DCS Reflection

• Description of activity (what happened)

I have continued to work with a mother of four children under the age of eight years old and is due to have her fifth child literally any day, but she will not tell anyone her exact due date out of fear that DCS will also remove this child. The four children have been in foster care for the past 13 months and remain in foster care at this time. The children and client are currently participating in therapeutic visitations which have been suspended several times for various reasons including non-compliance regarding the other required services. The client currently needs to find appropriate housing for the family, means of financial support, complete parenting education, and create several written

I wanted to make sure I responded to the client calmly while also ensuring that the client felt heard. I was in disbelieve that the client could have such unreasonable expectations of others and such a strong sense of entitlement. Prior to departing the client’s current residence, I assured the client that I understood how frustrating the DCS process could be and assured the client that our working relationship could continue when she was ready for it to. I followed up with a phone call to the client the following day, but did not receive a response.

• Analysis of new learning and application of theory/skills (what you learned)

I practiced self-regulation to maintain professionalism and expressed empathy as the client escalated and began yelling and cursing. I did not take what the client was saying personally, I understood that the client was frustrated, fearful, and upset which was the real source of her anger. In addition, I demonstrated a professional demeanor and remained calm throughout the situation. Furthermore, this situation allowed me to identify social policy at the local and federal level that impacted the client’s access to social services such as Section 8 as I consulted with my field