Treatment Planning Rubric: The student has: Points 1. Clearly and accurately articulated a presenting issue that is relevant to the case. (0.5 page) 10 2. Used the EBP process to: (0.75 page) a. Create a searchable question that could be used for a literature search to find relevant interventions for the primary presenting issue; b. Identify ONE client factor that should be considered when planning for treatment, including the client’s internal capacities as well as external strengths and limitations; c. Identify one clinician factor that is important to note about YOUR capacities, limitations, or resources. 5 5 5 3. Written ONE Treatment Goal that includes the following parts (2 pages) a. ONE overarching treatment goal, written in positive and future-oriented language; b. TWO objectives for that goal that are clear indicators of progress towards that client’s goal. They can be short or long-term and are measureable and do not rely purely on client self-report about his/her progress towards achieving the goal; c. THREE strategies/tasks that are appropriate to achieve that goal and meet those objectives, making sure that attending or participating in treatment or therapy is NOT one of them. d. ALL parts of the above (the goal, objectives, and tasks) are all written in SMART format. 15 15 15 15 4. Chosen ONE evaluation strategy that would be appropriate to evaluate the progress of your work and provided a rationale for why this approach might be effective. (0.75 page) 10 5. Has submitted a paper with no typos or grammatical errors and is clearly written. 5 TOTAL POINTS 100 The Case of the Smith Family 5 PM 11 6 2015 CAS You are social worker for Families First, a private non-profit organization that provides families in a rural county in West Virginia with comprehensive social services including parenting classes, psycho-education and activity-based groups, babysitter training, day-care provider training, employment counseling, legal services, child visitation mediation services, and referrals to other social service agencies in your county that can provide food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Recently, the organization was featured in the local newspaper because it obtained a federal grant to train women in non-traditional jobs such as welding and carpentry. You are a case manager at the agency under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker. Your role includes service coordination and supportive services. Service coordination includes community outreach work, where you link the family not only to your own agency services but refer to other community agencies and informal resources to meet the unique needs of each family you service. Supportive services consists of providing emotional support, providing information, assessments, supportive therapies, resolving conflicts, and advocating on behalf of the family to assure they receive the services to which they are entitled. You collect the following i ...

1. Treatment Planning Rubric:
The student has:
Points
1. Clearly and accurately articulated a presenting issue that is
relevant to the case. (0.5 page)
10
2. Used the EBP process to: (0.75 page)
a. Create a searchable question that could be used for a
literature search to find relevant interventions for the primary
presenting issue;
b. Identify ONE client factor that should be considered when
planning for treatment, including the client’s internal capacities
as well as external strengths and limitations;
c. Identify one clinician factor that is important to note about
YOUR capacities, limitations, or resources.
5
5
5
3. Written ONE Treatment Goal that includes the following
parts (2 pages)
a. ONE overarching treatment goal, written in positive and
future-oriented language;
b. TWO objectives for that goal that are clear indicators of
progress towards that client’s goal. They can be short or long-
term and are measureable and do not rely purely on client self-
report about his/her progress towards achieving the goal;
c. THREE strategies/tasks that are appropriate to achieve that
goal and meet those objectives, making sure that attending or

2. participating in treatment or therapy is NOT one of them.
d. ALL parts of the above (the goal, objectives, and tasks) are
all written in SMART format.
15
15
15
15
4. Chosen ONE evaluation strategy that would be appropriate to
evaluate the progress of your work and provided a rationale for
why this approach might be effective. (0.75 page)
10
5. Has submitted a paper with no typos or grammatical errors
and is clearly written.
5
TOTAL POINTS
100
The Case of the Smith Family
5 PM
11 6 2015 CAS
You are social worker for Families First, a private non-profit
organization that provides families in a rural county in West
Virginia with comprehensive social services including parenting
classes, psycho-education and activity-based groups, babysitter
training, day-care provider training, employment counseling,
legal services, child visitation mediation services, and referrals
to other social service agencies in your county that can provide
food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Recently, the

3. organization was featured in the local newspaper because it
obtained a federal grant to train women in non-traditional jobs
such as welding and carpentry.
You are a case manager at the agency under the supervision of a
licensed clinical social worker. Your role includes service
coordination and supportive services. Service coordination
includes community outreach work, where you link the family
not only to your own agency services but refer to other
community agencies and informal resources to meet the unique
needs of each family you service. Supportive services consists
of providing emotional support, providing information,
assessments, supportive therapies, resolving conflicts, and
advocating on behalf of the family to assure they receive the
services to which they are entitled.
You collect the following information from the client during the
intake interview with Ms. Smith, Mr. Jones, and Jessica.
Jessica sat in the waiting room for part of the visit, but she
came in at the end of the session to share her perspective.
Identifying Information
Susan Smith is a thirty-one year old Caucasian woman who is
the mother of a thirteen-year old girl, Jessica. Mrs. Smith has
no other children. Ms. Smith reports she was married to
Jessica’s biological father shortly before graduating from high
school, but the couple is now divorced. Ms. Smith reports she is
not currently married but is in a “stable relationship” with the
Caucasian man, John Jones, who accompanied her to this
interview. Ms. Smith and Mr. Jones who is 40-years old report
that they consider themselves a family since Mr. Jones has been
in the household for more than two years, and they are jointly
raising Jessica.
Reason for Referral
Ms. Smith reports the reason for seeking the services of
Families First is that she is concerned about the well-being of
her family. Some of the specific concerns she identifies are
visitation problems with her ex-husband; Jessica’s grades;
Jessica being bullied at school; and Jessica recently running

4. away from home on two occasions after physical fights with her
step-father when he saw her low report card grades.
Ms. Smith disclosed that she has a friend who made use of the
services of the agency in the past when she was “in trouble.”
When questioned about the reference to trouble, Ms. Smith
began to cry. She reported she had received a call from the local
Department of Human Services and had been asked to meet with
a social worker. She alleges that she is “clueless” about why she
is being asked to meet a social worker, but her biggest fear is
that her daughter, Jessica, may be removed from her custody
because of the recent runaways.
Ms. Smith also reported that she also has a meeting scheduled
next week with the school social worker because her daughter is
having attendance, academic, and behavioral difficulties in
school. Ms. Smith reports that when she asked Jessica why the
school social worker would want to see her, Jessica said that
she just wants everybody to leave her alone.
Although Mr. Jones was present for the intake interview, he
made no comments during this portion of the interview.
Sources of Information
This information was compiled by the MSW intake officer for
Families First from a sixty minute face-to-face interview with
Ms. Smith, Mr. Jones, and (for part of the interview) Jessica
that took place on September 15, 2015 at 2 PM.
Developmental History
Ms. Smith reported her developmental history as unremarkable.
She began walking at around 9 months of age, talking in full
sentences when she was about three, learned to read and write at
five or six, and was very athletic as a young girl and young
woman. She reported that although she was just eighteen when
she had Jessica, her first child, the pregnancy and delivery were
normal and without complications. She reported she had six
weeks of maternity leave after her child was born and then went
immediately back to her job as a cashier/store manager at a
local convenience store.
Ms. Smith reported that Jessica was a full-term baby who

5. weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces at birth and was 21 inches long. She
said Jessica was an easy baby who did a lot of smiling and
gurgling. Jessica slept through the night almost immediately
except when she was sick with a cold or stomach ache. Ms.
Smith reported Jessica started walking around 11 months of age
and talked in full sentences when she was about two and a half
because “my in-laws thought she was the cutest thing, talked to
her all day long, showed her off to everybody and spoiled her
rotten.” Ms. Smith reported there were no developmental issues
when Jessica was a toddler or a pre-school child.
Ms. Smith reported some of her relatives nicknamed Jessica
“Beebee” for “Biracial Baby” and Ms. Smith did not like that.
When questioned about the nickname, Ms. Smith reported her
ex-husband is an African-American man named Lamar Griffith.
Ms. Smith reports that her parents were not supportive of her
relationship with Mr. Griffith, and they refused to attend their
wedding. Ms. Smith reports there is no history of inter-racial
marriage in either the maternal or paternal families, and it is
rare in their part of rural West Virginia.
Ms. Smith reported that when Jessica was in the second grade,
she was having trouble “coloring in the lines,” and the school
sent her for an assessment. The findings indicated that Jessica’s
fine motor skills were very slightly delayed, but the school told
Ms. Smith not to worry about it. Since that incident, there have
been no other developmental assessments. Ms. Smith reports
that her daughter has been followed since birth by Newbury &
Smith, Pediatricians, 110 South Main Street, (301-467-9391).
Mr. Jones reported that although he can’t remember much of his
developmental history he has been told repeatedly by his family
he “came out of the womb running his mouth and raring to go.”
Mr. Jones reported that he was big for his age so when he was
sixteen he got a full-time job. He said he always intended to go
back to school but never made it. Mr. Jones reports that his
current job is as a foreman on a construction site in downtown
Baltimore, which is a two-hour commute each way from their
home.

6. School History
Ms. Smith reports she did well in school, although she dropped
out in the eleventh grade to marry Lamar Griffith because she
was expecting Jessica. She reported she always made the honor
roll and hoped her daughter would follow that tradition. She
reported she has been thinking lately that she might want to go
back to school to learn something that “will make me more
money than cashiering.”
Mr. Jones reported he dropped out of school in the 10th grade.
Jessica is in the ninth grade at High Ridge Middle School. Ms.
Smith reports there were no problems with Jessica and her
academic work during kindergarten, elementary, and the first
two years of middle school. Until the last year and a half, Ms.
Smith reports that Jessica was a solid student, receiving mainly
Bs, but occasional As. Now, however, she is receiving mainly
Ds with some Cs and some Fs. Ms. Smith says she is worried
that Jessica may not pass this year and make it to 10th grade.
Jessica reports that she is not concerned about her grades, and
she is frustrated with her parents, mainly her step-father, for
trying to intervene and punish her as a consequence for her poor
grades. Jessica says that she isn’t capable of doing any better
because she just isn’t smart, especially when it comes to math.
Jessica reports that she has a few friends, all of whom are in the
“funky” crowd. When asked what that means, she says they are
like her in that they are “weird,” “alternative,” and “don’t give
a s*^~ about what others think of them.” She states the
“popular girls are all scared of me because they think I am
going to hit on them or something” as an explanation as to why
she does not have many friends. Jessica spends most of her time
outside of school with her friends or playing video games alone
at home. She states that there is “nothing to do” in her town and
that she doesn’t “fit in.”
Family History, Cultural Background, Current Issues
Ms. Smith and Mr. Jones report they met at the convenience

7. store where Ms. Smith works about three years ago. After six
months of seeing each other on a regular basis, they started
dating. They made the decision to live together six months after
that. They currently live in a townhouse in a low-income
development near the outskirts of the small town. Mr. Jones
reports his income in the high $50,000 rage and Ms. Smith
reports an income of the low $20,000 range. Both of the adults
own cars and are discussing what will happen when Jessica is
old enough to drive. Ms. Smith reports that one of the things
she doesn’t like about her job is that she gets laid off when the
business is not doing well. She reported the lay-offs occur
during the winter months because the store services sportsmen
who purchase bait and camping supplies. Winter is approaching,
which makes her feel “stressed out.”
Ms. Smith reports her adult personal relationship history has
been “rocky.” She reports that she does not always “pick good
ones.” She has stated that a couple of her partners had been
violent towards her and that Jessica witnessed some of it. Ms.
Smith reports Jessica has been very angry with her for not
making the choices she feels would be best for the two of them.
Jessica nodded agreement.
When asked about her relationship with her ex-husband and how
visitation is handled, Ms. Smith became tearful again and said,
“I just want him out of my life!” Ms. Smith reported that she
and her ex-husband separated when Jessica was less than 9-
months old. She then took Jessica to live in another town and
refused to allow the child’s father to see them. Ms. Smith
reported she moved around to different friends and family
members, never telling her ex-husband where they were. Months
would go by without any contact with them. This pattern went
on for three years until finally the ex-husband obtained an
attorney who filed papers for him to have regular visitation.
Since that time, Jessica’s father has been an active figure in her
life, but there continues to be problems related to visitation as
well as Jessica’s relationship with her father and step-mother.
Ms. Smith reports she has a “good enough” relationship with

8. her own mother who frequently watched Jessica when she was a
baby while she went to work. She reported there is some
friction because her mother does not approve of her lifestyle,
living with a man to whom she is not married.
Mr. Jones reported that he had been married when he was 20-
years old. He left his wife and a young son after four years.
“But I support that child,” he stated. He reports he sends a
monthly check to the Child Support Enforcement Division of
Baltimore City. He reports he has no contact with his wife. Mr.
Jones reported that he has very little contact with his family of
origin who all live in Texas because he no longer follow the
strict fundamentalist religious practices in which he had grown
up.
Ms. Smith reported she is a little concerned about her
daughter’s sexuality although she accepts her daughter for who
she is. She reports her daughter identifies as a gay woman
although Ms. Smith believes her daughter has not had any
physical/sexual relationship with any individual. For the first
time in the interview, Mr. Jones made a comment unprompted.
He reported that he believes that this is a phase that teenagers
go through and that Jessica is too young to make that kind of
decision for herself. Jessica refused to answer any direct
questions by the social worker about her sexual orientation.
Jessica appears to be experiencing significant stressors outside
of the family setting. The majority of her difficulties occur at
school, where she is earning failing grades and beginning to get
into fights. She states that she is a victim in these fights, as the
other kids taunt her because she has come out as gay. In
response to what she describes as harassing behaviors, she
described name calling, pushing and shoving in the hallways,
and notes left in her locker. As a result, Jessica’s way of
coping with the bullying has been to be provocative in school.
For example, she wears very large t-shirts with insulting
phrases on them and reports instances where she gave someone
“the finger” because another student looked at her “funny.” She
also has changed her appearance significantly, through various

9. hair colors and haircuts that do not conform to the mainstream
style of the middle school, which is located in a fairly small,
rural, and conservative town. There are reports now from the
school counselor that the fights are increasing, and while the
school counselor states that Jessica does experience some
harassment, the school’s viewpoint is that that Jessica also
instigates a significant percentage of the fights. Jessica is also
skipping some classes, either at the start or at the end of the day
and has been caught forging her mother’s signature on at least
one note where she was trying to excuse an absence. The school
administrators are now tracking these absences, and over the
last six months, they have increased significantly and the school
administrators are becoming very concerned about her truancy.
Ms. Smith and Mr. Jones report they regularly attend a small
Baptist church near their home, Zion Baptist Church, 115 West
Main Street, (301-777-8906). They reported they were attracted
to the congregation because “everybody was just so friendly and
loving.” Ms. Smith reports that although she was raised without
a religious tradition, her relationship with Mr. Jones led her to
embrace the church and the church experience. She reported that
she is a member of the Nurses Guild, a small group of women
who assist members of the congregation during the weekly
Sunday services. Mr. Jones reports he is taking classes to be
appointed a deacon. Jessica reports that she does not attend the
church, although she knows her parents want her to attend.
When asked about a vision for the family future, Ms. Smith
reported she would like for everyone to get along and have a
nice, normal happy family with Jessica and John. Mr. Jones
reported he wants the same thing. When asked her vision for the
Smith/Jones family, Jessica was silent.
Assessment of Current Functioning
This is a blended family in the very early stages of formation
with the complications of parenting an adolescent bi-racial
female who is having problems in school, identifies as a sexual
minority, and may or may not be the focus of a Department of
Human Services concern.

10. Summary, Conclusions
Susan Smith, the mother of 13-year old Jessica Smith, and John
Jones presented to this agency in search of services that will
improve the well-being of this blended family. In addition to
resolving the challenges of becoming a blended family and
stepparent-child conflicts, Ms. Smith and Mr. Jones face the
challenge of creating a two-parent visitation agreement with
Jessica’s father while raising an adolescent with significant
challenges of her own including but not limited to problems in
school, racial minority status, sexual minority status, and anger
towards her mother who exposes her to interpersonal violence.
Additionally, Ms. Smith’s employment history places the family
financial situation at risk if Mr. Jones were to leave the unit.
This was the first in a series of interviews to be conducted to
determine which services might be appropriate for this family.
After supervision with the Unit Manager who requested
additional information, the family was called to arrange a
second interview.
7