Since the environment, in which a person grows in, shapes them to a considerable degree, coming from a different background is fraught with serious consequences that only case management may help deal with. Getho, who is a teenager raised by a single mother, has been exposed to a variety of adverse factors, which triggered his drug dependency and the further dropout. Needless to say, the financial situation in Getho’s family is extremely unstable. His visit to a CM agency has shown that the client is in a desperate need for not only educational, but also psychological resources, as the stressful environment, in which he lives, may lead to him developing a major disorder, such as depression.
Therefore, the lack of information about the strategies, which may help Getho handle the specified situation and address the crisis that he has recently been trapped in, is the key reason for the client to experience the dismay that has led him to experimenting with drugs and finally be expelled from school. Claiming that Getho is incapable of handling the problems that he has encountered would be wrong; instead, one may assume that the client is unaware of the alternative solutions to his social, financial and personal problems. Making this information available to the client is the key priority for a case manager. It is crucial that Getho should be able to learn the pattern of analyzing the problems related to his personal life; thus, when addressing a similar issue in the future, he will no longer be dependent on the assistance of a case management specialist and, instead, will be capable of handling the issue that causes concern on his own.
The service plan to be implemented in the specified case includes the provision of medical treatment that will allow Getho to get rid of his drug dependence. However, prior to the treatment, the client needs to get his priorities in line. The fact that Getho resorted to the services of the case management agency already shows that he has a strong intention of changing his life. Nevertheless, it is crucial to make sure that Getho will fight the impediments to recovery successfully, i.e., that he will be able to handle his longing for drugs as the means of reducing the depression rates. The table below represents the stages that the client will need to go through in order to address the current problems:
It should be born in mind that Getho’s mother should also play a major part in the process of her son’s recovery and return to normal life. To be more specific, Getho will require a lot of encouragement, as well as positive reinforcement from his mother. The mother, in her turn, is not to resort to stereotypical behavior of either using punishment as the key tool or refraining from helping her son at all. Instead, she must be supportive and understanding, at the same time using the approach mentioned above.
The system, which Getho will use in order to tackle challenging issues in the future, will be based on the plan provided above. Getho will have to learn to get his priorities in line before solving a specific problem. Afterwards, he should evaluate the existing options with the key factors (both external and internal) in mind. Finally, a choice must be made; it is desirable that Getho’s mother should participate in the process. Thus, the mother and the son will be able to work on improving their relationships.
Apart from the information provided by the case manager, the client will also need the resources, which will provide him with essential information. Thus, the need to provide Getho with the corresponding resources as early as possible emerges. To be more particular, the customer will need to consult specific educational and psychological services, which will help the client regain the educational opportunities that were lost once Getho was expelled from school. For instance, the client may consider the options such as the local office of education or the local school district.
As far as the role of the case manager (CM) in the specified scenario is concerned, the CM will have to switch between a consultant and a therapist. As long as the client hesitates and cannot put his finger on what the reasons of his dissatisfaction are, or is unwilling to undergo a drug therapy, the CM must play the role of a therapist. Thus, Getho will be able to make a conscious choice and will have more chances of being treated successfully. However, apart from the specified role, CM will also have to play the part of a council by providing the client with the tools that will help him change his life (i.e., suggest various educational courses and psychological services for further consultations). Unlike the role of a therapist, where the CM makes most of the decisions, the role of a council presupposes providing the client with a variety of alternatives and letting the former make a conscious choice on his own.