CSRV21618 Crisis Intervention and Trauma-Informed Practice

Case Study #2: Bullying and Oppression (15%)

Week 6
Due by Friday October 23, 2020 by midnight

The Professor will email the case study Monday October 19th between 8-9a.m. Students
will have until Friday October 23rd, midnight to submit their answers in Drop Box.

This assignment can be completed individually or in pairs.

Elias Saber____________________________________________________________________

Below is a case study. Your task for this assignment is to read the case study complete a
case note using the template provided. In your case note, you will add what the client’s
presentation was, how you responded to the client (write the case note as if you did a
session with the client)

In writing your case note, remember the following:

 GREW (genuineness, respect, empathy and warmth).

 Identify the key issues facing the client bringing an AOP perspective.
 Integrate a strengths-based approach in your case note
 Understand the symptoms in a framework of trauma.
 Explore risk and protective factors in their story.
 Explore their coping strategies and possibilities for managing their symptoms so that they
can sleep better and function better at school. As well as support system.
 Consider the BPSS framework as well as crisis-intervention and trauma-informed
practice in planning your intervention.
 Provide 2 real and seamless referrals to agencies that can support the client.
 Demonstrate a professional SSW approach
 Case note is written professionally
 Include all that is required in a case note
 Use SOAP format to write your case note
CSRV21618 Crisis Intervention and Trauma-Informed Practice

Jaden, 16 years old, was referred to your crisis counselling agency by their high school guidance
counsellor.

Jaden tells you the following:

I cannot sleep, I haven’t been eating, and I haven’t been going to my classes. I just want to
hang out in my room and never leave.
I guess I should give some backstory. I was labelled a boy when I was born but since I was 7, I
knew things weren’t really right. I liked to borrow from my sister’s closet and loved dressing
up. My parents tried to make me play sports and wear typical ‘boy’ clothes, but I preferred art -
like painting, writing stories, and making up plays to act out. Kids made fun of me all the time.
Last year I decided to come out and tell people that I don’t identify as ‘male’. I prefer
“they/them” pronouns and don’t want to be boxed into a category. I feel like part of me
connects as a woman, but I also feel like I’m many things. It’s hard to put into words. When
people refer to me as ‘he’ it really hurts. But when I dress more ‘girly’ and people assume I’m a
girl, that hurts too. Neither feels right.

Last year I joined an online group that I thought might be helpful. I guess I wanted to feel like I
belonged somewhere. Other people seem to get confused about me, or think I’m confused. I’m
not confused, I know who I am. They just don’t seem to accept me or want to know me. They
get so uncomfortable around me, and never know how to refer to me. I don’t find it that hard,
but for some reason they don’t get it or are just weirded out.

So when I joined this online forum I started to make some friends, and we shared all kinds of
stuff. I decided to come out to them about my gender identity, hoping they would understand
and support me. But once I did I started receiving horrible messages. Some people called me
“she-man” and other hurtful things. A lot of people said I was confused and kept trying to force
labels on me. They tried to tell me whether I was gay or straight, and transgender or cisgender.
Some thought I was just pretending, to feel special. Then they started asking really personal
questions, like if I was going to have a ‘sex change’, and how stuff like that works. It was so
upsetting. I took a break from it, but some of the people had my email address and phone
number, so I’m still getting horrible emails and texts too. I don’t know how to make it stop.

I’m from a large Spanish family and no one else in my family identifies like me. My parents
CSRV21618 Crisis Intervention and Trauma-Informed Practice

have no clue what’s going on. I’m not ready to tell them. They think I’m gay but don’t want
to bring it up. They’re hoping it just goes away.

There’s other stuff too. People stare at me a lot because I have a large birth mark on my cheek.
When I was a kid I was called all kinds of names about my mark. Sometimes I wish I could just
make it go away so people would stop looking at me. I feel like they’re just disgusted when
they look at me, and wonder what I am.

I feel so alone. I hate the way I look, and I hate the way other people make me feel. No one
understands me, or even tries to understand. They think I’m confused or just weird. I’m just
me, and I wish people would accept me for who I am. Sometimes when I feel really alone I cut
myself. I know I shouldn’t, but I don’t cut deep and it really helps me feel better. I don’t know
what else to do, nothing else helps. No one knows that I do it, I always cover my arms with
long sleeves. I don’t need more judgement.
CSRV21618 Crisis Intervention and Trauma-Informed Practice

Elias Saber

October 23, 2020

12:00 pm

Jaden came into this writer’s office by their high school guidance counselor. Jaden

looked very tired and fatigued when they sat down with me. Jaden also looked quite thin as they

sat down with me, and this writer noticed that Jaden seemed uncomfortable when meeting eye

contact, seeming nervous with a birthmark on their face. This writer and Jaden sat down and

shared our pronouns with each other, going through the confidentiality agreement and the limits

of it. After Jaden had agreed to it, they began to share their story with me.

Jaden has informed this writer that they feel that their room is most desirable location for

them to stay. Jaden is a 16-year-old high school student, informed me that they were labelled as

male at birth, but felt that it was not correct when assigned. Jaden’s parents wanted to raise them

as boy, putting a young Jaden through sports and making them wear stereotypical male clothing.

Jaden had advised this writer that these experiences did not sit well with them, and that they

began to find joy in art and literature such as writing and acting plays, painting, and writing.

Jaden has told me that they had been mocked in the past for their preferences.

Jaden had decided to come out in the previous year. They stated that they do not feel

like they are male, feeling that they have connections to that of a woman but also other things

as well. Jaden had described that, “When people refer to me as ‘he’ it really hurts. But when I

dress more ‘girly’ and people assume I’m a girl, that hurts too. Neither feels right.” They had

claimed that they do not know what it is that they identify as, but they are firm that they are not

male.

Jaden had informed me that their experience coming out was very negative. They had
CSRV21618 Crisis Intervention and Trauma-Informed Practice

come out saying that they do not identify as male to a select few people. They joined an online

group, explaining that other people always criticize his identity and always seem to be very

uncomfortable when around them. “I guess I wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere.” Jaden

advised me that they are feeling an immense level of loneliness, being socially isolated and

discriminated due to their identity.

Upon joining the online group, Jaden had said that their experience started in a positive

manner, making some friends on the virtual group and sharing many different bits of

information with one another. It soon became unbearable when they mentioned that they did

not identify as male, people on the online forum began to call Jaden derogatory names such as

“she-male.” They had said, “A lot of people said I was confused and kept trying to force labels

on me. They tried to tell me whether I was gay or straight, and transgender or cisgender. Some

thought I was just pretending, to feel special.” They had decided to take a break, leaving from

the online group and stepping away due to the negative backlash about his identity.

Unfortunately, the very same people who were in that group found their email address and

phone number. “… I’m still getting horrible emails and texts too. I don’t know how to make it

stop.” Jaden advised that the harassment continues today, continuously being cyber bullied for

his identity.

Jaden mentioned that their parents do not know of what they are going through. Jaden’s

family are Spanish and they had told me that their parents’ suspect that Jaden may be

homosexual, yet they are not supporting them. Jaden has told me that their parents do not want

to bring up the topic. “They’re hoping it just goes away.” Jaden advised that they there is no

support back home, with their parents not bringing up the subject of Jaden’s identity.

Furthermore, Jaden spoke about their feelings regarding their birthmark. This writer noticed
CSRV21618 Crisis Intervention and Trauma-Informed Practice

that they seemed uncomfortable when talking about their birthmark. They did not maintain eye

contact and was shifty in their seat as they spoke. “When I was a kid I was called all kinds of

names because of my mark.” Jaden advised that the experience of their birthmark from their

peers was very negative, both from children and adults alike. They had explained it as, “I feel

like they’re just disgusted when they look at me, and wonder what I am.”

Jaden began to vent their emotions directly, spurring out the feelings and the emotions

they had been feeling all this time. Jaden claimed that they are not fond of their physical

appearance nor how their surrounding peers view them. They feel very frustrated with being

not accepted by their peers around them. “They think I’m confused or just weird. I’m just me,

and I wish people would accept me for who I am.” This writer noticed that Jaden’s frustrations

and stress from being socially discriminated and labelled has been the reason why Jaden has

been resorting to self-harm. “Sometimes when I feel really alone I cut myself. I know I

shouldn’t, but I don’t cut deep and it really helps me feel better.” Furthermore, Jaden advised

that they hide the cute marks on their wrists and are hiding it with long sleeves.

The writer and Jaden have agreed to meet again the following week at the same time.

The writer has asked Jaden to create an Achievement Timeline to have Jaden assess any and all

achievements Jaden feels proud of. The high school guidance counselor will be essential to help

Jaden through tough times that they may face during school. The parents as well will have to

know that Jaden has been cutting themselves, as according to the confidentiality agreement,

self-harm is one of the breaches of confidentiality.

The writer has suggested two sources for Jaden to turn to. The first is the Crisis

Intervention Team at Trillium Health Partners – Credit Valley Hospital. Their team consists of

highly trained professional social workers and/or nurses that have expertise in crisis
CSRV21618 Crisis Intervention and Trauma-Informed Practice

intervention who works closely with the Emergency Department as well as the Medical Health

Program. There, Jaden can be sure that they will receive proper, professional help from the

employees there. The second source this writer gave to Jaden is Youthline. They provide

excellent services and support for youth who are part of the LGBTQ+ community ages 29 and

younger. There, Jaden can find supportive community members that will help them

emotionally, something they have been longing for. This writer gave both the phone numbers to

Jaden for whenever they choose to contact the referral sources there.