18 Apr In this assignment, you are being asked to create a visual representation of the problem you selected for the Unit 6 Addressing Client Needs Paper (

• Overview:
• Over the past several weeks, you have researched a problem and some local services that may help a client in need. In many human service professions, you may work directly with clients to offer help in resolving specific issues, however, you may also …
• It is important to understand what information is important to share with your community in the hopes of educating others about a common problem your clients may face.
• Instructions:
• Requirements:
• Evaluation Rubric for Five Subfields of Forensic Psychology Assignment

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Unit 6 Assignment: Addressing Client Needs

Post University

HSV101 – Introduction to Human Services

Professor Jola Chludzinski

April 17, 2022

Background information

Domestic violence is a major challenge facing families in the United States. The greater challenge is that most victims are never willing to come out and speak out about their encounters for fear of what people will say as well as possible consequences of their speaking out by their perpetrators. In this case, I am meeting a new client who is recovering from an intense domestic violence. The lady is mentally, emotionally, and physically wounded after her husband attacked and beat her to the point of getting unconscious. She is lucky to have survived the attack after a neighbor intervened and I am informed that as a couple they have been having family squabbles. In a number of occasions, the husband has uttered life threatening words for instance “one of these days I will kill you” among many others that the lady never took seriously. The lady has been discharged from hospital and now in need of a professional in crisis support management for the purpose of being supported to cope with the situation while healing progressively. In this case, I am offering supportive counselling services that will help the victim go through recovery process successfully.

Impact of the problem

The problem has a severe negative impact on the victim and her three children. With the oldest child being a teenager, she is able to understand what is going on in the family a situation that makes it completely delicate. At the same time, the battered lady due to emotional and psychological trauma she has been exposed to is unable to offer healthy parenting care to her three children. At the same time, the children from the impact are unable to relate with their father as they have developed fear and anxiety towards him. For this reason, the lady client’s family have opted taking in the children first and love with them as the mother recovers and be in a position to take good care of them (Cannon, et al., 2016). Moreover, at it currently stands, the mother is not able to work and hence economically disempowered to take care of her family leaving all responsibilities to the husband and her immediate family members. The perpetrator from the extent of the damage also appears emotionally affected and can start feeling the relationship distance between his wife and children. This means that every member of the nuclear and by extension extended family have been affected by the problem.

Local services to address the problem

This being a sensitive case from the magnitude of impact involved, there are a number of services needed to have the problem resolved in its entirety. As the lady client continues with her medication at home, as a crisis support counsellor, one of the most important services I can offer to the lady is therapy and counselling. This is where I would help the lady to get overall fitness in all aspects of life and make sure that she is completely healing. As a counsellor, I would offer various options available that she can explore and decide on the very best option that would suit her so that she can pursue. At the same time, I would counsel and encourage her on positive parenting in order to help her handle her children as a parent as a way of reducing the impact on them. I would also have to counsel the husband and probably take him through anger management training sessions so that he can be able to handle any extent of provocation without resulting into fighting.

As a couple in the case, they would make a decision to remain married, I would coach them on how to resolve marital issues privately, professionally and ethically. By so doing, they would make their relationship stronger and avoid instances where children would get involved. Lastly as parents, I would coach them on how to bring back the lost family relationship so that the children and the wife can trust the father/husband again. In the case they would opt to separate, I would coach them on how best to co-parent. This is to mean that the entire family would have to go through guidance and counselling program as individuals, as a family, and as a couple.

For the program to work, I would have them visit me in the office during allocated time for the purpose of promoting privacy and confidentiality of any information that might be shared. Moreover, in the office, the lady, children, and the husband would meet other clients with similar or even complex challenges and get to learn more from them especially those that have made positive progress. The interaction works perfectly because such experiences are major intrinsic motivators that positive change is positive with the right support (Lambert, 2022). It would also encourage them in trusting the process no matter how slow it might appear. Nonetheless, from time to time, I would make impromptu visits at home to learn whether what is being counselled to them is being applied and learn the levels of success being attained.

Barriers accessing services

The services that I have been offering to the lady and her family by extension have been readily available. However, the main barrier has been the rate of embracing the program and believing in the process. First of all, the case was a referral, and this means it required a lot of professionalism and patience to have the lady accept the services and open up to share her experience (Cannon, et l., 2016). It was also challenging to create good relationship and trust with the children and the perpetrator.

The second major barrier that I had to deal with is the fact that this is the first domestic violence I was dealing with. This means I had to conduct a lot of research on how best to handle the matter and I had to engage professionals who have handled domestic violence cases in the past to gather their views and opinions on the issue. However, it was challenging because not all solutions I could offer that sounded acceptable to the involved parties and this would call for searching for more applicable solutions. The barrier made the problem to take a much longer time to resolve than anticipated.

Conclusion

Domestic violence is a major challenge and exposes victims to an unbearable crisis. Whenever domestic violence takes place, it attracts other challenges that only the victim gets to understand better. It is for this reason that many who undergo domestic violence are always reluctant on talking about ordeal as they feel ashamed as their levels of confidence tends to get tampered with. However, effective application of professional crisis management can help in addressing even the most sensitive cases of domestic violence as witnessed in this case. Of importance to note is that no matter how bad and worthless a domestic violence victim might feel it is important to speak up and seek professional help on how to overcome the trauma. This is the only way the crisis can be resolved permanently without making the case any worse. After all as Lambert, (2022) states; “failing to report or seek helps after going through domestic violence only creates more ample room for more abuse and violence that can have fatal consequences”.

References

Cannon, C., Hamel, J., Buttell, F., & Ferreira, R. J. (2016). A survey of domestic violence perpetrator programs in the United States and Canada: Findings and implications for policy and intervention. Partner abuse, 7(3), 226-276.

Lambert, N. (2022). Supporting people who are experiencing domestic abuse. Mental Health Practice, 25(1).