Amanda is a 23-year-old recovering alcoholic who wants to get her own apartment so her daughter Shay can live with her in a healthy environment. Currently, Shay lives with Amanda's mother while Amanda shares an apartment with her ex-boyfriend who uses drugs. Amanda attends AA meetings and has a certification in medical billing. She needs to find employment and housing in order to regain custody of Shay.

1. EXAMPLE:
Amanda is a 23-year old recovering alcoholic and the mother of
a two-year-old daughter (Shay). Shay
currently lives with Amanda’s mother who has agreed to help
until Amanda can get her own apartment.
Amanda has begun attending AA meetings, and is looking for a
job, but is still sharing an apartment with
her ex-boyfriend who is a drug user. Amanda would like to find
a job and get her own apartment so she
can raise her daughter in a healthy environment. Amanda has a
certification in medical billing. Amanda
does not have her own transportation, but her mother is able to
pick Amanda up so she can have visits
and spend time with Shay.
Target of concern:
Amanda is in need of her own apartment to continue recovery
and have her daughter return to live
with her.
Tasks the client can do to address target of concern:
1. Create a resume and find three people as references.
2. Find job listings
3. Research available apartments in the area and find out how
much rent and utilities would be
Identified Strengths/Resources
(what will support their success)
1. Amanda is motivated to find a job and her own
apartment.
2. Amanda’s mother is in her support system and
helps her as much as she can, Amanda also has
support from her AA meetings and sponsor.
Identified Potential Barriers/Obstacles

2. (what may hinder success to allow plans to be
proactive)
1. Amanda currently lives with her boyfriend
who has access to alcohol and drugs.
2. Amanda does not have her own vehicle and
relies on her mother for transportation.
Tasks-SW (what will the SW do to assist)
1. Assist in resume building
2. Case management to assist in job search
And housing
3. Assist in identifying Amanda’s support network
Tasks-Client (what will the client need to do)
1. Solidify transportation (mother, bus, walking)
2. Gather all necessary paperwork needed for
apartment application, and employment
Measured by (how will you know the task(s) has/have been
reached or successful):
Reporting progress to social worker
SMART goal and (2) objectives:
Goal:
In the next three months, Amanda will obtain her own housing
so Shay can return to Amanda’s care.
Objectives:
Amanda will obtain employment within the next two weeks.
Amanda will research 5 available housing options each week
until housing is found.
How is this goal
Specific We know exactly what Amanda is working towards,
housing
Measurable We will know if this goal is met by Amanda when
Amanda has housing
Attainable Utilizing Amanda’s strengths and resources, she can
attain this goal
Realistic Amanda has the knowledge and skills to apply for and
attain independent housing

3. Timely Three months is the deadline
EXAMPLE of ONE PAGE WRITING
Student NAME
Developmental Psychology
Dr. Claypoole
August 21, 20XX
Psychological Systems
In my opinion, being sexually abused as an adolescent affects
pretty much all the mental processes used in a person’s making
meaning of experiences their thought processes that lead them
to action. Even though I feel like all of processes are affected in
some way or another, maybe the ones that are most evident are
motivation, emotion, and memory. The damage may me more in
a physical situation for the individual but there are additional
effects in the other two Developmental systems. All three
Developmental systems are connected and impact each other in
varying ways. What happens in a physical/biological system
then can have slight or monumental impacts in both the
Psychological and Social systems throughout the upcoming
developmental life stages.
Although change in all of the psychological processes is
inevitable due to change factors such as maturation, life
experiences, self-directing, when an adolescent is sexually
abused they are faced with more than just a normal life
experience. Sexually abuses people must learn to take the
needed steps to recovery or their entire life could be spent in
turmoil. These individuals are forced into situations that are
extremely traumatic and can cause permanent damage. I think
that a lot of what we can see as the effects of these types of
situations is simply the individuals coping mechanism. These
can manifest out in emotional, psychological and even
behavioral responses to future and present situations. In the
case of this adolescent girl her social/behavior may change

4. towards young men, certain environments and even in social
settings that force the emotions to arise. This a combination of
systems being impacting and having to cope with the varying
damage from the sexual abuse.
For instance, an adolescent girl can become devastated after
having been sexually abused and thus simply give up on life.
This reaction results in lack of motivation in school, in
relationships, in socializing, etc. Or maybe the lack of
motivation has nothing to do with the individuals “giving up on
life” but rather being incapable of being motivated to do
anything because they are so wrapped up in reliving the abuse
in their minds and unable to concentrate on putting their
attention anywhere else. Finally, no motivation can stem from
sexual abuse in that the adolescent involved withdrawals
completely or develops an antisocial personality and simply has
no desire to excel in anything in life.
The reason I feel emotion is one of the more major
psychological processes effected by sexual abuse is that while
adolescent girl are already extremely emotional due to nature
and their maturation, after being sexually abused most
adolescents don’t know how to deal with all of the thoughts and
feelings they are having which can result in their being
extremely sensitive or completely unresponsive to situations
that would normally elicit an emotional reaction.
Finally, I think another major psychological process that would
be affected by sexual abuse is memory. My reasoning is that
anytime an individual experiences an unpleasant experience
they attempt to repress that memory. If they are successful in
this, depending on how often they were sexually abused, they
could be having serious memory issues. Another psychological
effect can be in the personal image that the girl has on herself
and how she then copes with the self-concept. A common
psychological effect is a self-blame for the abuse which creates
a negative self-image cycle. Once this cycle is established in an
adolescent it becomes extremely difficult to erase and
reprogram the thoughts of self-image.

5. Although I chose to focus only on motivation, emotion, and
memory, I don’t feel like they are the only psychological
processes affected by sexual abuse. Life experienced as
horrible as sexual change everything about an adolescent’s
psychological system.
Case Conceptualization Part I
Apply 3 theoretical approaches to your case study. Make sure
you are answering in complete sentences and your goals are in
SMART format.
Theoretical Approach #1: Family Emotional Systems Theory
How would the presenting problem be explained with your
theory of choice?
Courtney has struggled to maintain and form relationship within
her family. Courtney did not have a great relationship with her
mom and later on had a traumatic relationship with her
stepfather.
What treatment models are available using this theory?
I would utilize the Emotional Cutoff with this case as it relates
to Courtney and her relationship with her mother. During
emotional cutoff individuals manage their unresolved emotional
issues with parents, siblings, and other family members by
reducing or totally cutting off emotional contact with them.
What are obstacles to recovery as explained by this theory?
Courtney is still holding a grudge against her mother and not
willing to work through the problem.
List 3 SMART goals that fit with this theoretical perspective?
In the next three months, Courtney will improve relationships
with her family by utilizing communication techniques learned
in treatment as evidenced by a decrease in the number of verbal
altercations.
Courtney will be open and honest with her mother about how
she feels.
Courtney will set aside all negative inner personal feeling
towards her mom.

6. Include 1 reference OUTSIDE of your textbook. Must be
scholarly articles and must be cited in correct APA format.
Brown, J. (2005). Review of Emotional Cutoff: Bowen Family
Systems Theory Perspectives. ANZJFT Australian and New
Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 26(2), 115–116.
Theoretical Approach #2:
Solution
-Focused Theory
How would the presenting problem be explained with your
theory of choice?
Courtney has experienced a lot in her life not only as an adult
but as a child as well. As an adult Courtney has allowed her
violent behavior to control her and ended up with a negative
outcome.
What treatment models are available using this theory?
This theory focuses more on discussing solutions than problems.
Also during this model as a social worker we should be asking
questions rather than “selling” answers. Lastly, we should work
together on developing an action plans that works for the client.
What are obstacles to recovery as explained by this theory?
One obstacle would be the difficulty finding tools and resources
to be used immediately to manage symptoms and cope with
challenges of focusing on the solution versus the focusing on

7. the problem or what caused the problem.
List 3 SMART goals that fit with this theoretical perspective?
Courtney will state what she feels the problem is with the
relationship with her mother.
Courtney will state what she feels that she can do to improve
her relationship with her mother.
Courtney will within the next 4 weeks attempt to make contact
with her mother.
Include 1 reference OUTSIDE of your textbook. Must be
scholarly articles and must be cited in correct APA format.
Cumming, R. (2008).