Posted: July 25th, 2015

Legal and Ethical Concerns

Legal and Ethical Concerns

Order Description

Legal and Ethical Concerns
Resources
• Attributes and Evaluation of Discussion Contributions.
• Professional Communications and Writing Guide.
What are the ethical and legal concerns in working with children? In your initial post for this discussion, include considerations of both divorce and custody issues as well as the roles that therapists may be asked to take.
Readings
Use your Gil text to complete the following:
• Read Chapter 7, “A Hero’s Journey: A Boy Who Lost His Parents and Found Himself,” pages 117–148. Using a complicated case involving divorce, abandonment, foster care, abuse, and neglect, this chapter illustrates the impact of these issues on development of self.
Use the Capella University Library to complete the following:
• Read Ablow, Measelle, Cowan, and Cowan, 2009, “Linking Marital Conflict and Children’s Adjustment: The Role of Young Children’s Perceptions,” from Journal of Family Psychology, volume 23, issue 4, pages 485–499. This article reviews issues of marital conflict and their impact on children.
• Read Kenny, 2000, “Working with Children of Divorce and Their Families,” from Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, volume 37, issue 3, pages 228–239. This article adds to our understanding of all aspects of this issue, including confidentiality.

Children, Divorce, and the Law
Launch Presentation | Transcript

Play Therapy Resource Portal
Launch Presentation

Child Case Study Backgrounds
Launch Presentation
Multimedia
• Click Launch Presentation to listen to Children, Divorce, and the Law, an interview with an attorney who works with parents in the midst of divorce. The interview focuses on the effects of the divorce on the children involved.
• Click Launch Presentation to access Play Therapy Resource Portal.
• Click Launch Presentation to access Child Case Study Backgrounds.
Name Jared
Gender Male
Age 4
Heritage African American-Scottish
Spirituality Baptist, practicing
Presenting Symptoms Hitting and cussing in pre-kindergarten
Strength Areas Loves rap music, loves to dance to rap music, very close to his mother’s younger sister; relationship strong and positive, Sorita and mother are doing well in school
Developmental Moderately delayed in several developmental areas: social skills, awareness of feelings, slightly lagging in large and fine motor skills
Diagnosis NA
Family of Origin —-
Mother Malita
Father Not present, not involved
Caregivers Living with mother and grandmother
Siblings None
School Public pre-kindergarten
Socio-economic Status Making efforts to transitioning to working class
Interests / Hobbies Loves to dance and sing
Pets None
Other Jared hits and cusses at pre-kindergarten. He presents as a very angry little boy. He has never met his father and he and his mother have lived with his grandmother and his mother’s younger sister, Sorita (who is 15) all of his life. His mother Malita has recently graduated from a community college and is in training to become a registered nurse. His grandmother has cared for him with his aunt, while his mother has worked and attended college since his birth.

Jared’s mother is working and attending school and reports that she feels terrible about not spending enough time with Jared. Jared spends a lot of time with Sorita, who is an, highly motivated student, like her older sister Sorita enjoys her time caring for Jared although she wishes she had more time to go out and see her friends. Jared’s grandmother reports that she regrets her daughters did not have relationships with their fathers, and she thinks that this is the root of Jared’s problems. She Grandmother has sought some help from their church minister, who has suggested that he spend time with a male mentor from their congregation. The grandmother is experiencing some chronic physical problems that sap her energy.

Grandmother also reports that men have not been present in the family going back as far as she can recall. She feels both angry and helpless about this history. She herself reports that her own mother was an alcoholic and that in spite of this history, She has improved her life from that of her siblings (three brothers and two sisters), whom she has little or no contact. Two of her brothers have been imprisoned, and the third died in gang violence as a teenager.

Mother, Auntie, Grandmother

UPDATE:
Jared is now seven years old and has been doing pretty well in second grade. He continues to live with his grandmother, mother, aunt, and now an uncle who was released from prison about four months ago. His mother is working as a nurse locally and his aunt is now attending a community college and is less able to care for him. His uncle has been taking over and helping as he can. The grandmother’s health is beginning to decline and she also finds caring for Jared difficult. Through the school, Jared was diagnosed with learning disabilities. He is doing better now that he is getting special help, though he remains in a regular classroom. About two months ago, a friend of the uncle was staying with the family and Jared’s behavior changed very quickly. He tried to drown a neighbor’s cat, started a fire in the yard, and approached a toddler boy, the child of a neighbor, sexually. His aunt insisted that they take him to the advocacy center where it was determined that he was sexually abused (fondled) by the friend of the uncle. This man quickly left the home and state. Jared has now been brought in for treatment.
Books
Gil, E. (2010). Working with children to heal interpersonal trauma: The power of play. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. ISBN: 9781606238929.
Halstead, R. W., Pehrsson, D., & Mullen, J. A. (2011). Counseling children: A core issues approach. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. ISBN: 9781556202834.
Children, Divorce, and the Law
_