Sample Case Interview Paper

For the purpose of this paper and to ensure the interviewed student’s confidentiality her name has been changed to Susie. Susie is a fourteen-year-old female who is a freshman at Santa Susana High School. Her ethnicity is White/African American, but she identifies as White. She is the oldest child, having a younger sister. She currently lives with her mother and sister and is considered middle class based on the SES criteria.
The intent of creating an education plan for Susie was to develop goals that would support her in meeting her high school graduation requirements (A-G) and give her the ability to transfer to a 2 or 4-year college. The plan would also identify specific barriers that are interfering with her academic success, by providing

She was experiencing the normal stress and anxiety of beginning a new school in addition to processing her recent diagnosis of Schizoaffective Disorder. Susie began 9th- grade stable due to therapy and medication. Susie was no longer participating in unsafe behaviors. At the end of October Susie entered the counseling department requesting assistance as she was having a strong desire to self-harm. Counselor and student discussed her urges and validated her courage to ask for help before hurting herself. Counselor contacted her parent who came immediately. The plan was for Susie to see her Psychiatrist before the end of the day and her counselor by the end of the following day. Susie and her parent were able to follow up with the counselor the following week. Student self-reported after leaving that day she did cut but has not done so since then. During the discussion, Susie was able to determine three challenges she is facing. The first challenge is her inability in coming to terms with her parents’ decision to divorce. She disclosed she really misses her dad and the ability to see/talk to him daily. Her second challenge is her body image, she is very uncomfortable with her weight gain and is embarrassed to dress for PE and feels the other girls are looking at her and are talking about her. She has gained a substantial amount of weight due to her medications. Lastly, she is struggling with her

Taking into consideration that most of Susie’s social/emotional challenges were the identified barriers interfering with Susie’s learning. In order to ensure that Susie was adequately supported it was determined her short-term goals would be helping her create a coping skills toolbox (create a toolbox and for her to put on paper skills she can utilize). We also realized she experienced several worries, in order for her to stay on task during the day she would need to put her focus on the present and not be worrying (worry box-write all her worries down and put in box-once a day she is permitted 10 minutes to open the box and read each worry-decide if she has any control over that worry-decided how she can move through it-keep or discard). We felt it was important that she build a strong support system so that when she is feeling overwhelmed, is having urges she can reach out for help. Each of Susie’s teachers were contacted explaining her daily challenges are and how they can check in with her and offer support when needed. For her long-term goals, it was important that she meet with her counselor for bi-weekly check-ins regarding her social/emotional and academic status. It was also important for her to continue with her visits with both her psychiatrist and therapist. I felt it was important that we also keep the communication open with her parents, therefore part of her long-term goals was