Assignment task:
Provide strengths-based relational assessment of Lin Yang-Harris. Your assessment should include the following components and integrate relational theory throughout your narrative:
1. Demographic information including the reason for referral and relevant history.
2. Summary of relevant domains including biological, psychological, social, cultural/spiritual, and relational factors.
3. Formulation: Brief conceptualization of the issues that need to be addressed that integrates the child's and family members' perspectives. Brief conceptualization of the strengths you could build upon in your work with this child and family. Need Assignment Help?
Biopsychosocial Assessment:
Lin Yang-Harris is an 8-year-old girl of mixed ethnicity who has been brought in for services by her two mothers: Kim Yang, 38 (Chinese American), and Darlene Harris, 24 (African American), as well as her grandmother, Aaliyah Moore, 55 (African American).
Ms. Harris, who is Lin's biological mother, had Lin when she was 16 years old. She reports that she does not know, or care to relive, who Lin's biological father is. Ms. Harris reports that she met Ms. Yang 1 year ago and they got married after being together for 6 months. Lin has lived primarily with Ms. Harris's mother, Ms. Moore, since she was born. Ms. Moore explains, "I've always ensured that Lin has exactly what she needs, and I will do anything for her." Ms. Harris reports that she was not ready to have Lin when she was 16 years old, and she "wanted to have freedom" and not be tied down by her daughter's needs. She reports that she feels Lin has always been in a more stable home with her mother, but now that she and Ms. Yang have found one another, she wants to start being more active in Lin's life and wants her to live with them.
Ms. Moore works as a school bus driver for another school district, a job she likes because it offers some freedom in her workday and holidays that coincide with Lin's school holiday breaks. Ms. Moore prioritized after-school time with Lin, reporting that she always would drive Lin to and from her basketball practices at the local church league, which Lin reportedly loved. Ms. Moore has never once thought of Lin as her grandchild since she has raised her from birth. Although Ms. Moore has never officially had custody of Lin, she has always enrolled her in school, ensured that she got to all doctor's appointments, and had all necessities covered. Ms. Moore discloses that she never sought full custody of Lin because she didn't think it would be an issue with her daughter and she "did not really want to go the court route and cut off Darlene's ability to spend time with Lin."
Ms. Harris states that "Kim and I are free spirits," and they like to move "every 2 years maximum" because staying in one place for too long "ties us down." Ms. Yang has a stable job she has held for the past 7 years in graphic design. She reports that her job allows her to work from home and she can live anywhere. Ms. Harris routinely picks up odd jobs painting murals, selling homemade earrings on Etsy, offering occasional drawing lessons, or selling crystals, bundles of sage with different dried flowers, or other items she finds in nature. According to Ms. Harris, "I am just creative and work on what I want when I want." Ms. Harris reports that sometimes she makes enough money to pay the monthly bills, and sometimes she is stretched thin on money, but she and Ms. Yang do not worry because "Kim wants me to live out my passions."
Lin has just begun living with Ms. Harris and Ms. Yang for the past 6 months and, in that time, they have stayed on friends' couches, in the basement of a bar that Ms. Yang's friend briefly rented to them, and in two apartments. However, Ms. Harris and Ms. Yang were kicked out of both apartments due to noise violations related to late-night parties they hosted. Ms. Moore has been receiving notices from school that Lin has excessive absences, on average missing 2-3 days per week during the past 6 months, without documentation. The school attendance clerk has notified Ms. Moore that they will soon be sending a truancy court summons to the family if her attendance does not improve. Ms. Moore told the school that she is Lin's grandmother, and up until 6 months ago, Lin has always been in her care, but now Lin is with her biological mom and stepmom, and she does not have a current/permanent address to give the school or a working phone number for either of Lin's mothers. Ms. Moore has also been having difficult conversations with her church friends because they are worried about Lin's well-being, as she no longer comes to church with Ms. Moore and completely disappeared from basketball practices.
The school social worker, Dr. Kyle, has become involved recently due to concerns with Lin's inconsistent attendance. Many teachers and staff have also observed that Lin has become very quiet and reserved, doesn't enjoy meeting new people, and has been crying a lot lately, saying that she wants to go live with her grandmother again. Dr. Kyle reports that a few weeks ago, Lin came to his office due to suicidal ideations, identified by her teacher. Dr. Kyle expressed concern stating, "We have no working phone numbers for either mother, and the only way I can get any support is when I call the grandmother, Ms. Aaliyah Moore." Dr. Kyle reports that Lin's behaviors have changed "drastically" over the past month, and he made a referral for emergency therapeutic services when he learned of Lin's suicidal ideations. Dr. Kyle was able to get ahold of Ms. Moore, who immediately came to school to get Lin and took her to Children's Hospital, where practitioners completed a psychiatric evaluation and held her for 2 weeks to provide intensive psychiatric services, build her coping capacity, and help her identify positive support people she can go to when she feels upset, frustrated, worried, sad, and/or mad. Lin reported that her support people were her grandmother and Dr. Kyle. When asked about her mothers, Lin said she does not really know them, and that "they don't take care of me like Grandma Aaliyah."
While Lin was at the hospital, the hospital social worker also noted that Child Protective Services was called once due to excessive school absences. Upon release from the hospital, Ms. Harris and Ms. Yang came to pick up Lin, stating, "We will do whatever we have to help her get better." The hospital social worker provided referrals for ongoing therapy for Lin and both mothers, as well as parenting classes for Ms. Harris and Ms. Yang. The hospital also made diagnostic suggestions of Depression, Adjustment Disorder and potential PTSD. The school has also suggested ongoing services to assist with building Lin's coping capacity.
Lin has come in for an initial intake with you, her therapist. Ms. Moore is in attendance, along with Lin and her mothers because, according to Ms. Harris, "Aaliyah knows most of Lin's information." Ms. Harris's goals for therapy are "to fix what's wrong with Lin and help her with the transition to living with us now because she doesn't need to live with Grandma Aaliyah anymore. We are stable." During this initial meeting, Ms. Harris refused to sign consents to allow any further communication or case coordination with Ms. Moore; however, she did sign a consent for the worker to be able to speak with the school social worker (Dr. Kyle), the CPS worker, and the hospital (specifying her most recent stay only)
Utilize the learning resources below to support responses with in-text citations:
Cohen Konrad, S. (2020). Child and family practice: A relational perspective (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Chapter 4, "Child-Centered Assessment" (pp. 81-114)
Belitz, J. (2018). Ethics in assessing and treating children and adolescents. In APA handbook of psychopathology: Child and adolescent psychopathology (Vol. 2) (pp. 589-606). American Psychological Association.