6200 week 11 Discussion and 6051 Week 11 Discussion
*Discussion one 1 page*
*SOCW 6200: Human Behavior and the Social Environment I*
*Week 11*
Discussion: Indicators of Suicide
Increased stress levels, feeling hopeless and alone, being bullied, or
experiencing repeated physical or sexual abuse could all be reasons why
some adolescents consider suicide. Adolescent suicide has far-reaching
consequences on families, friends, communities, and schools. For this
Discussion, use the Parker Family case study to consider the indicators of
suicide. While Stephanie is now an adult talking about her experience as a
youth, image how you would have responded to her at the time she tried to
kill herself in adolescence. Also think about how you might react to
students in this situation if you were a social worker in a school.
08/10/2021
*Post *your answer to the following:
- After learning about the character in the Parker Family case
study, imagine that you were the school social worker at the time
Stephanie attempted suicide as a teenager. Which indicators would you
have looked for and why.
- How would you have responded to each of those indicators?
- What kinds of questions would you have asked and why?
*The Parker Family*
*Sara is a 72-year-old widowed Caucasian female who lives in a two-bedroom
apartment with her 48-year-old daughter, Stephanie, and six cats. Sara and
her daughter have lived together for the past 10 years, since Stephanie
returned home after a failed relationship and was unable to live
independently. Stephanie has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and her
overall physical health is good. Stephanie has no history of treatment for
alcohol or substance abuse; during her teens she drank and smoked marijuana
but no longer uses these substances. When she was 16 years old, Stephanie
was hospitalized after her first bipolar episode. She had attempted suicide
by swallowing a handful of Tylenol® and drinking half a bottle of vodka
after her first boyfriend broke up with her. She has been hospitalized
three times in the past 4 years when she stopped taking her medications and
experienced suicidal ideation. Stephanie’s current medications are Lithium,
Paxil®, Abilify®, and Klonopin®.*
*Stephanie recently had a brief hospitalization as a result of depressive
symptoms. She attends a mental health drop-in center twice a week to
socialize with friends and receives outpatient psychiatric treatment at a
local mental health clinic for medication management and weekly therapy.
She is maintaining a part-time job at a local supermarket where she bags
groceries and is currently being trained to become a cashier. Stephanie
currently has active Medicare and receives Social Security Disability
(SSD).*
*Sara has recently been hospitalized for depression and has some physical
issues. She has documented high blood pressure and hyperthyroidism, she is
slightly underweight, and she is displaying signs of dementia. Sara has no
history of alcohol or substance abuse. Her current medications are Lexapro®
and Zyprexa®. Sara has Medicare and receives Social Security benefits and a
small pension. She attends a day treatment program for seniors that is
affiliated with a local hospital in her neighborhood. Sara attends the
program 3 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and van service is
provided free of charge.*
*A telephone call was made to Adult Protective Services (APS) by the senior
day treatment social worker when Sara presented with increased confusion,
poor attention to daily living skills, and statements made about
Stephanie’s behavior. Sara told the social worker at the senior day
treatment program that, “My daughter is very argumentative and is throwing
all of my things out.” She reported, “We are fighting like cats and dogs;
I’m afraid of her and of losing all my stuff.”*
*During the home visit, the APS worker observed that the living room was
very cluttered, but that the kitchen was fairly clean, with food in the
refrigerator and cabinets. Despite the clutter, all of the doorways,
including the front door, had clear egress. The family lives on the first
floor of the apartment building and could exit the building without
difficulty in case of emergency. The litter boxes were also fairly clean,
and there was no sign of vermin in the home.*
*Upon questioning by the APS worker, Sara denied that she was afraid of her
daughter or that her daughter had been physically abusive. In fact, the
worker observed that Stephanie had a noticeable bruise on her forearm,
which appeared defensive in nature. When asked about the bruise, Stephanie
reported that she had gotten it when her mother tried to grab some items
out of her arms that she was about to throw out. Stephanie admitted to
throwing things out to clean up the apartment, telling the APS worker, “I’m
tired of my mother’s hoarding.” Sara agreed with the description of the
incident. Both Sara and Stephanie admitted to an increase in arguing, but
denied physical violence. Sara stated, “I didn’t mean to hurt Stephanie. I
was just trying to get my things back.”*
*The APS worker observed that Sara’s appearance was unkempt and disheveled,
but her overall hygiene was adequate (i.e., clean hair and clothes).
Stephanie was neatly groomed with good hygiene. The APS worker determined
that no one was in immediate danger to warrant removal from the home but
that the family was in need of a referral for Intensive Case Management
(ICM) services. It was clear there was some conflict in the home that had
led to physical confrontations. Further, the house had hygiene issues,
including trash and items stacked in the living room and Sara’s room, which
needed to be addressed. The APS worker indicated in her report that if not
adequately addressed, the hoarding might continue to escalate and create an
unsafe and unhygienic environment, thus leading to a possible eviction or
recommendation for separation and relocation for both women.*
*As the ICM worker, I visited the family to assess the situation and the
needs of the clients. Stephanie said she was very angry with her mother and
sick of her compulsive shopping and hoarding. Stephanie complained that
they did not have any visitors and she was ashamed to invite friends to the
home due to the condition of the apartment. When I asked Sara if she saw a
problem with so many items littering the apartment, Sara replied, “I need
all of these things.” Stephanie complained that when she tried to clean up
and throw things out, her mother went outside and brought it all back in
again. We discussed the need to clean up the apartment and make it
habitable for them to remain in their home, based on the recommendations of
the APS worker. I also discussed possible housing alternatives, such as
senior housing for Sara and a supportive apartment complex for Stephanie.
Sara and Stephanie both stated they wanted to remain in their apartment
together, although Stephanie questioned whether her mother would cooperate
with cleaning up the apartment. Sara was adamant that she did not want to
be removed from their apartment and would try to accept what needed to be
done so they would not be forced to move.*
*The Parker Family*
*Sara Parker: mother, 72*
*Stephanie Parker: daughter, 48*
*Jane Rodgers: daughter, 45*
*Stephanie reported her mother is estranged from her younger sister, Jane,
because of the hoarding. Stephanie also mentioned she was dissatisfied with
her mother’s psychiatric treatment and felt she was not getting the help
she needed. She reported that her mother was very anxious and was having
difficulty sleeping, staying up until all hours of the night, and buying
items from a televised shopping network. Sara’s psychiatrist had recently
increased her Zyprexa prescription dosage to help reduce her agitation and
possible bipolar disorder (as evidenced by the compulsive shopping), but
Stephanie did not feel this had been helpful and actually wondered if it
was contributing to her mother’s confusion. I asked for permission to
contact Jane and both of their outpatient treatment teams, and both
requests were granted.*
*I immediately contacted Jane, who initially was uncooperative and stated
she was unwilling to assist. Jane is married, with three children, and
lives 3 hours away. At the beginning of our phone call, Jane said, “I’ve
been through this before and I’m not helping this time.” When I asked if I
could at least keep in touch with her to keep her informed of the situation
and any decisions that might need to be made, Jane agreed. After a few more
minutes of discussion around my role and responsibilities, I was able to
establish a bit of rapport with Jane. She then started to ask me questions
and share some insight into what was going on in her mother and sister’s
home.*
*Jane informed me that she was very angry with her mother and had not
brought her children to the apartment in years because of its condition.
She said that her mother started compulsively shopping and hoarding when
she and Stephanie were in high school, and while her father had tried to
contain it as best he could, the apartment was always cluttered. She said
this had been a source of conflict and embarrassment for her and Stephanie
all of their lives. She said that after her father died of a heart attack,
the hoarding got worse, and neither she nor Stephanie could control it.
Jane also told me she felt her mother was responsible for Stephanie’s
relapses. Jane reported that Stephanie had been compliant with her
medication and treatment in the past, and that up until a few years ago,
had not been hospitalized for several years. Jane had told Stephanie in the
past to move out.*
*Jane also told me that she “is angry with the mental health system.” Sara
had been recently hospitalized for depression, and Jane took pictures of
the apartment to show the inpatient treatment team what her mother was
going home to. Jane felt they did not treat the situation seriously because
they discharged her mother back to the apartment. Stephanie had been
hospitalized at the same time as her mother, but in a different hospital,
and Jane had shown the pictures to her sister’s treatment team as well.
Initially the social worker recommended that Stephanie not return to the
apartment because of the state of the home, but when that social worker was
replaced with someone new, Stephanie was also sent back home.*
*When I inquired if there were any friends or family members who might be
available and willing to assist in clearing out the apartment, Jane said
her mother had few friends and was not affiliated with a church group or
congregation. However, she acknowledged that there were two cousins who
might help, and she offered to contact them and possibly help herself. She
said that she would ask her husband to help as well, but she wanted
assurance that her mother would cooperate. I explained that while I could
not promise that her mother would cooperate completely, her mother had
stated that she was willing to do whatever it took to keep living in her
home. Jane seemed satisfied with this response and pleased with the plan.*
*I then arranged to meet with Sara and her psychiatrist to discuss her
increased anxiety and confusion and the compulsive shopping. I requested a
referral for neuropsychiatric testing to assess possible cognitive changes
or decline in functioning. A test was scheduled, and it indicated some
cognitive deficits, but at the end of testing, Sara told the psychologist
who administered the tests she had stopped taking her medications for
depression. It was determined Sara’s depression and discontinuation of
medication could have affected her test performance and it was recommended
she be retested in 6 months
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