Jerome (age 7) lives with his aunt (Mrs. Franklin), his younger sister (Janea), and Mrs. Franklin’s grown daughter (Latrice). Jerome’s responses to our direct questions about concrete ways in which Mrs. Franklin cares for Jerome suggest that Mrs. Franklin is responsible and generally attentive. At the same time, Jerome seems to experience a great deal of ambivalence when he spends time with Mrs. Franklin, and we know from an independent conversation with Mrs. Franklin that Jerome is persistently challenging in his interactions with everyone in the family. According to Mrs. Franklin, the relationship between Jerome and Latrice is particularly antagonistic. As interviewers, we observed Jerome taunting Latrice. Her response was forceful: “Get out of my way. I hate you!” Prior to our interview with Jerome, Mrs. Franklin reported that Jerome was removed from his mother’s care three years ago and was immediately placed in Mrs. Franklin’s care. Jerome, however, believes that he has lived with his aunt “since [he] was a baby” and does not seem to remember living with his mother. According to Jerome, he sees his mother “only a little bit.” Even though these visits are not consistently positive and seem to evoke a range of strong emotions, Jerome wishes that he saw his mother more frequently. Moreover, while Mrs. Franklin reported that Jerome will not reunify with his mother, Jerome firmly wants and believes that he will live with her again some day. Jerome is aware that he has a social worker who sometimes talks to him about his future. At the same time, Jerome stated that it is his choice to decide whether he will live with his aunt until he is grown. Although Jerome has not lived with his mother for several years and currently sees her infrequently, Jerome perceives his mother as his primary caretaker. When asked, “Who takes care of you the most?” he identified his “mama.” He continued, “She doesn’t cook for me. She doesn’t wake me up in the morning or take me places, but she takes care of me
In this case review you will address all aspects of research as it applies to social work practice. From the first interview with a client, social workers are engaged in research. Methods of research involve asking the right question(s) (hypotheses) and selecting a plan/method that will answer the question. The measurement of research is the actual activity of using the data to answer the question(s). That process is referred to as data analysis and is a key to answering the research question and applying the proper treatment/service. For this presentation of your case, you will discuss what the important questions are for this case, locate references to support those questions and develop a research plan for your case. You will review literature about the case, develop a hypothesis (research question) and then develop a method for conducting the research study. After this section, you will then describe what you will measure, the methods you will use to obtain the data you will analyze. Finally, you will describe how you will use the results of your research to improve or change or affirm the treatment/service being provided to the client.
Remember, you are expected to support all statements made with proper citations from journals or texts or scholarly articles. A minimum of five are required for this presentation.
EPAS addressed in this Module – 4– Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice; 7 – Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities; 9 – Evaluate practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
