Your case analysis should include the following sections, in this order.
Introduction
Identify the major elements of the case (who, what, where, and when). This is basically a very
short summary of the people involved in the case, the referral source, and the reason for the
referral.
Problem identification
Provide a brief and concise formulation of the problem. Be specific as your problem will help
you develop an intervention plan or problem-solving strategy. You do not have to assign a
diagnostic impression here, although you can if you think it would be helpful. You can simply
describe the behaviors and symptoms that are causing distress to the client/ family.
Analysis
Summarize internal and external issues that created or sustain the problem. What are the
factors that have contributed to this problem? These may include cultural, economic, familial,
organizational, social, interpersonal, biological or intrapsychic conditions. Using the case study
and what you have learned thus far, look for connections between the family, the social and
physical environment, and the child that would help explain this problem. This is your
assessment piece of the case analysis. Be sure to include any applicable theoretical information
that supports your analysis. In addition, if there is any information that is not included that
would help you assess this case, describe what information you would want to have as the
practitioner in this case and how that would help your assessment and inform your intervention.
Intervention Strategies
You will use the following format to identify your intervention strategies. The expectation is that
you have at least one goal, one or two objectives and two interventions. Your case may need
more than that, though! Do not neglect an important goal because you don’t want to do the
extra work. However, do not create more than 2 goals.
As a reminder, the goal will be the overarching, broad outcomes while the objectives are the
smaller, achievable steps that, taken together, will achieve the goal. The interventions are what
you and/or the client will do to meet the objective.
Goal:
Objective 1:
Intervention 1:
Intervention 2:
Objective 2:
Intervention 1:
Here is an example for a child who experienced a loss. This is not a full treatment plan for this client, but
it demonstrates the format.
Goal
Successfully grieve the loss within a supportive emotional environment.
Objective 1
Identify feelings connected with the loss.
Interventions
The client will write a letter to the lost person describing his/her feelings and read
this letter to the therapist.
Objective 2
Parents verbalize an increase in their understanding of the grief process.
Interventions
Conduct a session with the parents to educate the parents about the stages of
the grieving process, and teach the parents how to answer any of the client’s
questions.
Teach the parents specific ways to provide comfort, consolation, love,
companionship, and support to the client in grief such as bringing up the loss
occasionally for discussion, encouraging the client to talk freely of the loss,
suggesting photographs of the loved one be displayed, spending one-on-one time
with the client in quiet activities that may foster sharing of feelings, spending
time with the client in diversion activities.
Rationale
Justify your interventions by explaining why you selected that intervention and how you hope or
expect for it to be helpful for the client. Identify why you are drawn to your recommended
intervention. Is it based on previous experience, instinct, theory, values, something you were
told, research, a discussion, or another reason? Discuss any alternative interventions that may
be considered and why you opted for this intervention. If there were other objectives that could
be considered, explain why you prioritized this objective(s). Be sure that your selected strategy
is plausible based on the information provided in the case.
Reflection
Discuss how you would feel if this were an actual client in your practice. Do you feel confident in
your ability to utilize this intervention? If not, what would help you feel more confident? What
type of challenges would this case present for you, on a personal level, if any? What type of
ethical challenges might you face if this were your case? What strengths do you have that would
help you be effective in this case? Given the people identified in the case (even the people on
the fringes), if working with children is NOT in your wheelhouse, discuss in what capacity you
would be interested in working with another person in this case (it does not have to be related
to the identified client in any way). Why?
Adapted from an assignment provided by Terry Wolfer, PhD, MSW provided during an exercise in the University of South
Carolina’s Case Method Teaching Institute.
