment, feet with heavy callouses, and
clothing in disrepair. She did not show signs of drug use or self-
harm. The STI she contracted was diagnosed upon intake, and
she received antibiotics for treatment.
Strengths
9. Ella is resilient in learning how to survive in a difficult
situation. She was able to avoid the more severe negative
outcomes, such as human trafficking and drug use. She is able
to form beneficial bonds for protection and support.
Father: Robert Schultz (44 years old)
Mother: Rose Schultz (39 years old)
Daughter: Ella Schultz (16 years old)