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Transferable skill: Critical Thinking

Improving thinking, including problem-solving and creativity, by applying intellectual standards such as clarity, precision, logic and reflection. In this profession, critical thinking is necessary for situations where the work must assess client needs and find appropriate resources. Human service workers are problem-solvers.

Consider the following scenario:

Janie is a 34-year old mother of three. At present, she is separated from her husband of six years. Her children are Chloe, age seven, Devin, age four and Brenden, age two. Janie is a full-time mom and stays home to care for her children. She lives in a 3-bedroom apartment and receives child-support assistance from her husband. Janie comes to your human service organization because she is struggling to manage behavioral disorders regarding her daughter Chloe. On several occasions the school has contacted Janie informing her that Chloe is acting out at school as evidenced by oppositional behavior with teachers, arguing and fighting with peers, and poor academic performance. Janie reports similar oppositional behavior at home and states that Chloe has frequent nightmares. Her four-year-old brother is beginning to show signs of oppositional behavior.

Janie says that she is feeling overwhelmed and stressed in parenting her children. She complains of bouts of depression. She is also concerned that her husband’s child support is insufficient to sustain the family’s basic needs. Her husband rarely visits her or the children.

You are the caseworker assigned to work with Janie. Your agency is limited in the services it provides. Your organization’s primary function is to screen clients who may qualify for specific types of financial assistance for school supplies, childcare items e.g. formula, diapers, clothing and discounted school lunches.

In a 2-page address the following: Identify the key problems in this scenario. Provide a rationale for the problems that you have identified as being the most important to address.

Having identified key problems, review services/agencies in your community that would be a good and appropriate match for your client. Describe the services provided and defend your decision to refer to these agencies.

Discuss organizations or agencies that can provide the most services without the client having to be referred to multiple agencies. This is not always possible. Discuss options in your community (tampa bay florida) and identify any gaps in services.