Hayley Bucci (Harrington)

HS Practicum

Dr. Sporl

Applying the Integrative Processing Model

Step 1: Gathering Objective Data from Concrete Experience

I sat in on a Child-Family Team Meeting (CFT) for the W family. There had been a Child

Protective Services (CPS) report on the family two days prior and this meeting was classified as

an emergency CFT to determine placement of their 3-year old son. The CPS report had been

filed by another member about the household who has had personal strife with the couple for

many years and had previously filed reports.

The accusations against the W family were that their home was cluttered and dangerous

and that there was physical child abuse against the son. P and W, the parents, claimed that the

injuries were from the child being “off the walls” and jumping and falling. One occasion when

the boy was admitted into the ER with a dislocated shoulder they claimed that he was about to

run into the street and they grabbed his arm to hold him back and protect him. The child was in

the CFT meeting with us and it was evident that he is almost uncontrollable.

According to the investigative social workers on the case, the house was infested with

mice, both dead and alive. There was a large hole in the wall above the bed. It was nearly

impossible to walk through the home due to clutter.

P admitted to suffering from depression and had previously disclosed that she suffers

from Multiple Personality Disorder and that she had let the home go. The W family also stated
that they had personal conflict with the household member who had called CPS and that that was

the reason for the report. The social workers did not allow the W family to continue in regards to

the reporter. The family was able to mention one potential kinship placement for the child and an

evaluation was scheduled for her home. The W family would only be granted supervised visits of

their child in either kinship placement or foster care until further notice.

Step 2: Reflecting

I immediately felt horrible for this family after leaving the CFT. I understand that their home is

not currently the best place for their child to live due to the sanitation, but upon meeting the

family and seeing them interact with their child, I do believe that they love him and want what is

best for him. They have been dealt a very bad hand in life. They live in extreme poverty, both of

the parents have intellectual disabilities along with mental health diagnoses, they have little to no

family support, they don’t know how to find the right resources, they don’t know how to practice

good hygiene, and they both come from sexually and physically abusive homes.

I was in tears the moment I left that meeting with empathy for this family. They truly

love their son but don’t have the means or the ability to take care of him the way they desire to. I

can’t imagine the stress and anxiety they must be feeling. I took the burden home with me after

the meeting and I let it really affect me. I hope that I can channel that energy into helping them

with their nurturing parenting skills. Those include taking care of yourself and then, in return,

taking care of your child.

Step 3: Identifying Relevant Theory and Knowledge

From what I have learned in my undergraduate studies and from my internship, I know that the

younger the child is, the more impacted they can be by their environment in regards to their brain
development. Contrary to popular belief, the younger the child is, the more long-tern negative

consequences they will likely encounter as a result of their home situation. This is because the

brain grows from the bottom up and from the inside out. Therefore, the younger the child is, the

earlier stress (or more importantly, toxic stress), can affect the brain and its development moving

forward.

Therefore, as much as I would love for the family to stay together since they truly do care

about and love their son, I know that they need to be separated until the family can get

themselves back on the right footing in order to raise him properly. It is better for the child to be

raised in a separate home until then with the parents making every effort they can to be involved

in his life.

Step 4: Examining Dissonance

The main point of dissonance in the situation with the W family is that I want to be on their side

and believe the best in them. However, sometimes the families that we work with are not always

truthful and truly are harming their children, physically or otherwise. I should be more objective

in my evaluations of their story and their feelings and love for their son rather than just wanting

to take their word for it.

I feel uncomfortable with how the other social workers treat the W family. They

approach them with hostility and it immediately makes the family turn on the defensive. This

causes me to want to defend the family even more since they can’t seem to find a leg to stand on.

However, I need to, again, by more objective. I need to dig deeper and do more research before I

come to a conclusion on the family’s motives.

Step 5: Articulating Learning

The major lesson that I have learned from this experience is to not go to conclusions too quickly.

I am the type of person that wants to see the best in people. There are times and cases when it is

evident and clear (i.e. blatant child abuse, domestic violence, rape etc.) where that is not the case,

but in general, if there is a grey area I am more likely to come to the person’s defense. While

empathy and sympathy can be helpful, I need to grow a stronger backbone in order to do what is

best for the child. If the child really is in a dangerous environment or if the family truly is

abusive and I send the child right back into that home, that would be much worse than taking the

time to thoroughly investigate the claims made against the family in the report.

Step 6: Developing a Plan

The W family should begin parenting classes immediately. These nurturing parenting skills will

not only help them better take care of their son but are also focused on self-esteem, self-worth

and taking care of your own needs as well. The W family could greatly benefit from classes such

as these and improving their skills.

The W family also needs help finding the resources they require. I would like to look into

getting this family on disability services as neither of them are able to hold jobs. I would like to

also make sure that they are on WIC and Medicaid and also on government-subsidized day care

for their son. They might also benefit from a WorkFirst program to see if there is any kind of

work that they would be able to steadily hold. They may also be able to find help from local

NGOs and churches to help repair the damages in their home, the mice, and mold problems they

have.

For my own learning and development, I need to take a step back and analyze the

situation objectively before moving forward with the case. I need to be able to take my emotions
out of it and see what their needs are and focus on getting those met. In turn, things will improve.

If the W family is willing to do what they need to do to get their son back, then they can prove

for themselves that they love and care for their son without me having to assume it for them.