Case Studies

Education

You are a student physical education teacher. In your current high school placement you are assisting with coaching the basketball team. Try outs were recently completed and you have been asked to speak to a parent who is upset about her son not making the team. The parent is very determined that her son deserves to be on the team. While it’s true that he is a talented player he lost interest last year and the effort he made at trials was ineffective. The coach told you that he has spoken to the boy on several occasions and that he no longer wants to play as he has been playing for years and his interests have changed. The coach has told you that the mom can be difficult and is asking you to have the conversation as he believes she may be more likely to listen to you.

Objectives:

  • De-escalate conflict
  • Listen to parent’s concerns
  • Relate what you understand about the situation and the school policy

Social work

You are an MSW student working in a busy community organization. You have been asked to work with a family whose father has dementia and can no longer care for him at home. They need assistance in navigating the system for long term care however; they are also very conflicted about the situation and the son has asked about “their rights” as caregivers. The father is refusing to go into care but his symptoms have made it difficult to provide care, he cannot care for himself and neither the son nor the daughter can take them into their home. The last time a family meeting was held it was highly charged as the siblings don’t get along. The brother is coming in today to talk to you, he is extremely distressed about the situation, insists that something be done and that he “needs help now!”.

Objectives:

  • Provide information to client regarding procedures for LTC
  • Provide information to client regarding POA for medical care
  • Assist client in processing his difficulties with this situation

Business

You recently graduated with a business degree (major in finance) and are now working at a bank as a financial planner. You have been asked to meet with a client who is very upset over what she believes was poor advice from a colleague regarding her finances. She agreed to a number of products that she doesn’t feel she needed and now has a number of expenses related to these products that she didn’t have before. She is very angry and threatening to take her business elsewhere. She refused to see your colleague with whom she has been working and the case has come to you. Your manager thinks that this will be a good experience for you and wants to see how you handle it.

Objectives:

  • Review the products and services the client currently has (provided)
  • Listen to client’s concerns
  • Use proper business ethics if client brings up your client
  • Assist client in determining what products and services might be more beneficial for her (provided)

Law

You are a student at a legal aid clinic and have been asked to work on a landlord and tenant dispute. The tenant (your client) is a hoarder and the landlord is concerned that the apartment is a fire hazard and has given the client notice that he must move within 60 days and pay for cleaning out the apartment. Your client is currently unemployed, suffering from depression and is overwhelmed by the situation. He has no family to assist him (a sister who lives at a distance helps him with his rent) and if removed from the apartment is unable to organize the cleaning of the apartment. He believes that the state of the apartment is his business; he pays the rent the landlord should leave him alone. He wants to “sue the landlord for causing him distress”. The client is waiting to see you.

Objectives:

  • Listen to the client’s concern
  • Gather any information from the client that is pertinent to the case
  • Provide client with appropriate legal information regarding his rights and the proper procedure to follow in his case