Social Work Case Study Examples

Case Study: Carlie “Carlie has been a client at a local mental health center on and off for several years. She usually returns to therapy when she experiences symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts Carlie begins attending the weekly support group for clients with mental health and substance use issues. Carlie is a 26-year-old single woman who has been living with her boyfriend, Stephen who is unemployed. She and Stephen have an extensive history of heroin use. Shae states that her father abused heroin and left her family at age twelve. By age fourteen, Carlie began using alcohol and marijuana and subsequently she dropped out of school at age sixteen. She has been with Stephen and using heroin for the past eight years. Within the group counseling setting Carlie tells the members that she currently uses one-half gram of heroin in order to function each day. Carlie readily admits to engaging in prostitution to pay for rent and heroin. Additionally, she admits she has begun drinking a bottle of wine before working the streets along with Klonopin for anxiety. With Stephen as well as her “clients” on the street, she has engaged in unprotected sex, now she hasn’t had a menstrual cycle in three months accompanied by swollen, tender breasts. Carlie is …show more content…
Group counseling is comprised of a licensed counselor and several members working to overcome addiction in an inpatient or outpatient facility. Research has shown many benefits of group counseling such as assisting the client in overcoming denial, improving social skills, and learning coping strategies (Stevens & Smith, 2013). It is recommended to match the client with a group of peers that are in the same stage of change. However, it is unclear based on the vignette provided if the others in Carlie’s group are also still using drugs like she is. I think she has been likely matched with peers who have also abused heroin in the past or