Sierra is now 9 years of age. With the assistance of a local
child psychiatrist, she was placed on medication two years ago.
* Why might Sierra have been put on psychotropic medication?
* Write a narrative “interview” in which you communicate
with Sierra in an effort to get to know her.
* Write a narrative “interview” in which you talk with Sierra’s
case worker about her.
* Who is Sierra? What kind of child is she? What
might someone expect upon meeting her for the first time? Base Sierra’s imagined
personality on what you know about she and her upbringing so far.
Sierra may have been put on psychotropic drugs to treat the symptoms of a possible mental disorder. These medications are used to treat such disorders as schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder (“Mental health medications,” 2011). Medications treat the symptoms, but do not cure the disorder. She was probably put on this medication to alleviate her symptoms to allow her to become more like she was before the incident.
ReplyDeleteMental health medications. (2011, April 25). Retrieved
from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/mental-health-
medications/complete-index.shtml'
Us: Hi Sierra. How are you doing today?
ReplyDeleteSierra: I am alright. I feel a little confused.
Us: Why are you feeling confused? Is this a recurring feeling?
Sierra: I don’t know why my Daddy did what he did and wanted to hurt me. I feel like I did something wrong and it is my fault. I have been feeling this way for a while now.
Us: Are you experiencing any other emotions relative to the situation?
Sierra: I don’t really want to talk about it. It makes me sad.
Us: Do you think the medicine is working?
Sierra: Maybe. It makes me feel funny.
Us: Funny good or funny bad?
Sierra: It switches from good to bad.
Us: Has it gotten any better or just stayed the same?
Sierra: I think it is getting a little better. I just wish this would all just go away.
Us: We will change the topic to make you feel better. Do you like your new family?
Sierra: They are OK.
Us: How is school going?
Sierra: My teachers are really nice and my grades are getting better.
Us: Well that is good. Are you making any new friends?
Sierra: Yeah. A few.
Us: Do you think overall that you are having a good experience in life overall?
Sierra: I guess.
Us: Is there anything else you would like to talk about with me?
Sierra: No, I think I am fine for now.
Us: OK. Well if you need anything I will be here.
Sierra: OK. Thank you.
Us: How long did it take Sierra to adjust to her new foster home?
ReplyDeleteCaseworker: She is still getting used to this change in her lifestyle, but she seems to be adapting well. She is beginning to make friends her own age.
Us: What kind of lifestyle does the new foster family bring?
Caseworker: They’re a middle class family without other children. The parents are working well with getting Sierra the psychiatric help that she needs.
Us: How is she doing in therapy?
Caseworker: It has been a long journey, but she is improving gradually. She has progressed well. Her current goals are working on anger management, becoming comfortable around male figures, and discussing age-appropriate topics with peers.
Us: Is there any chance of her being adopted in the future?
Caseworker: Probably not, because her mother is still trying to regain custody.
Us: How often does her mother visit, and what is Sierra’s relationship with her mother?
Caseworker: She visits when she can, but do to her migrant work, the visits are sporadic and not really consistent. Sierra understands that she is her biological mother, but she is still working on how to deal with what that means. Sierra is a little confused as to who she should be bonding with and where she will end up in the future.
Us: How is Sierra doing in school now?
Caseworker: She is making improvements, but her behavior is not as good as we would hope. Her grades are improving and she is starting to make friends, so that is good.
Us: How long do you think she will have to remain on medication?
Caseworker: It’s hard to say. It depends on the individual. We are hoping that the therapy sessions that she is attending will help her to deal with what has happened, so that she can slowly be weaned off the medications and live a healthy lifestyle.
Us: Have there been any problems with the new foster family?
Caseworker: It took Sierra a while. She was pretty upset and did not trust the family at first. She did act out against them, especially in the beginning. Now, she is starting to trust the parents and her behavior with them has improved.
Sierra is a very bright child, which was shown by how well she was doing at first in school. She does have some anger management issues and struggles with depression. She is not very approachable and has difficulty making friends. She has trust issues, especially with authority figures. She shies away from males and does not like to interact with them, sometimes even acts hostile against them. Upon meeting her for the first time, we would expect her to be very introverted and timid. She tends to wear very simple, plain clothing, and does not like to attract attention to herself.
ReplyDelete