Connections of Cumberland County:

Case Presentation
Laurie Heim
SWK 4910
Problem Statement

 Clientpresented at Connections of
Cumberland County seeking financial
assistance to prevent eviction
Background Information

 Demographics
 49-year-old African American female
 Single mother
 10-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy
 Housing
 Rent is $795 month
Background Information (continued)

 Employment
 Self-employed as CNA
 Education
 Has several certificates including OSHA 10; working towards OSHA
30
 Interested in becoming Quality Control Inspector
Background Information (continued)

 Income and Benefits

 Approximately $960 month from employment
 $282 month SNAP
 $750 SSI for daughter
 Half of this goes towards rent, half towards daughters needs

 Legal and Criminal (Current and History)

 Convicted felon
 2001: obtaining property by false pretenses
 2015: accessory after the fact common law robbery
Background Information (continued)

 Medical/Mental Health/Substance Abuse

 PTSD & Former drug addict
 Marijuana and Cocaine
 Clean for 2.5 years
 Attends NA meetings and has a sponsor

 Family History
 Client reported history of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse
 CPS case involving daughter and maternal grandmother during client’s
incarceration
Services, assessment goals, and
interventions
 Referrals given
 Family Endeavors
 Alliance Behavioral Healthcare
 HRD Lab
 Connections agreed to pay $150 contingent upon client completing the
following steps
 Budgeting workshop at Connections
 Proof that her portion of the rent was paid
 Client was encouraged to attend Women’s Empowerment groups at
Connections
Strengths and Limitations

 Strengths
 Motivated
 Well-spoken
 Intelligent
 Very personable once you get beyond the rough exterior
 Limitations
 Criminal history
 Past substance abuse
 Abrasive demeanor, can come across as condescending or rude
Biases going into the interview

 I thought she was going to be difficult to interview

 I do not always understand how a person gets into their current
situation
 Had to make a conscious effort not to judge her based on her
history
 I chose to focus on how far she has come
Value differences

 Value Differences
 Based on history, we have difference in values such as honesty,
integrity, and family values
 I also noticed similarities
 She is very resilient
 Appears to be a loving mother
Impacts of life experiences

 Criminal past
 Past substance abuse
 History of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse
 Poverty
Recommendation about intervention

 Connections focuses on empowering clients

 Stabilization plan
 Connects client’s to resources
 Makes them accountable and responsible
 They have the choice to utilize the tools laid out in the plan
 Empowering clients allows them to build the skills and tools that they need to
become self-reliant
 Being self-reliant also improves the lives of their children
Research according to Family Promise

 Homelessness and Poverty Facts

 The three most cited reasons for family homelessness are: 1) Lack of affordable
housing, 2) unemployment, and 3) poverty
 1 in 6 U.S. children under age 18, or 13 million, live in poverty
 11 million households now pay more than 50% of their income for housing–an
increase of 20% since 2007
 In America, just over 16 million children live in households where they have to
skip meals or eat less to make ends meet.

https://familypromise.org/homelessness-fact-sheet/
Changes to service or agency?

Needs
 Funding
not to pay bills but to implement more programs that
will enable those living in poverty to build skills that
will translate to higher paying jobs
 Affordable housing
Would help combat high percentages of a person’s
paycheck going towards rent
Competencies & Practice Behaviors
Used
 Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
 Competency 2: Engage in Diversity and Difference in Practice
 Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
 Competency 4: Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice
 Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
 Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
 Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
 Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and
Communities
References

 Family Promise (n.d). Homelessness/poverty fact sheet. Retrieved October 16, 2018
from https://familypromise.org/homelessness-fact-sheet/