Assignment
Paige Diaz
Paige Diaz is a 16-year-old Hispanic 10th grader at Nederland High School. She is referred to Ms. Harper, an Intervention Specialist at Legacy Community Health, for possible suicidal ideations, and possibly being a cutter. Paige is one of 45 Hispanic children in the entire 10th grade class of almost 1,000 students. Yolanda, Paige’s mother, has noticed that she goes straight to her room and doesn't come out unless asked, or demanded to for meals after school. When Yolanda questions Paige about her mood she often attributes the behavior to teasing at school. Paige tells her mother about a group of girls calling her racial slurs who often make fun of the fact that her family isn't as well off as the other families at the …show more content…
Given Paige’s age and current state of mind, Ms. Harper should not give Paige more than those three goals at time so that she does not overwhelm her. Also, the goals should be staggered so that Paige is completing one goal at a time, so that she can pace herself and see her progress over time. The first goal for Paige would be to seek help from a therapist that she can see on a weekly basis to monitor her, and effectively counsel her on proper coping skills. This goal should be attained within a week after seeing the interventionist. If this goal is not met, then the interventionist might have to work with Paige’s mother to ensure that Paige can attain this goal. It is also important for Paige to feel like she is in control of her treatment. For this reason, her second goal is to find a group therapy for teens in her area that are suffering with SMB, and journal about her experience with the group. Group treatment provides an arena for diminishing feelings of isolation and secrecy, sharing successful techniques for better coping with common problems, expressing feelings, obtaining feedback from other members, and facilitating realistic goal setting (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2009, 340). The journal can be provided by the interventionist along with a list of referrals for groups. Paige should find a group to attend within …show more content…
Since Paige is receiving services from the agency it would be a good therapeutic tool for her to be referred to join the anti-bullying campaign in hopes that maybe her membership will help the program to reach her school. Colleagues from that department will be able to teach techniques for dealing with bullies, strategies for coping with bullying, as well as how to deal with the school administrators when it comes to bullying at school. This is also another great way for Yolanda and Paige to tackle a project together and strengthen their bond since parental involvement in these anti-bullying summits that are held are highly encouraged. Referring her to my colleagues within the agency gives her the ability to be enrolled in another program without going through the hassles of filling out more paperwork, while giving her a full range of services, and less referrals to other agencies that she may never