Case Study
How I would engage with this family I would observed everything that is going on first. It is always good to look at the previous history so you can get a look on why this family was brought to the attention of DCS. The family has a very strong support system and bringing the extended family in will be helpful so they won’t feel alone. The children are the innocent ones and they must be protected. I would want the family to feel okay around me so they will open up to me.
Some of the problems with the family are that the mother seems to have some mental issues going on. She left the children at home while she walked the street looking for her husband. Even though they were asleep anything could have happen. She stated that she has suffered from depression and her husband has stated that every three months she acts bizarre. Another thing that I saw was that the mother is working seven days a week and not even being paid minimum wage I thought that was against the law unless she is being paid under the table. That may have a tow on her by working seven days a week and so many hours.
The mother has accused the father of sexually abusing their 3 year old on more than one occasion. It almost sounds like Munchausen syndrome but not quiet. The first allegation was unfounded and the mother seeks like she is looking for a reason to get the father in trouble because of the way she is feeling at the moment. It also stated that they migrated to the United States 10 years after they were married. So this means she was 15 and he was 30. The father might have sexually abuse his child but the mother do have mental issues going on and she could have did something to the child before letting the doctor check her out.
A psychosocial should be done on the mom. She has said she has depression so I do believe medication is in order. She needs to sit down with a therapist so she can figure out who she is because she’s only 25. Both need help with domestic violence;