Assignment: There are two PARTS. The first part is for you to choose a topic from the chapters listed and write a summary on it listing the 3 parts and the second part is Jason
and Kim.
PART 1
Based your readings from Theories for Direct Social Work Practice (Walsh, 2015), applying your
understanding of one theory to the case of Jason & Kim
NOTE: Choose one of these theories as your focus of your paper: Object Relations Theory
(Chapter 5), Cognitive Theory (Chapter 8), Behavior Theory (Chapter 7), Crisis Theory (Chapter
13) and Write a summary of the theory in your own words that includes:
a. the nature of problems, according to theorists
b. how an intervention works, according to theorists
c. describe what social justice issues to be aware of with the theory
PART 2
3) Apply this theory to the case of Jason & his mother Kim. Answer the following questions in
your analysis:
a. How does the theory help you in understanding the clients’ needs?
b. How does the theory inform how you as a social worker might intervene to help the
client(s)?
c. Give specifics
CASE of Jason and Kim
You are a social worker for a community based multi-service agency that offers counseling,
youth development programs (e.g. job assistance, tutoring, recreational/socialization programs),
case management and advocacy services. You are contacted by a 38-year-old mother, Kim,
asking for help with her 16 year old son, Jason. According to his school he is not attending or
doing homework regularly and appears “unmotivated.” In making contact with the center, Kim
described Jason as being “uncooperative and oppositional” as he only erratically complies with
his curfew and she does not listen to her. She has noticed these behaviors for about the past year
and feels they are becoming more evident and is fearful he will possibly drop out and she will
lose him “to the streets.” His completing school is very important to her because she dropped out
in high school and struggled until obtaining her GED as a young adult and she does not want to
see him go through the same struggles. Kim has concerns about some of Jason’s social and peer
relationships; she feels he treats them with more respect and with more importance than her and
the family. She feels she and Jason used to have a good relationship, which has changed as he
has gotten older and she complained that they “don’t seem to talk anymore.”
According to Jason, he “at least attends school more regularly than the majority of his friends
and eventually always comes home.” He believes his mom expects too much from him and she is
always on him to go to school, to clean up after himself, to let her know where he is and to come home at a decent hour. This results in arguments between them, and he finds that they are yelling
at each other more often (which he does not like). He reports that a few times this has led to his
mother slapping him when he cursed at her. He denies ever hitting his mother although he says,
“she really gets me tight.” He believes his mother does not trust him and “is constantly in his
business” which he states is why he doesn’t tell her anything. He currently does not have a
steady girlfriend but “sees” a couple of girls with whom he is close to. He is aware of the need to
practice safe sex although he doesn’t always and expresses little concern for the potential
consequences. He denied alcohol use, preferring to smoke weed which he will do occasionally
with his friends.
Jason lives with his mother Kim, who is unemployed and in the process of applying for social
security disability because of back pain suffered in a car accident 6 months ago. They live with
Kim’s mom, a 67-year old retired postal worker, who is in good health and attends the
neighborhood senior center. Jason reports that he had a good relationship with his grandmother
but as he has gotten older he feels she has started to take his mother’s side against him. His father
has never been much of a resource for the family as he left when he was about eight years old
and neither he, nor his family, knows of the father’s whereabouts
