Scenario : Makaila is 7 years old and lives with her grandmother in a
spacious apartment in a busy, low-income, urban neighborhood. She has
lived with her grandmother since birth and seems to have a positive
relationship with her. She described her grandmother as both nurturing and
strict. When asked about contact with her biological parents, Makaila replied
that she never sees her father, since he has been in prison for years, but she
talks to him on the phone almost every week. When asked about her mother,
she answered, “I only saw her once which was when she came to the door
and tried to snatch me away from my granny. It was really scary. Now I hate
my mom and don’t want to see her again.”
When asked additional questions about safety, Makaila immediately
responded, “There’s some stuff I’m not allowed to talk about unless I ask
granny first.” She then said, “I don’t want to talk about the bad stuff my
mean cousin used to do to me.” When asked about things that she has seen
or heard living in or near her home, Makaila replied, “Sometimes I hear guns,
especially on the fourth of July. I seen stuff like people dealing drugs and
HUSS225 – Portfolio Project 4
beating each other up downstairs in our building and also down the street.”
When asked if she would tell anyone if something happened that made her
feel unsafe Makaila said, “Maybe, it depends on what.” While Makaila seems
to have been exposed to a fair amount of violence, she reported that her
grandmother carefully supervises her and that she feels safe “all of the time”
in her grandmother’s home.
Makaila perceives that her grandmother has consistently positive
expectations for Makaila’s future. Makaila, on the other hand, believes that
she will finish high school and “maybe” go to college. When asked whether
she would get pregnant as a teenager, or whether she would use drugs as a
grown-up, she responded, “Yes.” To our question, “Do you think that you will
stay safe and not get killed?” she replied, “Maybe.” Finally, Makaila offered a
picture of her possible future: “Granny works in the nightclub and takes me
there sometimes. Maybe I’m going to work there someday.”
Assignment: All of the cases focus on the vulnerable population of children. Research,
apply and outline the historical processes and perspectives of case
management and counseling as it has evolved in human service delivery in
relation to this scenario. How would the situation have been dealt with in the
past?
Critically evaluate at least two articles from the Virtual Library and at least
one other scholarly source of your choosing (ex. an organization’s website).
Show how these sources relate to your case. These sources may deal with
the historical perspective of the scenario chosen or with your
recommendations for dealing with the current state(Texas).
