Week 3 Discussion

Choices in Engaged Interviewing

Interviewing clients requires a constellation of skills, including attending to personal issues, active listening, focusing and encouraging more talk, summarizing, empathy and support, and setting clear boundaries (Gelman & Frankel, 2004). In HUMN 4002, you had the opportunity to analyze and evaluate the various types of interviews, consider techniques for crisis situations, and examine challenges related to human services interviewing. Additionally, you actively applied structured and unstructured interviewing techniques for a specific scenario.

In this Discussion, you think about strengths and limitations of both structured and unstructured interviews. Once again, you put yourself in the role of a human services professional as you explore which type of interview will most benefit the client whom you have selected.

To Prepare for this Discussion:

• Review your coursework from HUMN 4002: Effective Human Services Interviewing.
• Review the article, “Use of Structured Interviews by Psychiatrists in Real Clinical Settings: Results of an Open-Question Survey.”
• Review the article, “Popular or Unpopular? Therapists’ Use of Structured Interviews and Their Estimation of Patient Acceptance.”
• Review the article, “The Unstructured Clinical Interview.”
• Review the article, “Toward a Cognitive Model of Ethnic/Racial Biases in Clinical Judgment.”
• Review the media, “Case Management,” from Week 2 and select one of the clients presented for your Discussion. Be sure to choose a different client from last week.
• Think about whether you would use structured or unstructured interviews with this client.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post  a brief description of the client you selected, including his or her demographic information and situational context. Then, explain the life challenges presented by the client. Finally, explain whether a structured or unstructured interview might be most appropriate for that client and why. You are required to support your postings with references to the Learning Resources and current literature.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

HUMN 4920 Capstone

Introduction

Assessment, planning, and implementation of various services for clients are fundamental skills of the human services practitioner. Therefore, solid case management skills are crucial to the functioning of effective human services delivery. You will be presented with three clients and their current cases. Read through each case and then decide with whom you would like to work. As you reread the case management notes of the client whom you have selected, think about which resources and services might be beneficial. How might you collaborate with those resources to provide services for your client, and how might those resources work together to do the same?

Sean Brody

Eight-year-old Sean Brody is a third grader with many challenges. Due to his parents’ impending divorce, for the past 6 months, he has had to split his time between their separate householdsas they negotiate a custody agreement.

Before the separation, Sean’s biggest obstacle was his hearing impairment. He is currently enrolled in a self-contained classroom for the hearing impaired where the teacher and students arefluent in American Sign Language (ASL). Another risk factor has been the presence of consistently elevated lead levels.

He has increasingly shown aggression with his peers in situations where he is both provokedand unprovoked. Minor teasing by his classmates ends in physical fights. Being paired with others to work on projects results in Sean acting irritably and giving up. Lack of participation in the classroom has resulted in lack of nthusiasm for his homework. Thus, he is failing most of his classes.

Last week, Sean threw a chair at his tablemate, and he is now facing expulsionas he has already been suspended twice.Realizing that Sean’s problems are much larger than he can handle, the school guidance counselor has referred Sean and his parents to you for further assessment and treatment.

Lanie Rosado

Lanie is a 22-year-old “Operation Enduring Freedom” veteran who was born in the United Statesbut raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After serving in the military for 4 years, she has returned from deployment with an honorable discharge due to an injury. While Lanie was on patrol, her Humvee hit a roadside bomb and her dominant right hand was severely injured.She now has limited mobility in that hand.

Six months removed from Afghanistan, she is enrolled full-time in her local community college, pursuing a bachelor’s degree inbusiness administration while going through weekly physical therapy sessions for her injured hand.

Lanie, who was once very close to her family in Puerto Rico, has become withdrawn and rarely calls to update them on her well-being. Her relationship with her boyfriend also isstrained.She has been having erratic mood swings, and they are causing instability in her other personal relationships with friends and classmates.

Although she is only in her first semester of college, Lanie is already failing.She has missed many classes. Her mood swings have not endeared her to her classmates, so teamingwith them to catch up on notes and group assignments has been difficult.

With encouragement from her boyfriend, Lanie has contacted military personnel for a psychologist referral.The psychologist, after reviewing Lanie’s case, has referred her to you for additional testing.

Emma Kinch

Emma Kinch is a 78-year-old native of Barbados who has spent the last 68 years living in the United States. Her husband of 60 years died 3 months ago.Emma has been blind since she developed severe cataracts at age 60, and her relationship with her husband was the main way in which she connected with the world beyond her immediate family.

More recently, she has been exhibiting signs of deep sadness and irritability.She has become very withdrawn and no longer takes part in social circles such as church and the gardening club, both of which she and her husband were active members.Also, her children have noticed that she is having difficulty remembering and seems confused when faced with daily routines.

Emma also has begun to have aggressive outbursts.Last month, her doctor diagnosed her as having hypothyroidism, and this condition combined with the mood changes and mental confusion has resulted in her children bringing her to you for additional assessment and treatment.

Presenting Problems

Sean Brody

Age – 8

Race – White

Gender – Male

Ethnicity – Jewish

Veteran Status – None

Immigrant Status – American citizen

Language – English, American Sign Language

Sensory Impairment – Hearing impaired

Motor Impairment – None

Medical Conditions – High lead levels

Presenting Problem – Behavioral and academic problems in school

Poor peer relationships

Aggression

Affective Symptoms – Irritability

Behavioral Symptoms – School failure

Suspensions and expulsions due to aggression

Isolation from peers

Cognitive Symptoms – Poor concentration and attention in school

Family and Support Systems – Only child

Split custody

Lanie Rosado

Age – 22

Race – Hispanic

Gender – Female

Ethnicity – Puerto Rican

Veteran Status – Operation Enduring Freedom veteran

Immigrant Status – American citizen

Language – English, Spanish

Sensory Impairment – None

Motor Impairment – Fine and gross

Medical Conditions – Severely injured dominant hand

Presenting Problem – Failing in college

Affective Symptoms – Mood swings

Behavioral Symptoms – Impulsivity

Unstable relationships

Cognitive Symptoms – Failing first semester of school

Family and Support Systems – Conflict with family and partner

 

Emma Kinch

Age – 78

Race – Black

Gender – Female

Ethnicity – Bajan

Veteran Status – None

Immigrant Status – Bajan citizen

Language – English

Sensory Impairment – Blind

Motor Impairment – None

MedicalConditions – Hypothyroidism

Presenting Problem – Sad

Withdrawn

Irritable

Affective Symptoms – Depressed

Low energy

Behavioral Symptoms – Aggression

Cognitive Symptoms – Memory impairment

Family and Support Systems – Isolated

Recent death of husband