Introduction

To effectively work with clients, as a social worker, it is essential to be culturally sensitive. We should have a cultural understanding of the patient we are dealing with. In the Case of Working with Children and Adolescents: The Case of Claudia, Claudia is portrayed as a young Hispanic female living with her parents in an urban center. Six months after her parents left Nicaragua for the US, Claudia was born. It is noted that Claudia’s parents are undocumented citizens and from an economic perspective, the family is struggling to earn a living. Her father relies on manual labor which does not come frequently while the mother works in a nail salon some days in a week. With no citizenship and family, the family lives in the US. However, they are friendly with the neighbors. It is noted that Claudia has a great relationship with her parents. While they live in an impoverished neighborhood with a lot of criminal activities, they have no option. Claudia could see a mugging scene when walking with her mom. This incident remained in Claudia’s mind soon after she witnessed it.

Social Issues

In this case, there are specific social issues involved. First of all, Claudia and the family are living in poverty, and her parents are undocumented citizens in the US. They cannot move freely within the country to look for a job for fear of being arrested. Children living in poverty often struggle in many areas such as academically because of lack of adequate learning resources at their disposal to access education like others. A person’s socioeconomic status can determine the resources and opportunities that they can get. In this case, poverty is a major social issue since it is reported to affect many children today. Psychologically, poverty has great affects children and can lead to anxiety, stress, and even depression. At the same time, children can also experience poor academic performance in school. It is also important to note that a lack of nutrition resulting from food insecurity is a major social concern because it affects the well-being of a person.

Claudia’s parents are undocumented immigrants in the US struggling to get steady employment to offer their family a better life. Her mother was afraid of getting help for her after witnessing a mugging case because she is in the country illegally. This is another social issue. In the US, some so many undocumented immigrants are in need of medication, education, and psychological assistance. Claudia’s family are not citizens; therefore, they struggle due to lack of resources which could otherwise be available to them were they, citizens.

Assessment

To assist the family of Claudia, I would first need to be culturally sensitive. I would need to empower them and encourage them to begin applying for US citizenship. Through this, they will have many opportunities at hand. I would ensure that I provide them with the details and the processes followed in applying for a US citizenship and guiding them through. At the same time, the family requires welfare benefits. The family cares about the well-being of their daughter and always wants her to live a happy life. As a result, they wake up every day with the aim of giving their daughter a different and better life experience. Even though they are immigrants, I would help them to know their rights. Addressing Claudia would require the development of an eco-map to bring an understanding of what surrounds her life.

References

McCormick, K. M., Stricklin, S., Nowak, T. M., & Rous, B. (2008). Using eco-mapping to understand family strengths and Library databases.

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e- reader].

Woolley, M. E. (2013). Assessment of children. In M. J. Holosko, C. N. Dulmus, & K. M. Sowers (Eds.), Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions (pp. 1–39). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.