Demographics
The following paper examines and provides a response to Anne Taylor’s case. A family residing in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City is the focus of the case study. A 32-year-old Jamaica-born Anne Taylor M, her husband Peter M, and the couple’s two children make up this family. She has a job as a secretary and makes approximately $30,000 per year, which is significantly less than her husband’s income as an insurance agent, which is approximately $70,000 per year. Anne is a citizen of the nation, and Peter maintains a regular residence there. They both follow the Episcopal faith.
The case study focuses on the relationships within the family as well as the allegations of inadequate guardianship brought about by the fact that the children were present when their father assaulted their mother. Thus, the demographics of the case study are centered around one family as the primary unit of analysis.
Social Problem
The M. family’s social background and problems include a history of domestic violence. The mother required an Order of Protection against the father because he had physically and emotionally abused her. Two prior complaints in 2002 and 2003, when Ms. M. called the police after confrontations in which her husband hit and choked her. In the past, the father would spend weekends away from the family in the apartment he shared with his mother.
A Child Protective Services (CPS) worker was involved in earlier interventions in this family. The worker visited the household frequently and spoke with the mother often. By assisting the mother and children in creating a safety plan, gathering essential documents in a secure location, arranging for new locks, and providing information about domestic violence programs, the worker has worked to protect the mother and children’s safety. The worker has also arranged for the family to receive evaluation services and legal counsel to help them submit a 10-Article Petition.
The worker has worked with the family to establish a weekly supervision plan with ACS, an evaluation procedure, and supervised visits with their father to secure the children’s and Mother’s safety. Also, the worker has tried to schedule an Elevated Risk Conference with a Child Assessment Specialist (CES). Regrettably, Ms. M. and the CES could not agree on a time because of her work commitments and childcare concerns.
Moreover, the worker and Ms. M. have had numerous conversations about her needing treatment to help her deal with her anxieties and her worries that the kids might be experiencing flashbacks due to the domestic violence incident in Jamaica. The worker has also spoken with the father and has reassured him to abide by the order of Protection, which forbids any contact or correspondence with the family.
The CPS worker eventually had an Elevated Risk Conference with Ms. M., the worker, and the CES. The history of domestic violence in the family was examined at this meeting, and it was decided that Mr. should participate in programs like batterers’ counseling and anger control. Additionally, the plan was that the CPS worker would continue monitoring the family, make a strenuous effort to engage Mr. M., and follow up on the referral of Mrs. M. to a domestic violence program. The worker has also had many conversations with the mother and has regular, unannounced visits to check in on the children’s well-being.
Recommendation
Ms. M. is a client who has spent several years being exposed to domestic abuse. She knew the warning signals and potential dangers of domestic abuse and did not hesitate to ask for help. This illustrates her bravery, tenacity, and dedication to defending herself, her children, and others from harm. Ms. M. has numerous strengths, including caring for her children, recognizing when aid is needed, and accepting it. The client has a practical approach to problem-solving, as seen by her requests to place locks and her refusal to leave her home to remain safe.
Nonetheless, Ms. is also helpless and needs Protection to react to the circumstances. She needs access to the services to protect herself and her children because she is dealing with a challenging and potentially dangerous situation with her spouse. Should her spouse attempt to contact or harm her or the kids, she must be given the required legal and other kinds of Protection, such as an Order of Protection (Borchardt, 2021). Ms. M. must also get appropriate treatment and therapy for her children and herself. The occurrence in Jamaica may have traumatized her children, and they display these fears in various ways, such as Thomas’s unwillingness to discuss his father or Megan’s frequent pleas for her father to pick up the phone.
Ms. M. should be connected with professionals who can help her process the trauma and help her children cope with their fears. Schaefer et al. (2019) suggest that social support groups among domestic violence victims aid in overcoming fears and trauma. Therefore, she must be linked with support groups or programs, such as a domestic violence program, to have the strength and knowledge necessary to defend herself and her children.
To support Ms., she needs more tools to deal with the situation. She should be put in touch with a lawyer to defend her legal rights and prosecute her husband in court if he disobeys the Order of Protection (Lee, 2022). She must also have additional financial resources for her security measures, children’s therapy, and daycare.
Short and Long-Term Goals
According to the case study, the CPS worker discusses safety plans with Ms. M. The worker suggests that she compile all essential documents in one secure location, pack a change of clothes for herself and the kids, have enough cash on hand in case she needs to leave quickly and identify a place she can go to, unknown to her husband. This might be viewed as a short-term goal to guarantee that she and her kids have a strategy in place for self-defense in case of danger.
In addition, Ms. wishes to join a preventive service program that can assist her in addressing domestic violence and other issues for her family. This could be viewed as a long-term goal to get help and resources to deal with the emotional fallout from the domestic abuse and enhance her and her children’s general well-being. It is necessary to remember that setting attainable and meaningful goals with customers is essential to making sure they will be accomplished (Cross, 2019; Victor, 2020). The CPS worker in this situation seems to be collaborating with Ms. M. to pinpoint her requirements and worries and create a strategy suited to her particular circumstance.
Resolution
The circumstances surrounding the case of Anne Taylor M. serve as an indication of the necessity of taking a holistic approach to the prevention and resolution of domestic abuse. Ms. M. and her children should seek counseling for her to process the traumatic experience of the incident of domestic abuse that occurred in Jamaica and to assist her children in coping with their fears. The CPS worker should also monitor the family and try to engage and speak with Mr. M., reminding him to comply with the Protection order and to refrain from communicating or interacting with the family members. In addition, she should have access to legal advice to guarantee that her legal rights are protected and to take any appropriate legal action against her husband if he disobeys the Order of Protection.
Moreover, Ms. M. needs more financial resources to pay for her security measures and her kids’ therapy, which will cost money. Finally, the CPS worker must continue making unannounced visits to check the kids’ well-being and the family’s security. The CPS worker must work closely with her to establish realistic goals and give Ms. M. the required tools and support.
In this instance, the CPS worker worked with Ms. M. to develop attainable goals customized to her circumstances. This strategy will enable her to get the assistance and security she needs to reduce the possibility of further injury and ultimately end domestic violence. The safety and well-being of Ms. M. and her children can only be guaranteed with an integrated solution to the problem.
References
Borchardt, E. (2021). Using a civil designation as a sword and a shield in domestic violence order of protection hearings: Eviscerating the constitutional rights of criminal defendants charged with domestic battery in the state of Illinois, 53 UIC J. Marshall L. Rev. 705 (2021). UIC Law Review, 53(4), 1. Web.
Cross, C. (2019). 13. Harm reduction in the domestic violence context: In 13. harm education in the domestic violence context (pp. 332–361). New York University Press. Web.
Lee, J., Kanaboshi, N., & Petlakh, K. (2022). Domestic violence protection orders for teen dating violence: An analysis of state laws and practices. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. Web.
Schaefer, L. M., Howell, K. H., Sheddan, H. C., Napier, T. R., Shoemaker, H. L., & Miller-Graff, L. E. (2019). The road to resilience: Strength and coping among pregnant women exposed to intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Web.
Victor, M. (2020). Survivors’ attainment of life-skills (Publication Date) [Capstone Projects and Master’s Theses, California State University]. Web.