University Case Study: Advanced Social Work and Domestic Violence

This case study presents a complex scenario of domestic violence involving a mother, her children, and her abusive partner. The narrative follows a social worker's investigation into the family's situation, uncovering instances of physical and emotional abuse, including child neglect and sexual assault. The case explores the roles of the Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) and the legal proceedings initiated against the abuser, including potential termination of parental rights and criminal charges. The study emphasizes the importance of finding a safe foster home for the siblings and highlights the trauma experienced by the children, emphasizing the need for therapy and family support. It addresses the macro, meso, and micro factors involved in providing social work support, including family engagement services and the challenges of finding suitable foster care placements. The case concludes with the legal ramifications for the abuser and the mother's addiction issues.

Running head: ADVANCED SOCIAL WORK
ADVANCED SOCIAL WORK
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Home Away from Home:
As hard and exhausting as it seems to be, Jane Prescott loves her job and is very
passionate about it. Some might say she does not have a personal life because she is so
engrossed in her professional life. So, when Jane feels tired working on a case mentally, it
surly meant that the case was complicated.
Jane received a call that morning where a concerned neighbor called to report domestic
violence activities in her locality: “Yes, I heard shouting and breaking of glass…and I don’t
trust the guy at all. They have a child, he is very young, too young to see this.”
Jane received ample such calls in her career as a Child Support Case Worker in Virginia
Department of Social Services under the Division of Child Support Enforcement or DCSE for
7 years. She thought, ‘this is no different than others. I just have to go and see the home
environment, talk to the child and the mother and decide accordingly.’
Jane was scared of the man though; there were twice such incidents where she was
almost attacked by huge violent men when she went in to investigate or enforce the Child
Support services. The concerned lady did describe the man as “…huge, he is a huge man with
equally huge temper you see. The child is in danger I’m telling you. You do something.” It
took Jane full 2 minutes to calm the lady down and further 2 hours to come down to the
scene. After listening to the detailed description of the incident from this lady, Jane was not
prepared for any kind of surprises; but when the door opened, she received a shock.
At the door stood a teenage girl, with bruised lips, bruised collarbone and swollen eyes:
‘yes, she has been crying for a long time.’ But what was more important was the fact that
who was she? The lady strictly mentioned there were only three members in this family, the
mother, the man and the child of five years; then who is this new character in the story? And
for a brief moment a sickening thought filled up the mind of Jane and it passed a chill down
her spine: ‘is she the mother…’ but her thought was interrupted when she saw another woman

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at the back and a with a sigh of relief she understood there is yet another family member that
the kind and concerned lady somehow missed.
“Yes?” said the woman at the back, there was so much of resemblance with the teenage
girl and the woman that it was hard to miss the fact that they are mother and daughter.
“Good Evening! I am from Child Support Services; I believe some cops visited you
today. And I am here to investigate the matter further and we think that a child (or yet two)
might be residing amidst domestic violence.” At this precise moment, Jane heard shouting
and yelling from a man behind somewhere and before I could figure out what was what, she
saw a huge figure running with a club at his hands towards her. Thank god, she brought back
up!
The man was pinned down by the officers within few moments and taken in for inquiry
and further action. I looked at the rest of the family members expecting to see relief at the
face of the teenage girl and her mother, but nothing changed in her face. But I noticed
something different in the mother’s behavior this time; she was agitated, restless, rubbing her
nose frequently, not stable at her feet and eyes…the eyes gave away. The mother was an
addict.
Division of Child Support Enforcement
In order to support the children of Virginia regarding both financial and family issues,
Division of Child Support Enforcement works 24*7. The Department states that children who
are actively involved with their families and parents are observed to perform better in schools
and have high self-confidence and are generally known to achieve great success in life. This
is the reason that DCSE or Division of Child Support Enforcement is committed to help the
parents support their children by emphasizing more than just money (Child Support, 2020).
They offer free family engagement services which focuses on responsible parenting,

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employment services, access and visitation and prisoner reentry. This division works under
Virginia Department of Social Services and thus any child residing under any abnormal and
harmful situation is also monitored by the department. There are fostering parents who agree
to receive children and nurture them care for them until they find a proper home through
adoption (Ferguson, 2016).
Jane Prescott
Jane Prescott has been working in the Division of Child Support Enforcement for the
past seven years. She is known to be a smart, brave and passionate social worker in her
department. She has an eye for issues and is also very good with talking to children,
especially the ones who are young and have been through a lot of trauma.
Jane is married and is a mother of two children, one of whom she adopted five years
ago. Her children are active and bright, and it shows the kind of parenting that both Jane and
her husband follow in their house. Although Jane is passionate about her work, but she never
fails to make out time for her children. All throughout her career, Jane has rescued multiple
children from domestic violence, bad parenting and bad foster homes.
Further Inquiry on the Domestic Violence
Jane had to put the mother away from both the children too in spite of the crying and sobbing
of the young boy: Lucas. Her sister stood in a corner the whole time, quiet as ever. It was as
if she was very tired and just wanted some time out of the whole commotion. Jane was
surprised to see how violent the mother got when she was being taken away. Now when she
had brought the children in to the DCSE, she made sure that they are fed and bathed and are
comfortable enough to answer for the queries.
Lucas was young and after he was fed properly and given some toys, he spilled enough
of the story to come to a conclusion. Moreover, the whiplashes on his back confirmed his side
of the story. Jane was feeling bad for the boy but it was her job to stay strong and find a home

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for them. However, she had one big challenge, which was to find a home that would taken
both the brother and the sister in together. She had seen enough cases to know that in cases
like these, the siblings need to be together to feel like home away from home. When Jane
went to ask questions to the sister, her concept was proved right since the girl was
continuously asking for her little brother and wanted to see him.
Jane promised that she would see him soon and started asking questions to Miranda. It
seemed Jane had underestimated the kind of domestic violence that these children had to go
through for three long years.
One Home for Two Siblings
After Jane filed the report, she made sure to emphasis on the fact that the department
finds them a foster home which would take bothy of them in. She went to her manager Duke
and explained him the whole case stating how Miranda requires therapy, a nice foster home
and her brother to help her overcome the kind of trauma she had to go through. Moreover, the
investigations and enquiries that were waiting from court were also going to be very long and
traumatic for her. She needed a part of her family with her when all of these happen.
Duke nodded and said, “I know and I understand, but the problem is Jane “if” I can find
a home that would take in both of them…”if”. You see, I don’t think the foster homes that are
available would take two kids with possible PTSD in their home; it would be too much to ask
of them.”
Jane knew separating Miranda from her brother would only add more to her suffering
and after the way she held her hands with tears in her eyes saying, “do not separate me from
my brother. He is the only one who loves me. He doesn’t know anyone else here…please let
me be with him.” Jane decided to try her best to put the children in together so that they can
heal together as a family; after all that happened with them, this is the least that they deserve.

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The Family of Smiths
Miranda Smith, Lucas Smith and their mother Eileen Smith led their beautiful lives all
by themselves after Eileen and her husband got separated due to extra marital affair. The
children did not like him anyway since he did not do what normal fathers would do for their
children. Hence when both the parents mutually decided to part their ways, the children were
not at all affected. The mother however, showed changes in her behaviour according to
Miranda. She started having short temper; it was normal considering the change that she had
to go through and the responsibility of her children fell on her. It was overwhelming until
three years back she met John, a man in his mid- thirties who was able to charm the mother
and within very little amount of time moved in together with the Smith Family. The initial
days were fine until, John started doing drugs in front of the children and made Eileen do the
same. There were days when Miranda had to cook something up for her brother and herself
because Eileen and John were passed out cold. Miranda had burns from trying to cook dinner,
and soon it became her daily task to make dinner not only for her brother but for all of them.
After six months or so, the domestic violence began that eventually led to such worse
conditions that the family had to leave their home due to debts and Miranda had to drop out
of her school. This locality is the sixth place in the past one and a half years that they had
shifted to.
However, this is not where the domestic violence stops, along with whipping the young
boy frequently for no reasons and beating up Eileen for little things, Miranda admitted of
being sexually assaulted by John. This turned the whole domestic violence case upside down.
What was more traumatic for the children is that their own mother did not do anything to help
them when they looked up to her to rescue them.

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Legal Proceedings
By the look of the case, it seemed evident that Eileen Smith would receive a TPR or
Termination of Parental Rights from her children (Taplin & Mattick, 2015). She would be
sent to a rehabilitation facility keeping in mind the condition of her addiction stage. There
would also be legal steps taken against her for indirectly supporting the sexual assault on her
daughter.
Since Eileen’s ex- husband denied taking any responsibility of his children, it becomes
evident that the children would have to go on a foster home. John, on the other hand would be
facing charges on statutory rape and it is a class 4 felony so, hew would be facing prison time
from 2 to 10 years. It will be ensured that John never comes face to face with Miranda after
the trial is over through a restraining order. Under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-57.2. there will be
assault and battery charges pressed against him by the State; it is a class 1 misdemeanour and
is punishable for up to one year of prison time or a fine of up to $2,500 (Children's Justice
Act, 2020).
Miranda and Lucas will be kept under the supervision of the Child Support Services and
meanwhile they will be given proper treatment and therapy for their suffering. After the legal
proceedings are over, Miranda and Lucas will be sent to a foster home until and unless they
are adopted by a suitable family. After their adoption, the child protection services will keep
tab to ensure their security.
The Only Challenge
Now the only challenge that remains is to keep the brother and the sister together after
the legal proceedings are done. Jane tried to talk with the father regarding the custody of his
child, which would mean that not only the children would be away from the place but also,
they will be together with their own father. However, the father blatantly denied the
opportunity giving reasons which showed he has taken himself out of the family and would

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not let his past interfere with his new family. There was no ounce of regret or any emotional
attachment in his voice when he heard the torture that his children had to go through in his
absence, “Yeah I understand, but I am out of country right now and my job is not well suited
to be able to feed all the children. I have to go.”
Jane would not want Miranda or Lucas to be with another ignorant parent, especially
after what they have gone through, they deserve a loving environment to grow in and most
importantly grow in together. The more she was talking with the higher authorities the more
she was realizing how difficult it was placing them together up for adoption or foster care. ‘I
can only keep them together till the legal proceedings. After the trial they would have to part
ways. How am I going to get them in a single foster home? If not foster home, I can try to get
them adopted by a single family…yes that is doable. But what if they are separated? What
more can I do?’

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