Resource A1: Case Scenario #9 – Observation and Documentation: Intake Record
You are a community support worker at a local youth drop-in centre. The centre provides a large variety of programs and services for youth aged 15–24. You have an appointment to conduct an intake interview with Teneille Young, a 15-year-old youth. This is the first time she has connected with a community or social service agency. Teneille arrives at the centre with Cheryl Walker. Cheryl is the mother of her best friend Halle. Cheryl learned about the drop-in centre through one of her colleagues. She is the one encouraging Teneille to come meet with you today and is also there for emotional support.
Teneille is student in the ninth grade at Edmonton Central High School. She just turned 15 years old on. You learn that she has grown up in an abusive home environment. She is an only child and her mother Michelle has been raising Teneille on her own since she was a baby. Teneille has never had any contact with her father. Michelle struggled financially to support both herself and her daughter. She often worked long hours at two minimum wage jobs, leaving Teneille to look after herself. Teneille recalls coming home from school alone as young as age 7, having to make her own supper, and putting herself to bed at night while her mom worked until 11 p.m. She recalls a few times where they went with very little food in order to avoid being evicted from their apartment because they only had enough money for rent.
Last year, Michelle started dating a man named Jake. Teneille and Jake had a tenuous relationship from the start. Jake was a heavy drinker, and Michelle would always get drunk with him. Teneille did not want Jake hanging around. She would confront her mother, and it was not long before the argument would escalate. Jake had a very short temper and there were numerous times where he hit and punched Teneille to silence her. Michelle always took Jake’s side and would tell Teneille that she was making a big deal out of nothing. When Jake started spending the night, Teneille would leave, as she didn’t want to be around him. If he showed up early enough, she would go over to a friend’s place and sleep on their couch. When he showed up late at night, Teneille sometimes ended up sleeping outside. Three months ago, Jake lost his job and was evicted from his home, so he moved in with Michelle and Teneille. Since then, Teneille hardly ever goes home. She sometimes stayed over at Halle’s place, sometimes at her boyfriend’s place, and sometimes stayed outside when she didn’t have any other options.
Around three months ago, Teneille started seeing Daniel, a guy from school. Daniel is in grade 12, and just turned 18 years old. Teneille would stay over at Daniel’s home whenever she could sneak into his bedroom without his parents knowing. Soon after they started seeing each other, Teneille and Daniel became sexually active. Recently she has been feeling nauseous, and she noticed that she hasn’t had her period in a while. She bought a home pregnancy test from the drugstore and tested positive for pregnancy. When she told Daniel, he accused her of sleeping with other guys and broke up with her. He refuses to speak with her.
Not knowing what to do, Teneille went to see her mother Michelle. Michelle was infuriated with Teneille. She said that there was no way that she would be supporting her and her baby. Essentially, she kicked Teneille out of the apartment and told her not to bother to come by ever again. That is when Teneille went over to see Halle. She has now been living on their couch for nearly two weeks. Cheryl wishes that she could help more, but she simply doesn’t have the room. She, too, is a single parent with three children living in a two-bedroom apartment. She and Halle consider Teneille to be a good friend and will be there for her, but they don’t have the means the support her in the way they would like. Teneille hasn’t seen a doctor and she does not know what to do, what all of her options might be, or where to go. At the moment, she does not want to have anything to do with Daniel. She has nowhere to live and no way of being reached by phone. In the meantime, Cheryl has provided you with her address and phone numbers.
Case study questions and activity
- As you go through the intake process with Teneille, you will be using some of your professional helping skills such as open-ended questions and reflective listening.
- Provide two examples of open-ended questions that you would ask Teneille.
- Provide two examples of statements that you would say to Teneille that demonstrate reflective listening.
- In your own words, describe how you would apply the CUSEN values in your work with Teneille.
- In the agency where you work, it is their policy to inform clients of the agency’s policy of recordkeeping. You need Teneille to sign a form indicating consent for you to go through the intake process with her. In your own words, describe how you would explain confidentiality to her.
- What does confidentiality mean and what does it include?
- What are the limitations of confidentiality?
- Using the information available in this scenario, please complete the Intake Record.
- What are two recommendations you would suggest to her in terms of a programs and/or service? Please include the following:
- Name of organization and program or service
- Location and contact details of the organization and program; include physical address, phone number, and email
- In your own words, provide a brief description of the program and service
- Provide details on how to access it: Is it free? Are there any requirements such as a referral?
Case scenario by Nadine Konyck.
