Application Exercise 2  (Case Study -A Family in Need)

1. Read the following short vignette.

Child and Family Services serves clients on a walk-in basis. A young woman and her two children approached the agency with some care. They had been in the U.S. for 3 years and spoke little English. They needed to talk with a professional who speaks Spanish. Mrs. X (name withheld because of confidentiality) told the human service professional that she was in trouble. She had been living in a questionable situation for the past four months since she had left her husband. He had been physically abusing her. She hesitated to tell the professional any more about her situation that day.

She returned to the agency the evening of the following day. The school had sent a note home with her youngest boy asking that she come for a conference the next day. School concerns focused on hygiene. This evening the young woman shared her concerns.

She was hiding from her husband and living in a school bus with no running water. She had made curtains, bought blankets and pillows for bedding, washed the kids in a nearby gas station bathroom, and bought food from the local small store. The kids had not had a hot meal in a long while. They used candlelight at night to read and study.

Two fears emerged, one that her husband would find her and that authorities would take away her children. She was nervous because a news reporter had knocked on her door the day before. He was following a lead that a family was living in an abandoned bus downtown. The threat of media exposure or school difficulties made her seek help.

2. Answer the following questions:

a. Identify 4 issues in this case that represent current social issues or human  service trends.

b. Describe services that can be provided, explaining how these services address the new trends.

c. Discuss your overall reaction to this case as it relates to your reading and understanding of chapter 3 

4. Please follow the checklist/guidelines for writing assignments posted in the week one module. The deadline for submitting this assignment is no later than midnight Monday, February 14, 2020.