Module 8 Signature Assignment
Julio is a 16-year-old high school junior who lives with his mother, father, younger brother, and maternal grandmother in a rented home in a low-income,
working class community of a large urban city. Julio is eager to finish high school and begin his life as a car painter to help with expenses at home. Julio does not
participate in any formal school activities (e.g., sports, afterschool programs). When Julio communicates with his peers, he often uses profanity, which causes
teachers to grow upset and quickly reprimand him in the classroom and on school grounds. Julio does not easily trust or respect the adults in his school, as most
of his teachers do not see him as a promising student and often ignore or harass him in an effort to provoke a violent or aggressive response from him, which
then leads to a suspension or a required parent– teacher meeting. His speech patterns and his social norms are always in direct conflict with the school culture.
He jokes with others that he “can’t wait to be done with school,” as the promise of schooling does not seem like an equalizer for him.
When he is engaged in school, Julio asks thoughtful questions and is able to earn high grades. Unfortunately, the school staff tend to treat Julio differently from
the other students, which results in him being disengaged in school. Typically, his grades suffer because of the large number of days he spends out of school
because of suspensions or expulsions. He does not see himself matriculating into higher education: “I’m poor, my family can’t help me pay for college, and we
live in the ghetto.” Julio knows that he has the capacity to transition into college, if only he had the opportunity and financial resources, but no one in his school
or community has transmitted the necessary information about college on a personal level with him. As in other underresourced high schools, he has received
information on college from a college counselor in a large group presentation with no individualized attention or follow-up. When he turns 18 years old, the
summer after he graduates from high school, his parents expect him to leave home and enter the workforce.
Julio was born into a family with a gang history and has been a member of a gang for more than 4 years. Julio’s father has been a member of a gang with local
ties for more than 30 years, and younger gang members seek him out for life advice. Julio’s father was incarcerated in state prison for more than 10 years, and
Julio “raised himself” by observing older male gang members in his community. Julio’s deep commitment to the gang may also be influenced by the fact that
most of its members are his childhood friends and have known one another for more than 10 years. Thus, his gang peers are not simply other gang members; he
considers them his “brothers,” as they have a shared understanding and bond over the highly stressful and violent activities they have encountered.
For instance, in his short experience, Julio has engaged in various activities as a form of survival, including multiple violent exchanges with rival gang members
who have disrespected and attacked his gang at school, either through physical threats or crossing out their graffiti-tagged monikers. Unfortunately, Julio was
eventually arrested and later spent more than 6 months in a juvenile facility for violating his probation. Upon his discharge he’s been court-mandated to attend
counseling and has been referred to you.
Here are the questions:
1. Choose a theoretical orientation through which you will view this client and complete the following:
1. Briefly describe the orientation
1. Founder
2. Major tenets of the theory
1. What made you choose this one?
1. What are the risk and protective factors evident in Julio’s life?
2. What cultural (i.e., ethnicity, SES, religion, disability, education, etc.) influences do you see influencing Julio?
3. How much is Julio’s presenting problem influenced by the systems in which he is connected?
4. How much is Julio’s presenting problem influencing the systems in which he is connected?
5. Using your theoretical orientation, how would you connect with Julio in the very first session?
6. What are some potential goals you’d develop with Julio?
7. Would family counseling be a part of his treatment plan?
8. What might be some potential diagnosis? What symptoms support this diagnosis?
9. What would be your concerns about Julio’s treatment with you?
Resource for theoretical orientations:
Metcalf, L. P. (Ed). (2018). Marriage and family therapy, second edition: A practice-oriented
approach. Springer Publishing Company
Retrieved from ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
