Helping Katie Cope: A Case

Conceptualization
By Chad Obzud
Katie is
12 years old
In the 7th Grade
African American
Born in Haiti (came to U.S. in 2014)
A commanding ESL student; home speaks
Creole as main language
Low Income (has free lunch program)
Is 1 of 3 siblings, parents, and mothers
parents who live in the home
Strengths
Great sense of humor
Has a large caring family
Has many friends at school and in her
neighborhood
Large support system at school
Attentive and responsible
Enthusiastic student
Demonstrates strong perseverance
Friendly and outgoing
Challenges
Cognitive:
Has Sickle-Cell Anemia
Has had many mini-
strokes leading to Interpersonal:

cognitive deficiencies Not allowed in halls while other students are in

halls.

(problem solving, Class schedule went from 15:1 to 8:1.

Can no longer play gym
memory, Must have an aid to guide her from class
attentiveness) Is recommended no to sit in lunch

Experiencing difficulty
with communication
Other Challenges
Emotional:
Lacks coping skills;
easily becomes upset
or angry; will shut
down or try to leave Behavioral:
Either rambunctious or uninvolved during class
Presenting depressive time
Acts before thinking
symptoms

(disengaged, low
energy, irritable,
trouble eating)
Perceived Support
Counselor: School counselor meets her at bus and
has daily morning check-ins; intern has lunch with
her and her best friend in office daily
Social Worker: Weekly sessions to support Katie and
provide mentoring
Friends: She picks a buddy to walk with her from
class to class after the bell
Faculty and staf: Bi-weekly CSE meetings where
Katie is mentioned and plans for support are revised
Family: Support with homework as well as a large,
caring, and nurturing environment
Goals
Proper classification and cognitive rehabilitation

Supporting student to create and utilize coping

mechanisms

Providing safe and comfortable environment for

student who is transitioning

Improvement of communication skills and self-

esteem
Intervention Strategies
Advocate for testing
Daily check-ins
Weekly sessions with social worker
Lunch and hallway buddy
Bi-weekly program assessment
Weekly phone calls home
8:1 school schedule
Speech and language AIS class every other day
Collaboration with all stakeholders
Card games like UNO to help exercise the mind
New 9th period class to provide choice and autonomy over
students schedule
Evaluation Measures
Bi-weekly CSE meetings

Weekly phone calls home

Check-ins with Katie to assess needs

Collaboration with AIS teacher, classroom

teacher, school psychologist, nurse, doctors,
school counselors, administration, and family
to provide the best possible support
Counseling Skills
Consultation
Collaboration
Advocacy
Reflection
Leadership Summarizing
Open/Closed Questions
Paraphrasing
Reframing
Active listening
Providing a safe environment
Theory of Individual Counseling
Solution-Focused
Rogerian Therapy Brief Therapy

Identify strengths and resources of

the student
Person-centered approach developed by Carl
Rogers
Focus on the future
Counselor has congruence, unconditional
positive regard, and empathy
Working together to build solutions
rather than solve problems
Will create self-understanding and positive
sense of relationships and environment
Movement towards goals and
preferred futures
Systems Perspective
Lunch/Hallway/Bus Buddies

Collaborating team of teachers, counselors,

social workers, and nurse

Stage Crew for upcoming play

Constructivist Framework
Student retaking cognitive tests for accurate
placement in classes

Adaptive Physical Education

Speech and Language class added

Consultation and collaboration with nurse,

Katies doctor, and PPT to educate all on
Katies situation as well as properly
accommodate her
Legal and Ethical
Considerations
Work to provide Katie with
accurate accommodations
Confidentiality- all information
will be shared with consent of
Katie and her family
Collaborate and Consult with
as many stakeholders
available to provide the most
effective academic, social, and
emotional education structure
possible while remaining
vigilant to any presenting
concerns.
A.1. h. Provide effective, responsive
interventions to address student needs.
A.2. g. Promote the autonomy of students to
the extent possible and use the most
appropriate and least intrusive method to
breach confidentiality, if such action is
warranted. The childs develop-mental age
and the circumstances requiring the breach
are considered, and as appropriate, students
are engaged in a discussion about the method
and timing of the breach. Consultation with
peers and/or supervision is recommended.
A.3. b. Collaborate with all relevant
stakeholders, including students, educators
and parents/guardians when student
assistance is needed, including the
identification of early warning signs of student
distress.
References
ASCA national model: a framework for school
counseling programs. (2012). Alexandria VA:
American School Counselor Association.

Professional School Counseling: A Handbook of

Theories, Programs, and Practices. (2016).
Bradley T. Erford