Abstract

This paper gives the following: effective interviewing skills related to children and teens coping with child abuse and neglect and an in-depth discussion of a specific evidenced-based intervention theory to use with either children or teens that have experienced child abuse. The child abuse and neglect paper that I used for my assessment is the Sandra Horton case. The Horton family has many emotional, mental, and physical issues. The primary caregiver is Michelle Horton, a 40 year old- Caucasian, Sandra Father Brad (truck driver), is not involved- Sandra’s father, Todd (married banker) is not involved- Jenny’s father. The children involved are Sandra Horton -15 year old Jenny Horton 10 year old-Caucasian. The case was presented by the school counselor. The counselor tells me that Sandra stated that “mama tied me to the deck with chains last night to stop me from going out again with my boyfriend”. Sandra also said she and her sister “stay alone at night” because their mother, Michelle, works the third shift as an attendant at a service station. The counselor also reports that Sandra is attendant at a service station. As a Senior Social Worker at DHR assigned to the Horton case intervention, the main role I would play is case manager. Case managers are involved in locating services and assisting their clients to access those services. Case management is especially important for complex situations that involve clients who are homeless or elderly, have chronic physical or mental health issues, are disabled, victims of domestic or other violent crimes, or are vulnerable children. The issue that I would begin is the allegation of Sandra being chained on the deck. According to DHR, policies and procedures, this is a form of child abuse. “Child abuse is defined as non-accidental injury or pattern of injuries to a child.” (What is Child Abuse). According to Gitterman, physical child neglect results from a parental act of omission; the parent fails to provide for the child’s basic needs, resulting in the child’s susceptibility to or experience of harm or injury. It may be physical, emotional, and sexual and/or neglect. In the Horton case, the children were being neglected as evidenced by Sandra and Jenny being left alone at home. This could result in extreme loneliness and need for affection. Sandra exhibited aggressive, disruptive, and destructive behaviors at school. She was experiencing oppositional defiant behaviors at school. I would explain to her mother that Sandra was experiencing these behaviors; my supervisor may want to remove the children from her home. The most prominent need of the family is to ensure the safety and well-being for both children. There is also the primary concern that it is important to keep the children in the home so that the family can remain together. While interviewing with Jenny and Sandra, I would start to build rapport so that the children can feel comfortable with me. I would initially start out with art therapy for the children. Also some basic interviewing skills would be important such as effective listening, eye contact, specific body language and position is important and keeping boundaries safe. Building a rapport is very important when interviewing children and teens coping with child abuse and neglect. Also during the interview, I would help Ms. Horton develop her interfaces, evaluations and core beliefs. This would help me to identify the needs and strengths of the case. Some characteristics that I encountered with Ms. Horton is that she lacked love and support while growing up. Her mother died when she was 14 years old and her father was hardly ever around. Also she was a loner, being isolated from her family. She did have a small amount of support from her sister. But, she does not have any contact with her three brothers as they stayed 100 miles away. The intervention that I chose for this case is the Rational-Behavior Theory. “Rational emotive behavior therapy focuses on uncovering irrational beliefs which may lead to unhealthy negative emotions and replacing them with more productive rational alternatives.” In this case, Michelle Horton often had affairs with married men. Ms. Horton wanted to be loved/approval, and didn’t know how to express herself appropriately. Some of the interfaces in this case are that Sandra was experiencing poor academic performance and behavioral problems at school. This could interfere with the relationship that she has at home with her mother. By using the Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy with Ms Horton, I can help her identify that she can change her current behaviors and learn to increase her tolerance for frustration while aiming to achieve her goals. For example, rational emotive imagery, or REI, would help Ms. Horton practice changing her unhealthy negative emotions into healthy ones.

As a Senior Case Manager, I will approach and help Sandra and Jenny first. Children are rarely able to help themselves. By helping them first I will help the entire family. I would have one-on-one intervention with Ms. Horton to address past and present issues that she has. I would also put additional services in the home such as: parenting skills raining, family and individual counseling, and a behavioral aid to address Sandra’s behavioral problems at school. Without my intervention put in place with the Horton case, the cycle of physical abuse may continue.

References

1. Handouts:, What is Child Abuse?

2. Gutierrez, L & Lewis, E. (1999). Empowering women of color. NY: Columbia University Press.

3. http//:www.rebt.com Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.

4. Gitterman, A. (2001). A handbook of social work practice with vulnerable populations. (2nd Ed). NY: Columbia University Press.