The Brown Family Case

Key Facts

The Brown family has presented to services with this agency due to numerous family problems and difficulties resolving these issues independently thus far. The family members involved in this case are the mother, Theresa, the father, Steve, the daughter, Bridgette, her two children, the middle child, Mike, and the youngest son who is unnamed. Steve is reportedly involved in some sort of illegal activity and has been evading his taxes. The daughter, Bridgette, runs an escort service to support her children. The family appears to be well off, driving nice vehicles and living in a five bedroom home with an acre of land. The middle son, Mike, is currently incarcerated for charges including aggravated battery and possession of an illegal

Risk factors for Mike, and in turn, his family, include illegal activity in his family and most likely throughout his childhood and adolescence in the family, negative peer influences, drug use, and not being able to recognize the seriousness of these problems. Mike’s temperament appears to be difficult, as evident by a lack of motivation, little to no respect to authorities, and he also shows little remorse when speaking to the authorities about the crimes he has committed which is a risk factor for him (Corcoran and Nichols-Casebolt, 2004). No one in the family has finished high school and gone on to higher education and there seems to be a lack of motivation in Mike and possibly the rest of his family which could also be identified as a risk factor. Having a low IQ has been identified as being a more prominent risk factor in anti-social behavior than socioeconomic status or race (2004). Mike’s mother, Theresa is also chronically ill which results in her needing numerous procedures done and many doctor’s appointments. This may also be seen as a risk factor for the family due to the high stress this illness has caused Theresa and the rest of the family, as well as the financial strain it is putting on them (2004). The family did not report any spiritual affiliations

The first step in this assessment is to look at the biological factors influencing this case. The social worker has virtually no information from the family about their biological history and family illnesses. It is known that the mother of the family is chronically ill but it is unknown with what disease or disorder. She is on pain medication to maintain daily functioning and has to visit her doctor on a very regular basis. This would cause a huge strain on the mother, as well as the family as they are worried about her well-being and taking care of her, as well as having to schedule her appointments, transport her, and pay for the medical expenses. The son, Mike, has admitted to using street drugs regularly including heroin, ecstasy, pain medication, and alcohol but it is unknown if other members of the family also engage in the use of street drugs. The use of these drugs have most likely had an influence on Mike’s development considering he started to use them when he was only 12 years old. This could have stunted his brain development as well as physical