Troy University Toni and Adriana Case Study Questions

The Case of Toni

For over 20 years, Toni has worked with women in recovery in a community agency that is funded by a grant.  To prevent burnout, she and her coworkers organized a support group among the community workers in the agency.  Her group consists of about 15 people, some of whom are case managers, treatment counselors, nurses, social workers, and supervisors.  They meet at the agency during work hours twice a month for up to 2 hours.  During these sessions, the workers have opportunities to talk about difficult clients or stressful situations they are facing on the job, such as cutbacks and increased workloads.  Personal concerns sometimes have an impact on workers’ abilities to function professionally, and members are able to use the support within the group as a way to deal with personal issues. 

1) If you worked in an agency, would you want this kind of support group that Toni describes? 

2) To what extent do you think members of this group could effect change in the agency? 

3) How might you deal with the demands of an increased workload due to cutbacks?

The Case of Adriana

Adrianna works in a community mental health clinic, and most of her time is devoted to dealing with crisis situations.  The more she works with people in crisis, the more she is convinced that the focus of her work should be on preventive programs designed to educate the public.  Adriana comes to believe strongly that there would be far fewer clients in distress if people were effectively contacted and motivated to participate in growth-oriented educational programs.  She develops detailed, logical, and convincing proposals for programs she would like to implement in the community, but these proposals are consistently rejected by the director of her center.  Because the clinic is partially funded by the government for the express purpose of crisis intervention, the director feels uneasy about approving any program that does not relate directly to this objective. 

If you were in Adriana’s place, which of the following courses of action would you choose,and why?

1) I would do what the director expected

2) I would continue to work toward a compromise and try to find some way to make room for my special project

3) If I could not do what I deemed important, I would have to consider looking for another job.

4) I would involve clients in setting the direction for the proposal and providing the necessary support to secure approval.

5) I would get several other staff members together, pool our resources, and look for ways to implement the program as a group.

6) With my director’s approval, I would try to obtain a grant for a pilot program in the community.