Hypothetical Working Agreement Paper Freydia is a 27 year old mother of 2 children ages 6 and 9. She has been using crack cocaine for the last four years. Her children have been removed from her care by Child Protective Services and placed with her mother. Freydia has entered a drug program, stating she wants to get her kids back. Achieving this goal will require much work on Freydia’s part. As a clinician, I design a working agreement outlining a plan of action and defining each of our roles in helping Freydia be successful in reaching her goal.
Our working relationship will begin with an assessment. Based on the assessment, we will set goals for treatment and develop a mutually agreed upon contract and method of evaluating her progress toward this goal. Assessment The assessment is the culturally responsive, objective and ongoing process of evaluating the therapeutic relationship, determining and evaluating appropriate services and the surrounding system that affect them (Murphy & Dillon, 2003). Initially I will gather general information about Freydia’s demographics, home address, and family dynamics.
Next I will ask the client what she perceives the problem to be. I will want to know about her family and developmental history. In addition to drug use, what other problems does the clients see as barriers to effectively parenting her children? Maybe she is undereducated and has difficulty finding sufficient employment. Does she have a history of emotional or psychological problems that predates her drug use? The client will also need to undergo a physical assessment because crack cocaine use can wreak havoc on the internal organs.
Any physical problems will need to be address as that can have an effect on psychological well being. Because her mother is the current custodian of her children, it will be important for me to determine what the relationship between Freydia and her mother is like. Is her mother supportive of Freydia getting her children back? Does Freydia have sober friends or family that she can use for support upon completion of the program? I will want to assess Freydia’s level of motivation as the process of treatment unfolds.
Does she really desire to change her life, change the way she parents and relinquish her addiction to crack cocaine, or does she just want her kids back with her as most any mother would? I would ask questions about her crack cocaine use and watch for euphoric recall as she speaks. Does the client still glamorize her use? Is she focused on the “fun” she had while using or does she focus more on the tragedies that have befallen her while using. As I interview her I will also be evaluating her cognitive capabilities and emotional state.
I will note if the client seems insincere, hostile or anxious or perhaps depressed and withdrawn. We will use information gathered from the assessment process to establish workable goals for Freydia. Goal Setting It is important that Freydia’s goal of regaining custody of her children be broken into smaller steps. Unless we partialize this Freydia’s goal of it may become overwhelming to both the clinician and the client. Feelings of helplessness can creep in sabotage the therapeutic process (Murphy & Dillon, 2003).
I would begin the goal setting process by asking Freydia what things would look like if they were the way she wanted them to be. I would also ask Freydia what she feels is preventing her from having things be the way she wants them to. The first task will be for Freydia to complete 90 days of substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation. She will take weekly drug screens and attend narcotics anonymous meetings daily after her program is completed and reside in transitional housing. Once she has completed the 90 day program, the second goal is to obtain sufficient employment.
This goal can break down into smaller more clearly defined steps. While in transition, Freydia should fill out five job applications a day and try to have at least two interviews a week until employment is obtained. Once Freydia has been able to get a job, we can begin looking for suitable housing for herself and her children. Freydia first must make a budget to determine how much she can afford to pay in rent. She should apply for any federal aid she may qualify for such as section 8, HUD housing, public housing and public assistance.
Freydia can search through classified ads for affordable housing or she may have to wait until something is made available to her through government programming. Once she has suitable home, has established a work record and a period of sobriety, legal she can seek legal counsel on how best to proceed with regaining custody of her children. Contracting Next we will develop a working agreement between all parties involved that defines the role that each one of us will play in working towards Freydia’s goal of getting her children back. As part of our contract Freydia is required to enter into 90 day treatment.
Attend all groups held at the treatment facility and meet all requirements including drug screening requirements of the program. Freydia and I will meet three times a week to discuss any issues she may have related to her treatment experience. Freydia will undergo weekly drug screens and test negative for all controlled substances and submit to random urinalysis as a requirement of our contract. Failure on her part to comply with the contract can result in dismissal from the program. Once her 90 day treatment is completed, we establish a new contract to outline the remainder of her program.
She will reside in temporary transitional housing, and while in transitional housing she will fill out five job applications per work day. She will attempt to have at least two interviews per weeks. Once she secures employment she will be responsible for a 20 dollar a week room and board fee. She write up a budget determining her expenses, and apply for public housing, section 8, disability, SSI, food stamps and all government programs for which she is qualified to help obtain independent housing suitable for her and her children.
Once she has secured housing, she should obtain legal counsel through legal aid and file necessary paperwork to have custody of her kids reinstated. Evaluation I will meet with her three times a week to evaluate adherence to contract. I will be administering urine drug screens and discussing progress with the client. I will make available for Freydia information on all programs of assistance that the client may qualify for and arrange for her to have transportation to and from locations to apply for these resources. I will provide low or no cost bus passes to clients to help meet transportation needs.
I will also help Freydia with any difficulties or concerns she may develop throughout this process by providing counseling and appropriate referrals. Once Freydia is living independently in her own home or apartment, is maintaining employment and negative drug screens, she will then obtain counsel through legal aid and appear before a judge to have custody of her children returned to her. References Murphy, B. C. , & Dillon, C. (2003). Interviewing in action: Relationship, process and change (2nd ed. ). Stamford, CT: Wadsworth Publishing.
