Deck 10: Ecology of the Community

Question 1

PURPOSE To learn about the services in your community.
Following are 10 hypothetical case studies involving families and children in a community. Read each of these case studies and select one family (or make up your own hypothetical one*) that you would like to help. Then complete the following steps:
Provide the family with a list of three agencies that may be helpful to them in their particular situation. Your list should include the following information about each agency (share with your class):
a. Name of agency
b. Address
c. Telephone
d. Hours
e. Services provided
f. Eligibility
g. Fees
h. Area served

Answer 1

Community:
Community refers to a group of people in the same small geographical area that is covered under common laws and common interest among themselves.
The community has certain primary functions that are as follows:
• Social participation
• Mutual support
• Social control
• Socialization
• Production or consumption
Case situation:
Mr. MW's wife expired all of a sudden. After her death, her daughter and her family induced Mr. MW to sell their house and settle with the amount. Later, Mr. MW settled in a nearby apartment.
After few days, the family observed Mr. MW was disheartened and did not even leave his apartment nor did he seek out anyone. However, he spent effective time on television but skipped food. This behavior of Mr. MW made his family to worry about it. They started worrying on physical health and mental conditions of Mr. MW.
Following is the list that provides details of three agencies which may be helpful to the particular situations:
a. Name of agency: CC Center
b. Address: C court, A street, U.S.
c. Telephone: xxx-xxxx
d. Hours: 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (only on Tuesday and Thursday)e. Services provided: Psychotherapy, mental health counseling, and behavioral health services for the community.
f. Eligibility: The people who are facing depression, marriage break-up, and feeling isolated
g. Fees: $10 to $120 per session
h. Area served: Mental health care
a. Name of agency: CC service
b. Address: ST Road, B city, U.S.
c. Telephone: xxx-xxxx
d. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.(Monday to Friday only)i. Services provided: Individual counseling, psychodynamic therapy, and health-care services for the community.
e. Eligibility: The people who are facing loneliness and mentally disorder
f. Fees: $20 to $150 per days
g. Area served: Mental health care
a. Name of agency: Y community counseling center
b. Address: L town, 152 C street, L city, U.S.
c. Telephone: xxx-xxx
d. Hours: 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.(only on Monday)e. Services provided: Counseling and mentoring services to child, adults, and senior citizens.
f. Eligibility: Everyone who is suffering from health issues and emotional stress
g. Fees: $15 to 25 per session
h. Area served: Health care

Question 2

The Wilson Family
Matt Wilson is 67 years old. His wife has recently died. His daughter and her family, who live in another state, have persuaded Matt to sell his home and move close to them. After he finds an apartment and gets somewhat settled, Matt's family notices that he is having a difficult time adjusting. He seems continually depressed and sometimes confused. He does not leave his apartment often (although he has a car and drives), spends his days watching television, and doesn't seem to seek out other people. He is also not eating properly, and his family is afraid that his physical, as well as mental, health will begin to decline rapidly.
Is there help available for Matt in your community? What would you recommend to Matt's family in order to help him?

Answer 2

Case synopsis:
Mr. MW's wife expired all of a sudden. After her death, her daughter and her family induced Mr. MW to sell their house and settle with the amount. Later, Mr. MW settled in a nearby apartment.
After few days, the family observed Mr. MW was disheartened and did not even leave his apartment nor did he seek out anyone. However, he spent effective time on television but skipped food. This behavior of Mr. MW made his family to worry about it. They started worrying on physical health and mental conditions of Mr. MW.
Determine the help available for Mr. MW in Mr. X community:
Mr. X is running a community-counseling agency for the people who are facing depression, marriage break-up, and for the people who are feeling isolated. They even provide many services such as psychotherapy to their clients in the community. Therefore, Mr. X is able to help MW by providing necessary counseling.
Following are the recommendations for MW's family in order to help MW:
• Mr. X suggests MW's family to encourage him in some activities to avoid unwanted thoughts.
• Mr. X suggests MW's family to prepare MW's favorite dishes to make him happy.
• MW's family has to plan for an outing with MW to avoid his feeling of loneliness.

Question 3

PURPOSE To learn about the services in your community.
Following are 10 hypothetical case studies involving families and children in a community. Read each of these case studies and select one family (or make up your own hypothetical one*) that you would like to help. Then complete the following steps:
Choose one of the three agencies on the list, call to make an appointment to visit the agency, and interview one person employed there (for example, director, counselor, teacher, therapist, or case worker). In this section of your report, be sure to include the following information:
a. What steps would the agency take to help this hypothetical family (person)? Explain the services provided by this agency.
b. For the person interviewed, describe job requirements, educational background, previous experience, job satisfactions/dissatisfactions, and other pertinent information.
c. For the agency, give the number of employees, physical layout, number of people served, and other information regarding its scope and mission.
* Ideas : at-risk infant (premature, drug- or alcohol-exposed); relative with a terminal disease; transition programs for 18-year-olds no longer eligible for special or protective services; disaster (tornado, fire, hurricane, earthquake) assistance.

Answer 3

Community:
Community refers to a group of people in the same small geographical area that is covered under common laws and common interest among themselves.
The community has certain primary functions that are as follows:
• Social participation
• Mutual support
• Social control
• Socialization
• Production or consumption
Activity introduction:
Firstly, select one agency from the list of three agencies. After that, call the agency to fix an appointment for visiting the concern agency. Finally, interview the counselor of the agency and make a report through some queries.
Agency information:
a. Name of agency: CC Center
b. Address: C court, A street, U.S.
c. Telephone: xxx-xxxx
d. Hours: 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (only on Tuesday and Thursday)e. Services provided: Psychotherapy, mental health counseling, and behavioral health services for the community.
f. Eligibility: The people who are facing depression, marriage break-up, and feeling isolated
g. Fees: $10 to $120 per session
h. Area served: Mental health care
a)Case situation:
Mr. MW's wife expired all of a sudden. After her death, her daughter and her family induced Mr. MW to sell their house and settle with the amount. Later, Mr. MW settled in a nearby apartment.
After few days, the family observed Mr. MW was disheartened and did not even leave his apartment nor did he seek out anyone. However, he spent effective time on television but skipped food. This behavior of Mr. MW made his family to worry about it. They started worrying on physical health and mental conditions of Mr. MW.
Determine the steps that the agency takes to helps the hypothetical family:
• Firstly, CC Center mental health counselor has gathered certain information from Mr. MW by interviewing him and his family for mental treatment plan.
• Next, the mental health counselor has diagnosed Mr. MW's mental illness.
• Then, psychotherapy treatment is followed where Mr.MW can freely talk about his emotional and inner feelings.
• Finally, the mental health counselor has suggested Mr. MW to set some goals for future and try to achieve it because life must move on even if beloved ones (wife) leave. The counselor encourages Mr. MW to set goals so that it helps to reduce depression and frustration.
Following are the services provided by the agency:
• CC Center provides psychotherapy for Mr. MW. This treatment helps to reduce anxiety, depression, and psychiatric disorders.
• Mental health counseling and behavioral health services are also provided by CC center. This treatment helps to reduce mental illness.
• Family counseling therapy is provided by CC Center. This treatment enhances communication gaps in family members. It mainly helps to reduce conflicts in family.
b)Identify the job requirements, educational background, previous experiments, job satisfaction, and other pertinent information of the counselor:
• Job requirements:
A counselor must have excellent observation skills, listening skills, and patience. They must be willing to work with different kinds of people.
• Educational background and previous experiments:
A counselor must possess a master degree in counseling or doctorate in counseling. They must have at least one year experience in their field because they must have deep knowledge of mind and consequence of each mental issues.
• Job satisfaction:
A counselor attains job satisfaction when his task is fully completed and when the client offers a better feedback on his treatments.
•
Other pertinent information of the counselor:
A counselor must be tolerant to treat patients effectively.
c)Identify the number of employees, physical layout, number of people served, and other information regarding its scopes and mission of the agency:
• Number of employees:
In CC center, 102 employees consist of 48 doctors under different departments in mental health care and 54 members are other staffs.
• Physical layout:
The physical layout or ambience of mental health can enhance the client's experience. Therefore, CC Center ambience is structured in such a way that clients mind will be relaxed.
• Number of people served:
CC Center has provided services to almost 10,000 patients. They even provided online consulting with almost 55 mental illness patients.
• Scope of the agency:
CC Center wanted to enlarge the service in different parts of the world and enhance better service to the community.
• Mission of the agency:
CC Center's goals are to enhance valuable service to the community and assist people life.

Question 4

The Johnson Family
You are a first-grade teacher at an elementary school. You are especially worried about one of the students in your class, Michael Johnson. He always seems to arrive at school extra early (usually about 30 minutes). He is never dressed appropriately for the weather, and his general appearance is sloppy. His schoolwork is on grade level. However, at times his behavior is aggressive and hostile (especially toward classmates). On several occasions you have noticed bruises on Michael, and when you ask him about these, he is evasive. During your first parent-teacher conference, you share your concerns with Mrs. Johnson. She breaks down and tells you that her husband, Michael's stepfather, is very hard on him. He is sarcastic, always belittling Michael, and at times gets physically violent with him. Mrs. Johnson asks you for help. What is your role as a teacher? What assistance is available to Michael and to his family in your community?

Question 5

The Peterson Family
Mary Peterson is a single parent living in your community. She has three children, Pam (16), Brian (14), and Lynn (12). Mary works full-time, and the three children all attend school. Mary's oldest daughter, Pam, has always been a good student and has had a nice group of friends. Pam has rarely had any problems that could not be worked out easily. Recently, however, Pam has been very withdrawn and moody. She spends a lot of time in her room, and Mary suspects that she is crying a lot. When confronted, Pam gets emotional and shouts at Mary, "Mind your own business and leave me alone!" Mary questions her other children about Pam's behavior. Finally, Lynn tells her Mom that Pam thinks she is pregnant. Where would you suggest that Pam and Mary Peterson go for help in this situation? What kind of assistance is available to them in your community? Who can help Pam explore her options and make a decision about this pregnancy?

Question 6

The Meyers Family
Paula and Larry Meyers live in your community with their two children, Kelly (4) and Lisa (18 months). Lisa is not showing the normal development that Kelly did at this age, and Paula is very concerned. Lisa is not yet standing or walking. She does not respond to the family with love and affection and often seems to be in her own little world. Their pediatrician has suggested that the Meyers take Lisa to a neurologist for some testing. After extensive tests, it is determined that Lisa has cerebral palsy. Paula and Larry want to provide Lisa with every possible opportunity for a normal life. What services are available to Lisa and her family in your community? Where would you recommend the Meyers go to get assistance?

Question 7

The Simmons Family
Martin Simmons lives in your community with his wife, Sue, and their 14-year-old son, Steve. Martin has worked for a large engineering firm in the area for the past 12 years. Recently, due to cutbacks, Martin lost his job. He has been unemployed for the past eight months, and his family is really feeling the pressure of his job loss. Martin was actively looking for a job for the first month of his unemployment. Lately, however, he has begun drinking more and more and looking for work less and less. Since he began drinking, his relationship with his wife, and especially with his son, has suffered a tremendous strain. Sue is convinced that Martin is becoming addicted to alcohol and feels he is settling deeper and deeper into a depressed state. Steve is angry with his dad, and they are continually fighting with one another. Sue has asked you to help her find assistance for herself and her family. What agencies would you suggest the Simmons family contact for assistance?

Question 8

The Hernandez Family
During lunch break on the junior high school playground, you notice a group of boys in a small circle intently examining something. As you approach the group, Roberto hastily shoves something in his pocket. In the haste, a joint drops on the ground. You pick it up and escort the group to the principal's office. You learn that Roberto got the marijuana from his older brother, who is in a gang, and brought it to show his friends. Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez are called, and a conference is scheduled. After explaining the situation to the parents, where do you refer this family for help?

Question 9

The Lambert Family
Mrs. Lambert waits to speak to you after picking up her daughter at the day-care center. She tells you that her husband has been laid off and his unemployment checks will stop next week. She can't pay the tuition at the center, and she has no other place to leave her daughter while she works. She must work to pay the rent and buy food. She hopes her husband will find work soon (he spends all day looking), because unpaid bills are piling up. The family no longer has medical insurance since the father lost his job. They have several doctor bills to pay for a severe ear infection their daughter had last month. The family car's tire treads are so worn that driving is unsafe, yet the car is the family's only means of transportation to work, the day-care center, and the store. Mrs. Lambert is terrified of having her family become homeless. Where would you refer Mrs. Lambert for help?

Question 10

The Sullivan Family
You are a prekindergarten teacher at a local preschool. Brian is a student who turned 5 in November. Brian's behavior in class is causing problems for you and for the other students. He has difficulty sitting still, paying attention for extended periods, completing any activities, and keeping his hands to himself. Brian is easily frustrated and is prone to temper tantrums and outbursts of aggression. Mrs. Sullivan, a single parent, has experienced the same problems with Brian at home. What could be the cause of Brian's behavior, and where would you refer this family for help?

Question 11

The Nguyen Family
A child enters your public school preschool class the first day and speaks no English. You wait for his mother to pick him up so you can get some information about the child. The mother's English is very limited. You resort to communicating in simple words combined with gestures. You even draw pictures in order to communicate. You learn that the family has recently arrived from Vietnam and is staying with relatives who were sponsored to come to the United States the previous year. The father works in a local electronics factory, and the mother is expecting another child in three months. The mother is most anxious that her son, as well as she and her husband, learn English and the "American way" as quickly as possible. Where do you refer this family for help with American culture?

Question 12

The Horvath Family
For the past two years, Mr. Horvath has brought and picked up two of his children, now 4½ and 5½, to the children's center. You have never met the mother. One day a woman comes to the center claiming she is the Horvath children's mother. She asks to have them released to her. You refuse because her name is not on their information form. She produces a court document stating she has legal custody of the children and demands they be released to her. You assign someone to watch the children while you call the police and the father. The father admits the mother was granted legal custody, but says she was continually drunk, so he took them. He has had them for two years, and she has never even visited them once. What do you advise him to do?