Assessment and Case Planning

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Assessment and Case Planning
Introduction
This paper focuses on the cognitive behavior, and its main objective is to develop a cognitive behavior therapy. It could include acceptance of one’s’ cultural beliefs, environmental changes that must be embraced to prevent the experience of cultural oppression, cultural strength, and support, support of respectful cultural behaviors the can help build. The clients therapeutically relationship, the use of a language that is relevant to a client culture will also be required in cultural behavior the therapy. Accepting the client’s cultural belief will also be important. Therefore to address the mental disorders about cognitive behaviors is highly linked to improving the patients’ relationship, offering social support, distracting the patient’s problems, self-care activities that include emotional, spiritual and physical strength among other. This paper, therefore, shall focus on a teenager who experiences these challenges. The challenges will be linked to his environment and the social challenges that he experiences both at home and social institutions.
Family
The name of the client is Melissa (Missi) Lightfoot. She is 15 years old, she is and Indian, her culture is the among the oldest in the world and many writers describe it as “Sa PrathamaSankskratiVishvavara” which is the superior culture according to AWGP organization many western countries consider the Indian culture has to be unfavorable. She is a primary school dropout.

Melissa Lightfoot was adopted by an American family at a the age of 12 years by an American Family of three Engineer Alexander Graham Bell, who is 76 years old, an American with the embracive educational status of Ph.D. in Engineering. Howard Hughes, who is a brother to Alexander Graham Bell, he is 34 years old, a high school dropout and spends most of his time at home and hence associates more with Melissa. The last adult in the family of Melissa is Jessica Ford, who is a foster mother to Melissa, she is a university graduate, and she works as a medical representative in the Sai pharmaceutical, she spends a lot of her time in developing her career. She is also involved in various investment activities, and she spends some extra time at home to concentrate on her investments, Jessica, therefore, has very little time for her family and especially her daughter Melissa. The diversity of the Indian and American culture imposes many both emotional and mental challenges to Melissa, the Americans have a culture of self-freedom and reduce attachment to family members, unlike Indians, the American culture is developed and goal oriented and focused on careers and financial issues than family matters.
The nature of attachment in Melissa is a family is very compromising, unlike the Indian culture that is family oriented, the new family in America is Independent oriented, Melissa’s father is busy developing her career as an Engineer while her Mother Jessica has a tight schedule at work and in business involvements. His uncle is not very lively and spends very little time with Melissa; he tends to spend most of time drinking and having fun. Therefore, Melissa is left alone at home all day long, and she lacks the tight family relationship that she should experience as a teenager.
The family of Alexander has neighborhoods that the only unite on special occasions like weddings, memorials, and birthdays or even to grief death. They also worshiped in a nearby church called the Christ Ministries and could only unite twice a week with the main interest being to worship as compared to interaction. Melissa, therefore, did not have a group of children from which she could learn and merge the two cultures.
Reasons for Referral/Presenting Problem
The client was referred to my agency by Mr. Patrick, who is Alexander’s close neighbor. The case was reported on 3rd May 2015. Mr. Patrick alleged to have witnessed problems with Melissa’s lifestyle, being a frequent visitor to Alexander’s home. He reported incidences that implied that Melissa had challenges in coping with the lifestyle in the American. The problems were mainly related to cultural differences between America and India. For instance, he realized that she had difficulties in the individualistic nature of the American family. Having been partially raised in India, she had been used to a culture that gives prominence to family values than the individual value. She had been used to been connected to family ties while in India. On the other hand, she was expected to be independent in her America home where prominence was given more to individual values. She lacked a family to related and bond withDifference Between,. (2009). 
Mr. Patrick alleged that Melissa had difficulties in relating to the American family, which was dominative in nature and controlled every aspect of her life. Howard Hughes for instance, which is spent a great deal of time with Melissa was used to control every aspect of her day-day activities. Being from India, Melissa had been used to living in harmony. All the decisions involving her life in India were made on a family system. Even if her elders made the decisions, she felt involved due to the close link between her families. According to Mr. Patrick, this was Melissa’s biggest challenge during her stay in America. She always felt alienated as every aspect of her life was controlled. She felt that she was not involved with the decisions of her life which contributed to her cognitive, behavioral, and social challenges. Since the time of the reporting of the case, follow up has been done to analyze the actual situation. The client was assigned to me due to my experience in handling cognitive and behavioral therapy.
Relevant History
The history of presenting the problem began on 3rd May 2015 when Mr. Patrick reported to my agency. Since then, the client has appeared in the agency offices and confirmed that the case presented earlier is indeed factual. The current status of the case is assessment and case planning. The family of the client has not been involved since the case is still at its initial stages. The developmental status of the client has not been good since her conception to-date. She was born and partially raised in India. Her life in India was fairly good except the fact that her family had financial difficulties. She was able to establish close ties with her family in India. When Melissa was adopted in America, her life changed. She experienced a new life that presented a new culture. When Melissa was eight years old, she had already bonded with her family in India. When she was 12 years, she was adopted by Alexander’s family and exposed to a new cultural setting. She had close ties with her Indian family but lacked financial support the vice versa when she was in America
Analysis of the Child
The child is not functioning well as, per her age, Melissa should be undertaking high school studies; she should be able to socialize well with the other children and be able to build her strategies of overcoming the challenges of cultural differences. At that age Melissa should as well be ambitious. Since she is not close with her foster parents, her attachment to them is very minimal. Since other family members neglect the child, she lacks a sense of parent and child love. Hence, she is depressed and lacks the right person to share her problems with. If the child were separated from the family, her cognitive behavior outcome would be determined by her next new family, but regarding her current experiences, the child is undergoing various challenges including, neglecting, cultural diversity, lack of affection and self-actualization.
Analysis of the Parent
Mr. Alexander, who is the caregiver, has major challenges in raising Melissa. Most of the problems are as a result of the variation of the American culture to the Indian culture. For instance, Melissa had been used to the close ties when in India. This is a major challenge since it conflicts with the American culture that gives prominence to individual values. She, therefore, feels alienated and disconnected to Alexander’s family. It is very challenging for Mr. Alexander to change his family’s lifestyle to fit with that of the Indian setting. It is, even more, difficult to change Melissa’s lifestyle to fit with the American. Mr. Alexander’s is privileged to offer Melissa enough financial support. However, it lacks time to bond with her. If she was to be separated with the family, she would lack the financial assistance.
Assessment of the Analysis
For a normal child development, his or her needs must be met, basic needs should be provided. The child should enjoy the feeling of affection from all family members so as boost his or he self-esteem and self-actualization, the child should also be safe and secure from both external and internal family challenges. The gap between Melissa and her parents is widened by the fact that they share different cultures and beliefs, especially because Melissa spent her early life in a different environment. This situation can be prevented by merging the two cultures by being close to her, showing her the affection she needs and educating her how to cope with the changing environments
Case plan
To reduce the risk of harm, the gaps identified in the analysis can be filled with the assistance of a cognitive and behavioral therapist. The client should be taught to understand the cultural diversification of the two countries. She should be guided on how to cope with the diversity in the two cultures. Through counseling processes, she will be able to understand and accept the diversity. The financial strength can be utilized in catering for the counseling sessions. Alexander’s family should also contract the services of a therapist to help to understand the challenges that Melissa is undergoing. The progress of the client will be monitored by the cognitive and behavioral therapy from time to time.
Cultural competence
My cultural setup views Indian as an integrated one which mainly surrounds the family ties. The usual stereotypes in my culture argue that the Indians are selfish and only focus on their well-being. However, this will not affect my work with the client since I fully understand cultural diversity. Therefore, beliefs will not offer difficulties with my client. The involvement of Alexander’s family is essential to the well-being of Melissa, and, therefore, their engagement is needed.

References
Difference Between,. (2009). Difference Between American and Indian culture. Retrieved 9 December 2015, from http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-american-and-indian-culture/