Answer

SOCIAL WORK ASSESSMENT REPORT

ASSESSMENT TOOLS:

REASON FOR REFERRAL: The student was referred for counseling and case management because of his unhealthy behaviors and mental health issues such as uncontrolled anger. He has also been involved with multiple systems, including the criminal justice system, which means he is in dire need of social service interventions to help him change the current behavior.

SCHOOL/EDUCATIONAL HISTORY: The student is currently in high school and he is planning to drop out of school in the next one month when he turns 16 years old. He has recorded more than 15 absences, which suggests class attendance issues.   

BIRTH/DEVELOPMENTAL/MEDICAL: The student has underlying heart disease. He is currently taking mental health medications, which include Risperdal for anger management and anti-depressants for treatment of his other mental health issues. Apart from the medications, the student receives in-home therapy as part of the therapeutic interventions to address his unhealthy behaviors and mental health issues.  Moreover, he has a community case manager who advises him, educates him about healthy behavior, and provides him with the knowledge and resources needed to get back on track.

FAMILY BACKGROUND: The student is a high school male student who is about to turn 16 years. He currently lives in a group home and is under the guardianship of his maternal grandfather, following the recent demise of his mother.

ADAPTIVE/SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORS: The student has a wide range of unhealthy behaviors caused by mental health issues, and for this reason, he is involved with multiple systems including criminal justice systems, case management, and behavioral therapy. For instance, he received a new charge for robbery while still on probation for another robbery incident. As such, the student lives in a group home where he receives in-home therapy. He also has a case manager who counsels and advises him on how to change his unhealthy behavior. Furthermore, the student is often absent from school and likes to set fires in the school and other places. 

STUDENT INTERVIEW/OBSERVATION: The student demonstrated unhealthy habits and behavior such as truancy, vandalism, and setting up fires. He said he plans to drop out of school when he turns 16 years old. Further, he stated he has had repeated contact with the criminal justice due to the negative behavior caused by his mental health issues, and he is currently taking Risperdal and anti-depressant medications to address the mental health issues. He also remarked that his known medical issue is heart disease.   

ASSESSMENT FINDINGS: The assessment reveals that the student has several unhealthy behaviors and mental health issues that need urgent intervention to help him get back on track. He has had repeated contact with the criminal justice system for robbery offenses, and he is also involved with in-home therapy and case management systems that are trying to rehabilitate him by taking him through the behavior change process. Moreover, the student has a maternal grandfather as the guardian following the death of his mother and lives in a group home due to his unhealthy habits and signs of behavioral disorders. Some of these behaviors include criminal activity (repeated robbery and setting fires), deviant behavior, anger, impulsivity, and truancy (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2017). The student is currently taking Risperdal and anti-depressant medications to manage some of these mental issues he has missed more than 15 classes and has plans to drop out of school when he turns 16 years old.   

STRENGTHS: One of the student’s key strengths is compliance with the current interventions. He is taking Risperdal and anti-depressant medications as prescribed to address his mental health issues. More importantly, he attends in-home therapy sessions and meets his case manager in the community. If he successfully completes these interventions, then there are higher chances of reverting his current plans to drop out of school.

NEEDS: Addressing the student’s unhealthy behaviors and mental health issues to help him get back on track will need both proactive and corrective or remedial interventions, medication, and resources to implement the interventions. In this sense, the concerned department in the school will be required to come up a functional behavior assessment and a behavior intervention plan to determine the strategies for improving the student’s behavior. Thereafter, the student will be offered the available services including after-school programs, school counselors, and peer groups. Other needs include medical help to fully address the health issues; support resources such as PACER; behaviorism technique; motivation through rewards; and counseling through cognitive behavioral therapy (Accreditedschoolsonline.org, 2019). 

EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: In addition to the aforementioned general needs, the student has various educational needs as well. The first is medication to help treat his mental health issues (Family Support, 2020). The second is positive motivation and engagement to help him develop an interest in learning and change his decision to drop out of school. Moreover, the student needs emotional support and positive interpersonal relationships with teachers to help him change his unhealthy behavior, particularly truancy and anger, and ultimately complete his education (Child Psychology & School Psychology Services, 2017). The other important need is load reduction instruction. Attending legal proceedings and in-home therapy means the student might not have enough to comprehend lots of new information or complete lots of homework. Reducing information/instruction overload to complete assignments on time, and accordingly attend all classes. Lastly, the student needs skills in adaptability and resilience to enable deal with the loss of his mother, previous contact with the legal system, and other adversities he may face in school life and after school. 

PSYCHOSOCIAL NEEDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The fact that the student lost his mother recently implies that he could be experiencing depression, loneliness, and loss of relationship (Frost, Brueggen, & Mangan, 2001). Moreover, the student now leaves in a group home and attends legal proceedings following his robbery offenses, meaning anxiety and feelings of being neglected are inevitable. The first psychosocial need to be met in these psychosocial issues and other mental health issues affecting the student is certainty (Beattie, 2018). Augmented with his stay in a group and being on probation for rubbering, the ongoing legal proceedings have created conditions where the student is uncertain about his freedom and good life in the future, and this might be driving him to engage in unhealthy behavior. This means that what he needs most is certainty about his future freedom, education, and even life. The other crucial psychosocial need is love and connection. Having lost his mother recently, who was the only parent, the student needs to be connected to people who love him and who he can love as well as with those he can enjoy the same things with. This way, he will develop deeper and more meaningful relationships that will help him to not only get over his mother’s loss but also change his unhealthy behavior.