Case Study Analysis: The Ramirez Family

The Ramirez family is multidimensional family experiencing some rising issues. The family Is currently going through health, housing and economic Issues. The Ramirez family consists of the father Mr..

Juan Ramirez, age 81 . Maria Ramirez, age 42, is the oldest daughter and Olga, age 28 is the youngest. Daughter Maria has two children they are Marco, age 22, who is diagnosed with Autism and daughter Lisa, 17 years old. The social worker has applied the strength perspective and the ecosystems perspective In helping them to assist their issues. The prioritize issues that will be face are Mr..

Ramirez health Issues, the possibility of loosing their home, and the economic Issues the family Is facing at the moment. The social work will abide by The National Association of Social Workers (1996) (NASA) Code of Ethics to support and provide the necessary resources available in their community to assist the Ramirez family with their presented issues. Using the ecosystems perspective will be a theoretical framework which the case will be seen by. According to Super and Wells (2013), “ecosystems perspective encourages social workers to maintain a stimulus focus on person and environment” (p. ). The ecosystems perspective deals with the environment effecting the family and vice versa.

Looking at the Ramirez family needs and relating to their environment will improve their situation. The family resides in Hartford and the family needs to be directed to the adequate resources in the community to help them with their needs. The strength perspective will be use to analyze the Ramirez family as well. The strength perspective Is an approach that looks at the strengths of clients Instead of their deficits (MacArthur, Rowan, & Browne, 2011).

The social worker has Identified he strength of the family of still being together. Maria having the strength to be a caregiver not only to her children but also her father.

Both Maria and Olga were caregivers to their mother, Estonian, who was diagnosed from dementia and was believed to have suffered from congestive heart failure that lead to her death. The Ramirez has been a close family helping each other and this will help them get through the difficulties they are currently going through with the medical needs of their father.

Making the family see the strength that they have will lead to empowerment. Empowerment in this case will involve being in control of their basic needs and to strive to resolve the issues the family currently is going through and taking the resources in their environment to accomplish to resolution. With the Issues that need to be address gaining the confidence and faith in the Ramirez family to work with the social worker Is helpful to continue with their case.

Even with the benefit of being a Spanish speaking social worker there will be challenges when it comes to religion. Having Mr..

Ramirez be a devout Jehovah witness will be a challenge since social worker does not know any details of the elision. As a social worker on must be culture competent when working with clients of difference cultures to better assist their needs. Social worker did research and Tuna one AT Season’s Witness meal Dealer Is to retune transfusions even IT it is to save their life (Lauderdale-Wood, 2005).

Knowing this information is important in understanding Mr.. Ramirez because being culturally competent will better help the client know the social worker understand his beliefs.

Social worker having the skill of competently with individuals of different cultures is important in social work reactive because in America today there are many individuals who belong to different ethnic minority groups (Super & Wells, 2013). Also, having someone from his belief come and speak with him may come as a comfort to him. At 29 Headwords Street in Hartford, Jehovah Witnesses meet every week as a group and this may be some where Mr.

. Ramirez may be interested at attending.

Relating to someone from his religious belief may help him with understanding the important of getting his health in the right path while still respecting his beliefs. Building a relationship with he Ramirez family and showing the social worker respects their beliefs and not being Judgmental will encourage him and his daughters to gain trust and work with the resources the social worker will be offering. The priority issue that needs to be addressed is Mr..

Ramirez medical issues. The social worker in this issue will have to work with Mr.. Ramirez doctor but nothing cannot be done until Mr..

Ramirez gets checked. If the possibility of bringing care to the home will be look on due to Mr.. Ramirez being “irritated” and “uncooperative” after waiting for over 3 hours at the clinic. A referral to the Department of Social Services (ADS) will be made.

ADS offer programs for beneficial to Mr.. Ramirez for example medical care including a service that can bring medical care to home to individuals 65 years or older (www. CT. Gob/ads).

According to Sheaf’s & Horsier (2012), a social work activity is to link individuals to the resources, services, and opportunities they need, want, and can use (p. 47). This referral will give Mr.. Ramirez more information and give him options to the services he can use. Having Maria and Olga as a support is a strength they have and to encourage their father to aka the services will be beneficial to get the medical treatment he needs depending on his medical evaluation from a doctor.

The second priority issue the social worker will be addressing is housing. According to the NASA Code of Ethics (1996), the value of social Justice is to fight for social injustice for the people in need.

The city being in the process of taking possession of their house for a new bus line through eminent domain is not only effecting the Ramirez home but many homes around the community. The possibility of their home being taking within the next two months adds more insecurities to the family. Being an advocate for the family in this issue will be helpful for the family to focus in other issues that are going on in their home. Having a backup plan is always necessary and if preventing the possession of the home by the city impossible a housing referral needs to be made.

Again ADS has a housing assistance program that the Ramirez family can be qualify for. Providing the family with an application to the program will be an assistance and a guide to set them up to be empowering themselves. The third priority issue the social will address is getting assistance to Maria with her son Marco and employment. Marco was diagnosed with autism at age 4 and now is no longer in school having Maria “overwhelmed. ” Maria has lost her Job and her meal Insurance.

I née TLS thing will De getting Marco evaluated Day a doctor to make the decision of what care is appropriate for him.

Having the communication with Marco primary doctor will be important. Maria stating she does not know “what to do with him” confirms her unknown knowledge of the resources in her community that can be a help for her. There has been previous investigations that has strongly imply that mothers with children with autism experience very high levels of stress Han a mother of children without (Smith, Jinks, Seltzer, Greenberg, Alameda, & Bishop, 2010). Knowing from previous research of caring for a child with autism is difficult Maria needs to have support.

According to Soups & Floyd (2012), Joining a support group is a way of coping with the struggles of caring for a child with Autism.

Hope 4 Autism offer support group meeting for individuals living with and affected by autism (www. Hepatitis. Org). This referral will help Maria as well as Marco with receiving support to be less “overwhelmed”. Maria will be able to connect with other individuals who are going through the same struggle of caring for a child diagnosed with Autism.

Another referral for Maria is CT Works (http://www. Capitalistically. Rug/ storks/) where she can be assisted with employment. This referral will be a great resource to Maria once the previous priorities have been look on. Once Mr.

. Ramirez and Marco can be taken care of Maria will have the opportunity to seek employment without concern of her father and son. The social work relationship the social worker brings to the case are challenges and strengths. The challenge is having no information of Jehovah Witnesses. As a social worker one must inform and be cultural competent to better serve the family.

Being professional and be an active listener to the needs of the family is a strength.

Being a Spanish speaker can be beneficial to the family to better communicate and assist. Social workers primary responsibility is the well being of the family and not only providing the family with resources but also checking if the resources have been effective. Social worker is self determine to bring the family in a better state to have them work to self empowerment. The Ramirez family is in need of help to resolve issues that have arise in their Emily.

Taking the strength perspective and the ecosystems perspective led to the referrals giving to the family.

The environmental factor is a major factor to this family in that their home possibly be taken away by the city. Mr.. Ramirez is in need of medical care which he refuses. Maria needs support with her son Marco as well as assistance to finding employment.

There are many resources in their community to meet their needs and have been referred to help them. Social worker primary goal is to help the family address their social problem in a professional manner while being cultural competent.