Case vignette: A 65-year-old woman, Pearl, presents, in a wheelchair, with a youth, Samantha, for an initial consultation. During your time together, you learn that Samantha prefers to be called ‘Sam,’ identifies as being part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, is of Black and Indigenous ancestry, and is almost 13 years old. Pearl shared that she has a chronic illness and that she is Sam’s grandparent and legal guardian. Pearl reported that she and Sam have been disagreeing about clothing, chores, school attendance, and relationships. Pearl and Sam agreed to meet with you with the intention of improving their communication, learning to work together, and strengthening their relationship.
Part 2: Drawing on your personal statement of social welfare (Assignment 1) and your learning from the course, respond clearly to the following reflective prompts:
What intersecting cultural identities might you consider when working with Pearl and Sam?
Do you notice any personal biases or assumptions based on the information you have?
What information might be outside of your knowledge?
How could you broaden your lens to better support Pearl and Sam?