Introduction
This case study examines the intricate complexities surrounding Jessica, a struggling Hispanic single mother. In the face of difficulties such as being homeless, having a history of substance abuse, and being a victim of domestic violence, Jessica’s tenacity stands tall. In this paper, we will break down her origin and strength and her challenges. Through the social, economic, and environmental justice issues she will confront. Social workers tap into the trifocal practices, the micro-practices, the mezzo practices, and the macro practices to capture a comprehensive attitude toward guiding Jessica as she navigates her way to empowerment and stability amidst a myriad of intertwined challenges. Through a comprehensive understanding of the experience, we can set an example of the positive transformation and the overall well-being of Jessica and her children.
Client Background
Jessica is a pseudonym that is used to protect their names and identities. She is a Hispanic woman in her late twenties who is a single mom. She is the primary and sole support for her 5- and 7-year-old children, who have been in the homeless shelter for the last six months (Johnson & Arditti, 2023). The limited education makes Jessica’s employers ask less from her for the same opportunities. The culmination of this problem is the struggle with finances. Moreover, even though she is recovering from her addiction issues, ironically, a drug history worsens the situation. Furthermore, Jessica deals with a character flaw of low self-esteem, which is evident as the result of domestic violence. For example, her personal experience is a kind of intersecting trial of people belonging to social minorities, which is a mirror of society’s imbalance due to social issues of poverty, homelessness, and the aftermath of trauma.
Strengths
Even though Jessica has her share of challenges, she has considerable strengths. In her failure to overcome all hardships and survival, her strength and perseverance show through as she faces challenging circumstances. Among the things that make Jessica unstoppable and engaged in creating a better environment for her children is her profound love for them. She allows her love for her children to be a significant driving force behind her determined efforts to improve their lives (Salami et al., 2021). Moreover, she got in touch with mental health agencies, and she demonstrated the effort she is putting into fighting substance abuse, which demonstrates her determination to work toward her recovery. These qualities can be a stable building that will help her stay on a path toward empowerment and consistency.
Issues Faced by Jessica
Jessica’s main problems arise from her unsafe living circumstances, lack of education, and past trauma. Homelessness erodes the security of her family, bringing in common safety threats, health issues as well as the occasional lack of basic needs in general. Her low level of education deprives her of a good job opportunity, with poverty as a result. Her impoverished condition could hardly change since she is not good at finding a decent job. Moreover, the domestic abuse she has endured is the source of enduring emotional trauma, which is battering her self-confidence and stymieing her capacity for self-expression.
Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice Issues
Jessica’s situation demonstrates the multifaceted problem of social, economic, and environmental injustice. As a community-marginalized female, she is facing economic disadvantages and discrimination that impede her from getting resources and chances. The dearth of reasonably priced housing and service day centers acts as a catalyst to the continuity of her homelessness, which in turn escalates the poverty level and the wide disparity (Salami et al., 2021). She also has to deal with the stigma connected to drug use and domestic violence. Nonetheless, such social taboos only exacerbate her isolation and prevent her from seeking Amicable assistance.
Application of Practice Skills
Micro Practice: Social workers can address Jessica’s immediate needs and problems by conducting real individual sessions at the micro-social work level. This includes training the domestic violence counselor to be trauma-informed about the effects she has been through and helping her develop self-directed measures to manage the low self-esteem (Johnson & Arditti, 2023). Moreover, the micro-level interventions could encourage Jessica to join relevant substance abuse treatment programs and also give her guidance in procuring medical services for herself and her children.
Mezzo Practice: Mezzo-level interventions focus mainly on working with groups and communities to eliminate systemic barriers and promote collective empowerment. Social workers could agree to cooperate with local shelters and the community of volunteers to make a stand for affordable housing opportunities and enhance the support services Jessica’s family got (Crapolicchio et al., 223). Moreover, leveling-mezzo interventions could also comprise organizing support groups for victims of domestic violence or coming up with a network of people who understand their situation and can empathize with them.
Macro Practice: On the macro level, interventions are designed to fix structural inequalities and bring about structural changes. Social workers as advocates would be doing the necessary job by creating needed laws that support affordable housing initiatives and make funds for drug treatment programs increase (Quinn et al., 2023). Likewise, those interventions that require macro-level reform may include challenging the social norms and attitudes that contribute to the stigmatization of the marginalized community, which may include single mothers and survivors of domestic abuse.
Conclusion
Jessica’s dilemma reinforces the significance of holistic interventions by social workers by adopting a multiple approach that considers the physical, social, and emotional aspects. By recognizing her particular circumstances, strengths, and prospective obstacles, social workers can effectively generate specific strategies within micro, mezzo, and macro levels while alleviating her immediate needs and tackling the underlying systemic issues. She can gain the strength to take charge of her life through the empowerment strategy interventions to enable her to plan and find a course toward a more stable, hopeful future for herself and her children. This approach through which Jessica gains personal growth and resilience also plays a significant part in social justice and equity within society.
References
Crapolicchio, E., Cinquegrana, V., & Regalia, C. (2023). The role of positivity on depressive symptoms in women seeking help for intimate partner violence. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(22), 7078.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20227078
Johnson, E. I., & Arditti, J. A. (2023). Risk and resilience among children with incarcerated parents: A review and critical reframing. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 19, 437-460.https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-080921-081447
Quinn, C. R., Waller, B., Hughley, A., Boyd, D., Cobb, R., Hardy, K., … & Voisin, D. R. (2023). The relationship between religion, substance misuse, and mental health among black youth. Religions, 14(3), 325.https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14030325
Salami, B., Fernandez-Sanchez, H., Fouche, C., Evans, C., Sibeko, L., Tulli, M., … & Richter, S. (2021). A scoping review of the health of African immigrant and refugee children. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(7), 3514.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073514
write