Martin was a 13-year-old male who was in eighth grade. He was the youngest of four boys and lived with his mother and father. Martin's mother worked very long hours, and his father had been laid off and was not able to find work for quite a while. His father was depressed and irritable most of the time. Finances were a huge struggle for the family and a source of constant stress and verbal fighting between the parents. Martin was described as a smart young man in terms of academics but a follower in terms of friends and social life. He tried many sports and activities but showed little interest. During the second semester of school, Martin's grades significantly declined.
Martin also started sleeping more than usual and had a difficult time getting up for school on most days. His parents tried to talk with Martin and the school, but nothing proved helpful. His mother felt her time at home was very limited when she began working to support the family. During this time, Martin was arrested for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. He explained to his parents that he was only "helping out his friends" by carrying the duffel bag full of drugs to another location. He also received a drug screen and tested positive for marijuana use, but he denied he ever used.
Martin seemed concerned about the arrest and exhibited signs of depression. At Martin's dispositional hearing at the juvenile court, he was ordered to complete a drug and alcohol assessment as well as participate in individual and family therapy. Additionally, he was required to complete 50 hours of community service and participate in a local community supervision program for teens involved in criminal activity. Martin struggled with many of the court-ordered requirements, as did the family.
Martin's drug use and poor school achievement continued, and he was not cooperative with the assigned social workers and juvenile justice authorities. As a result, Martin received a series of weekend incarcerations in the juvenile correctional facility as well as stricter curfews and more intensive supervision. While Martin's struggles continued, his parents were encouraged to seek support from involved systems and utilize counseling. During the summer, Martin's parents separated for a short period of time.
This prompted the father to get help for his depression, and he also received additional support in finding a job, which he successfully did. Eventually, the parents got back together with a renewed vision for their family and were better able to focus on the needs of Martin and their other children. During the second semester of Martin's freshman year, things began to turn around. Martin has begun a new program where he receives tutoring, attends a weekly support meeting, and is linked with a mentor. He is also beginning to more actively engage in his drug treatment program and improve his grades; he has hopes of attending a local technical school upon graduation.
Critical Thinking:
Discuss the most appropriate early intervention for Martin. Make sure to assess the potential benefits over both the short and long term and consider the role of his family.
Some might argue that Martin's disposition, which included a drug and alcohol assessment, family therapy, community service, and community supervision, was too lenient given the nature of his offense.Critical Thinking"Assess if this was an appropriate treatment consistent with parens patriae.
Critical Thinking: Beginning with the intervention component, examine how the different components could help him get back on track and avoid further contact with the juvenile and adult systems.