Case Study:

Esmeralda Trujillo, 35, has lived in your community for six months with her four children, ages 4, 6, 10, and 15. The family is living with relatives in a small house on the outskirts of the city, and they cannot stay there much longer. In Guatemala, Esmeralda lived with her husband, had a garden that virtually fed the family, and spent part of her time weaving and sewing garments to sell at the local market. Her husband left to look for work "up north" and she has not heard from him for five months. Esmeralda has a chronic cough and a skin rash. She speaks very little English. She has found occasional work cleaning houses, but it has not been enough to support her and the children. She has come to your agency asking for help and you are her case worker. Your job is to help her obtain the services she needs.

1- What do you need to find out about Esmeralda and her family in order to create the most comprehensive treatment plan? How will you find out this information?

2- What are the psychological, medical, and social issues she and her children may be facing?

3- What do you need to know about her culture and why? How will you obtain that information?

4- How do you approach her in a culturally sensitive way? What pitfalls must you avoid?

5- Knowing what you know so far, what services might be helpful for Esmeralda? What other agencies or resources might you refer her to in order to meet her most important needs?