Description
Post a description of what this family has experienced and what may prevent them from trusting professionals to seek out help. Identify any assumptions and biases you may bring to the interaction. What cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills would you need to leverage in order to build a relationship with this family? How would you demonstrate cultural humility?
Case study- Robert, Mary, Sarah, and Patrick
Robert (65) and Mary (63) took in granddaughter Sarah (16) and grandson Patrick (15) 2 years ago when the children’s mother (their daughter) died of a drug overdose.
The children’s father is currently incarcerated out of state, and the children only see him once or twice a year on holidays. Robert and Mary are actively involved in the local church and require Sarah and Patrick to attend services weekly with them. The children also have a chore schedule. The adjustment to the new living situation and stricter rules was difficult at first, but Robert and Mary believe the children have now settled into the routine.
Lately, however, Robert and Mary have received notice from the high school that Sarah has been skipping class at least three times a week. When confronted about it, Sarah denies the accusation and refuses to tell her grandparents where she went or whom she was with. Mary takes Sarah’s phone, meets with school administrators, and makes a plan to drive Sarah personally to school each day and pick her up, even though she has to leave work early to do so. Robert is retired and is home but is less involved with the family. One morning Mary is taking the garbage out and sees a pregnancy test in the bathroom trash indicating a positive result.
Mary calls a family meeting, during which Sarah reveals that she is indeed pregnant by her boyfriend. Patrick, normally reticent and soft-spoken, explodes off the couch and out the door, saying that he will “find that joker and beat him.” Sarah begins to cry. She says that she has not yet been to the doctor even though she suspects she is 2 months along. Robert and Mary don’t know what to do. This unexpected pregnancy has seemed to agitate the delicate balance that they’d created taking care of their grandchildren.
