Social Work Case With Trent

To start this case with Trent, if I have walked upon a child that is screaming for his mother, that is a sign that something has gone terribly wrong. It raises a question as to, if this child is needing his mother because of the stress in the classroom, or is his mother is missing from his life. The first thing I would do is calm the situation, by taking Trent to the side, to discuss what is going with him. By Trent being five years old, I know I would not get much information. I would then turn to his immediate family and peers using the mezzo level of intervention. To gather this information on Trent, the administration would provide the contact information, and the classroom would provide a group of his peers. According to Karen K. Kirst-Ashman

and Hull H. Jr. Grafton, “ mezzo events involve interactions with other people in the immediate environment. These experience often concern relationships with peer groups and immediate work groups” (2012). In order me to use this level, I would need to have the group sessions for Trent’s peers and his family to get idea of what his life is like on his daily activities. Since, Trent came from a broken family through divorce, I will talk with his parents, step parent, and any other family that is involved. To find out what type of family Trent has, I decided to use the Practice Perspective model or theory. According to Rengasamy, S., “Practice Perspective model offers both an explanation of explained behaviours, how, viewing and thinking about certain behaviours or situations why certain problems develop” (2010). By using this model, everybody in Trent’s immediate environment will have a part in helping me, find a solution to Trent’s behavior and whether it is his school environment or the fact that Trent truly suffers from the separation of his biological parents. This Practice Perspective will give the mezzo level fuel it needs to empower Trent in his social environment.
. Relationship to Course Themes: Discuss how the intervention/reading relates to course themes/topics*. To use mezzo level and the social environment is to refer to the immediate physical and social setting in which people live or in which something happens or develop. I will be able to carry on conversations with Trent’s family as well as with his peers. According to Oliver, Carolyn, “strength base practice is the belief that all people, families and communities have the capacity for continual growth and that their untapped abilities and resources can help resolve their current problems. The primary task is to systemically help the client to identify and access these abilities and resources” (2014). To access Trent’s family, a family assessment is needed. Divorce is high in the African American culture. According to Demographic Research, “ divorce is among black couples is more prevalent than it is among whites or Hispanics” (as cited by Moore, Don, 2003). This would help me understand that divorce is not uncommon in the black culture, but the effects that it has on children is devastating, which could mean a lot of anger and resentment is taken out on the subject without fault. According to Britannica Encyclopedia psychological, “projection means to shift the blame, for someone else’s action” (2014). I believe that Trent could have been suffering psychological from being part of a broken home, and he found a way to release his pain and resentment toward his teachers and peers. According to Clinicians have long suspected that projection plays an important role in their clients' interpersonal problems, and other social scientists have speculated that projection contributes to intergroup hostility and conflict. To get to the bottom of Tent’s situation, one would need to know his feelings about his biological parents not being a part of the same household. Assuming during contact with his family, they would be glad to meet with me to discuss Trent’s well being and his coping abilities with his peers. With the mezzo level and family sessions this can help Trent’s self esteem to reenter the classroom with assurance that he is loved and appreciated by his parents and his friends, by using Practice Perspective Trent’s future at this school may be without a track record of being labeled as the kid with an issue and he does not want to learn. Practice Perspective will give a plan that could change or improve the life of my client (Trent).
Significance: Discuss the importance and significance of the intervention as it relates to Trent’s situation. Why is this intervention likely to assist Trent within the context of his case?
The importance of Practice Perspective is to work closely with his family because without their input on his actions at home, I would not have a successful outcome on his total behavior, the good and the bad. The small group of his peers would allow me to have the knowledge of what goes in the classroom. Children tend to do better without guarded setting with other adults or if someone is looking at them. This is also a part of the social environment which means, I will not just pick on the peers from his school, but also his Sunday School group, perhaps that group can provide if any outburst, tantrums and or a calm little boy who loves coming to Sunday school. I want to be able to exam all social events before drawing a conclusion to his problem. During the family meetings, this is where information is gathered from parents, grandparents, and if religion is a part of his culture. The African American culture has a very spiritual connection with the church, but his religious status is not known at this time. I know that this idea of attacking this problem with mezzo is a must because Trent is five years old, and at this age questions can be confusing from a lack of understanding. The Practice Perspective let me know if the divorce plays part in Trent’s problem or if it is really in the classroom. To know if other factors are involved in Trent’s behavior, I need to examine the entire network of his immediate environment. Practice Perspective would lets me know if Trent’s behavior a cause of what is going on in the home or at school and for how long has Trent being in suffering from this negative behavior. If projection is what Trent is suffering from, then using Practice Perspective would be very helpful in this matter. This family will be able to communicate together in the same setting. I believe, if I arranged for both biological parents to meet with me first, and then add the others, for instance, the stepparent and grandparent to watch the chemistry of Trent’s actions in the group. The peers of his school and of his small group from church will be added after the sessions with immediate family. The mezzo level may be a solution finder to Trent’s problems.
Soundness: Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the intervention. The strength of this intervention is communication which allows Trent to focus on himself and his family without interruptions from peers or his teachers. I believe that this intervention is what every family needs to make their family stronger. Practice Perspective, I believe has saved many relationships whether the situation is with individuals or families. If Trent’s family and social environment is not involved, then his coping with others could cause him to be labeled by his teachers and others without analyzing his true problems. To understand ones problem, we must first know what is going on with the individual. Trent’s behavior can be better assist with family and friends than with someone who does not have the time to put an effort into understanding, why he is throwing a tantrum or acting out in his classroom. Another strength with the Practice Perspective is that it provides information on whom he spends most of his time with, who is his favorite, but he spends less time with and how enjoys his day. The Practice Perspective provides core answers to Trent’s behavior at home and in the classroom, which can provide reasons for his actions in the classroom. With this intervention all cannot be complete, without the inviting the macro system which including the school, church and other organizations that he may be a part of, although to get a head with Trent’s problems, they can be solve with family and friends because he is five years old with limits due to his age. This intervention has promise, but if Trent does not improve, then much is needed for further evaluation. Trent is just beginning and to stop further damage to his well being, I believe that the Practice Perspective can give the answers to Trent’s behavior and a happier life in school. The labeling that Trent is experiencing as a trouble maker will not travel, if I can stop Trent’s problems before he enter the next grade. The last strength for using Practice Perspective is the mezzo level, family and peers. Mezzo is actually the first thing, I would use to help me with a five year old child.
Implications: Discuss the practical implications of the intervention for generalist social work practice with individuals and families.

Practice Perspective in a positive way provided realizations between a person whom they love, and who loves them in return. The Mezzo level is way to provide key components in one’s life while trying to figure out what is going on with an individual. Trent had to learn how not to live with both of biological parents, but by providing him and his family an opportunity to share feeling toward a family divided, then that is called closure. So many feeling and resentment takes place in a family divided or divorced and sometimes the children are affected the most. In some cases children welcome a divorce when they can understand what is really going on in the family setting. In Trent’s case, he is five years old and having problems because he does not understand what is going on with his family. The family sessions provide a way for dad to tell Trent how he feels about him and what happens between his mother and him was not his fault. The step parent has a chance to tell Trent that she is there for his support and that she expresses nothing but love for him. The mom gets to share how much she loves him, even though she has chosen to work and school to support him with love and financially stability. Trent gets to share the need for his parents and specific needs to be met such as more time with parents and acceptable times with grandmother. Grandmother gets to tell the stories of how she connects with Trent, so he is never alone. Grandma might admit that she cannot take the place of the parents. The peers can provide the social part of Trent’s being. In the classroom, his peers can provide me with his ability to understand and interact with others. The Sunday school class will provide information on his attentive relations with others in a small setting. The mezzo level can provide great information on Trent, relationship with his

family and his relationship with his peers. Certainly, if any problems should arise for Trent, the mezzo level and Practice Perspective will be the providers for his greatest outcome.