Review the Learning Resources related to adolescent behaviors.

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Adolescence is the transition period between childhood and adulthood. During this transition, adolescents develop their own sense of identity independent of their caregivers. Relationships with caregivers, teachers, and peers can have an impact on the types of behaviors in which an adolescent engages. In order to establish their sense of identity, adolescents often have to try out new roles and new experiences associated with more adult behaviors, which can sometimes translate into adolescent risk-taking. The personal fable and imaginary audience can contribute to the willingness to engage in risky behavior. A personal fable is when an individual believes he/she is the only one experiencing a feeling; such as, his/her parents do not understand what they are going through. Adolescents preoccupied in their peer groups sometimes develop imaginary audiences because they believe others are constantly judging them. Culture and gender also influence how the adolescent perceives risk-taking behavior. While risk-taking behavior is predominantly perceived as unwanted dangerous behavior, it is not necessarily so. Sexual expression among adolescents need not result in pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases, just as concerns with physical appearance do not always lead to eating disorders or depression.

For this Discussion, you will examine risk-taking behaviors by adolescents.

To prepare for this Discussion:

  • Review the Learning Resources related to adolescent behaviors.

By Day 4

Post a description of two adolescent risk-taking behaviors. For each behavior, provide two sources of influence. Then, describe general strategies for mitigating negative risk-taking behavior and explain why you selected these strategies. Justify your response with citations from the Learning Resources/literature. Use proper APA format and citations

readings for this week please view some for references:

Berk, L. E. (2014). Development through the lifespan (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Chapter 11, “Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence” (pp. 360–399)
Chapter 12, “Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence” (pp. 400–428)

Baams, L., Dubas, J. S., Overbeek, G., & Van Aken, M. G. (2015). Transitions in body and behavior: A meta-analytic study on the relationship between pubertal development and adolescent sexual behavior. Journal of Adolescent Health, 56(6), 586–598. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.11.019
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Dimler, L. l., & Natsuaki, M. N. (2015). The effects of pubertal timing on externalizing behaviors in adolescence and early adulthood: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Adolescence, 45, 160–170. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.07.021
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Piña-Watson, B., López, B., Ojeda, L., & Rodriguez, K. M. (2015). Cultural and cognitive predictors of academic motivation among Mexican American adolescents: Caution against discounting the impact of cultural processes. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 43(2), 109–121. doi:10.1002/j.2161-1912.2015.00068.x
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Optional Resources

Beal, S. J., & Crockett, L. J. (2010). Adolescents’ occupational and educational aspirations and expectations: Links to high school activities and adult educational attainment. Developmental Psychology, 46(1), 258–265.

Elkind, D. (1967). Egocentrism in adolescence. Child Development, 38(4), 1025–1034.

Thomas, A. A., Monahan, K. M., Lukowski, A. A., & Cauffman, E. C. (2015). Sleep problems across development: A pathway to adolescent risk taking through working memory. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44(2), 447–464. doi:10.1007/s10964-014-0179-7

Evaluate the developmental changes and appraise the effects of the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social environments. 

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Integrating the Field of Developmental Psychology: A Review of the Literature  

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review the age group / developmental stage you selected in Week Two of the course. Remember, you must use this age group / developmental stage.

 

You will then review the Developmental Psychology literature examining findings for that age group / developmental stage in terms of the physical, emotional, cognitive, social dimensions, and how they impact development and can best be used to meet developmental needs.  Additionally, create a summary of the developmental stage as viewed through the lens of one developmental theory we have studied across the course (Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, Freud’s Psychosexual Theory, Erickson’s Psychosocial Theory, etc.).

In your paper,  

  • Examine the physical changes associated with the selected developmental stage.
  • Examine the cognitive changes associated with the selected developmental stage.
  • Examine the emotional changes associated with the selected developmental stage.
  • Examine the social changes associated with the selected developmental stage.
  • Evaluate the developmental changes and appraise the effects of the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social environments.
  • Integrate developmental and environmental factors into an assessment of developmental needs.
  • Create a summary of the developmental stage as viewed through the lens of a selected developmental theory.
  • Propose solutions for areas not addressed by the theory.
  • Analyze the ethical considerations for research and practice with the selected developmental stage.

 

The Integrating the Field of Developmental Psychology: A Review of the Literature

  • Must be 8 to 10 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
  • Must include a separate title page with the following:
  •      Title of paper
  •      Student’s name
  •      Course name and number
  •      Instructor’s name
  •      Date submitted
  • Must use at least five scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
  •         The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible SourcesPreview the    document table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
  • Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
  • Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

How would you approach the difficult task of cutting services by 20% in a manner that reflects your ethical obligations as a community counselor?

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Discussion 1

You are the executive director of a small publicly funded behavioral health agency that serves indigent clients. After 10 years of being able to serve all clients seeking help, your agency has just received a 20% budget cut and must prioritize which services to discontinue and which clients to turn away. The community has many suggestions: stop serving undocumented immigrants and their children; stop serving substance abuse clients, limit all clients to six sessions, discontinue providing expensive services like psychiatry, lay off professional counselors and hire non-licensed paraprofessionals, stop providing counseling and instead simply offer peer self-help groups and parenting classes, serve only the most seriously ill (or the least seriously ill), and serve only children. How would you approach the difficult task of cutting services by 20% in a manner that reflects your ethical obligations as a community counselor? Would your plan differ if you were in a private sector? If yes, how? What criteria would you consider? What theoretical or standard of care practice will you follow to make a final decision about what to cut from your program? Reference the ACA and/or NAADAC Code of Ethics to support your answer.

Discussion 2

A managed care clinician completed a utilization review and has just denied authorization for you to continue treating a client. You believe that the client could benefit from four additional sessions. At the same time, you understand that the managed care clinician must apply criteria of medical necessity to justify continued treatment, and you are aware that many of your agency’s clients have problems much more severe than your client’s. Make a list of all of the ways that you could try to ensure that the managed care system does not prevent you from giving your client the type and duration of treatment services that he or she needs. Categorize each of the items into two groups reflecting those that would be considered professionally appropriate and ethical, and those that would be considered to be a violation of professional ethical standards.

Explain how the guidelines you developed for the professional will help guide you in your future work as a professional.

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For this assessment, you will choose a case study and analyze the cultural implications of the situation described. In Assessment 2, you will analyze ethical aspects of the same case. In Assessment 3, you will record a presentation to communicate your research and plan for this case.

Preparation

Complete the following Capella multimedia presentation and select which case you wish to analyze.

  • Case Studies.

Use the following resource to identify and address some of the cultural concerns in the case you select.

  • Introduction to Hays’s ADDRESSING Model [PDF].​
    • Hays’s ADDRESSING model includes 10 major factors of cultural difference that are most common in the United States. This model is very helpful for recognizing cultural differences and potential bias.

Think of this assessment as a report you would make in a professional context.

  • Analyze how the problem described in the case study you selected may unfairly impact members of the populations described in the Introduction to Hays’s ADDRESSING Model document. Initially, you should brainstorm as many such effects as possible that relate to the case you selected.
  • When you have developed many entries, combine ideas that are similar.
  • Assess each of your remaining entries in terms of importance:
    • In what ways is it inequitable?
    • How great or severe is the effect?
    • How many people may be affected?
  • Take care that you do not allow your own biases to minimize your assessments.
  • Choose the entry that seems to be of greatest importance on the basis of your evaluation, and elaborate on that aspect for your selected case.
Instructions

Write a 6–8 page paper in which you examine three main areas as they relate to the specific case you have selected:

  • Theory: Application of theory to the specific case.
  • Research: Understanding of research methods and application of findings.
  • Cultural Competence:Knowledge and application of cultural competency skills.
Theory
  1. Select a minimum of two theories that are relevant to the case you chose. The theories should help explain concerns for the client, such as developmental or contextual issues. Analyze how those psychological theories point toward potential solutions for a problem.
    • Of the theories you select, make sure at least one provides a framework for understanding the cultural issues between the individuals in the case.
  2. Explain how these theories help us to understand the individual client or patient in the case and how they can direct the professionals in the case to a potential solution.
    • Note that theory can help us understand where the individual (client or patient) is in her development. For example, psychosocial theory would help explain individual development, or ecological systems theory would help explain the impact of environmental interaction on the individual.
Research
  1. Select two original research studies that help us understand the situation in the case you selected and potentially lead to interventions in the case.
    • Cite the research studies, using APA style.
  2. Explain the research design and methods used in the research studies. What type of research was conducted, who was studied, and how?
  3. Describe the researchers’ findings.
  4. Next, explain how the findings in the studies relate to the case you selected. How do these findings help us formulate a potential solution or intervention in the case?
Cultural Competence
  1. Use a model of cultural competency to explain the competencies needed for working in a culturally diverse environment.
  2. Apply those cultural competencies to assist the professional in your case to help resolve a particular culture-related issue.
  3. Construct a plan to develop your own professional cultural sensitivity. For this section you may write in first person.
    • Explain how the guidelines you developed for the professional will help guide you in your future work as a professional.
    • Discuss some steps you could take to further your own growth in cultural competencies.

CASE STUDY BELOW FOR ASSIGNMENTS

Hannah Kennard, High school counselor

Adara Watson, High school student

Hannah and Adara

Hannah, a 36-year old African American woman, moved to Riverbend City ten years ago. She loves her work as a school counselor and, although she does not have children of her own, she says that “children are my life.” The principal and teachers at Cargill Academy appreciate her hard work with the students. She often puts in long hours.

Hannah is working with Adara, a 15-year old Muslim-American. Her parents immigrated to Detroit, Michigan from Iraq in 1999. She and her siblings were born and grew up in Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit. They moved to Riverbend City when Adara was 11 years old.

Adara is feeling depressed but isn’t sure why. Lately she has been wishing she wasn’t alive. She decided to talk to Hannah.

She talks about feeling “different” from others in school. She has friends at school, with whom she spends some time outside of school; however, she is acutely aware that she is the only Muslim-American among all the people she knows. She is the only person to wear a headscarf that her parents require her to wear, following their cultural and religious traditions. She often feels other kids staring at her, and sometimes they make rude comments. She has been bullied on social media, with other kids accusing her of being a “terrorist.”

She has enjoyed her conversations with Hannah and feels better after she leaves her office. Hannah has encouraged her to talk with her parents about seeing a therapist. Adara has resisted, and says her parents will not support her seeing a therapist.

During their last visit, Adara told Hannah that she wishes she was dead. Hannah called her parents to let them know. Now Adara is angry with Hannah and feels her trust has been violated. She says, “My counselor told my mother about everything. Now I feel like I can’t trust her. Doesn’t she have to keep what I say to herself?”

Consider the individual, family, societal, cultural, and ethical issues that Hannah must think about as she interacts with Adara and her parents.