Discussion 1: Cultural Perceptions, Intergroup Competence and the Dual Perspective Model

Cultural identities, such as race and ethnicity, religious persuasion, sexual orientation, and ability, and the cultural perception of these identities often influence individuals’ interactions with others in society. When cultures differ, bicultural socialization represents an individual’s ability to integrate positive aspects of his or her culture with the prevailing societal culture. Think back to the systems theories you examined earlier in the course. How might these identities affect an individual’s interactions within the family or immediate community system, or what the dual perspective model refers to as the nurturing system? Would these identities affect an individual’s interactions within the larger social system that includes commercial, political, economic, and educational subsystems or what the dual perspective model refers to as the sustaining system? The answers to these questions exist in your ability to understand your clients’ experiences and your understanding of the interconnection that exists among your client’s cultural identities, otherwise referred to as level of intergroup competence.  

For this Discussion, review this week’s resources, including the Petrakis Family video case. Consider the cultural influences depicted in the video and how Helen and the intern’s ethnic and racial identities might be relevant to their interaction. Then, think about any video evidence of the intern’s perception of Helen’s culture and how it might compare to the intern’s level of intergroup competence. Finally, reflect on how the intern might apply the dual perspective model in the intern’s approach to Helen. 

·       Post a summary of the cultural influences depicted in the video and explain how Helen and the intern’s ethnic and racial identities might be relevant to their interaction.

·       Then, explain any video evidence of the intern’s perception of Helen’s culture and further explain how the intern’s cultural perception might reflect her level of intergroup competence.

·       Finally, explain what social work skills the intern might use to apply the dual perspective model in her approach to Helen.

Petrakis Family Episode 1

Program Transcript

FEMALE SPEAKER: OK, Mrs. Petrakis, what I’d like to do is ask you a few

questions just so I get a good understanding of what’s going on. First, let’s start

with what brings you here today.

HELEN PETRAKIS: [LAUGHS] What brings me here? Let’s get down to

business. I will tell you what’s going on.

My husband and I are Greek. Petrakis, big surprise, right? We’re Greek

Orthodox. You know what that means? It means tradition and family the old

fashioned way. Nothing is more important than family, nothing. Young people

today, they don’t seem to care so much. For me, it’s everything to my last breath.

FEMALE SPEAKER: Yes, but—

HELEN PETRAKIS: So that means I take care of my family, not just my husband,

my children, too. We have three. There’s Alek, he’s 27, and Dimitra, she’s 23,

and Athena, 18. They all live at home, and so I take care of all of them. A

mother’s work is never done.

FEMALE SPEAKER: Mrs. Petrakis—

HELEN PETRAKIS: Oh no, no. Call me Helen, please. Let me finish. So is it all

too much for me? Of course it is. I also work full time at the hospital, billing

department. [LAUGHS] You have no idea how much that place overcharges. Let

me tell you. Don’t get sick at a hospital. They will bleed your money.

Anyway, I’m already feeling overwhelmed, like a crazy person. Sometimes I find

myself crying for no reason. And now my mother-in-law’s got dementia and I’m

running over to her place every chance I get to look after her, too.

FEMALE SPEAKER: Wow. You certainly have your hands full. May I ask—

HELEN PETRAKIS: Magda.

FEMALE SPEAKER: Excuse me?

HELEN PETRAKIS: Oh, that’s my mother-in-law’s name. She’s 81. But dementia

is not the worst of it. She fell in her apartment and broke her hip, and how she

can’t go out. So I’m running over there every chance I get to make sure she has

what she needs.

And then last night, I had a thought. Alek, my 27-year-old. He’s not working right

now. What if he moved in with grandma and helped take care of her? That way, I

can relax a bit, know she’s OK, and not be going out of my mind every day like a

crazy person. I mean, what do you think? Grandson gets to know his

grandmother a little bit, gives his mom a break. It’s a good solution, right? Right?

FEMALE SPEAKER: Yes. Yes, it sounds real good.

Reference (use 3 or more)

·       Robbins, S. P., Chatterjee, P., & Canda, E. R. (2012). Contemporary human behavior theory: A critical perspective for social work (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Allyn & Bacon.

·       Dominelli, L., & Hackett, S. (2012). Internationalising social work theory and practice. International Social Work, 55(2), 151–153.

·       Bernal, G., Jiminez-Chafey, M. I., & Domenech Rodriguez, M. M. (2009). Cultural adaptation of treatments: A resource for considering culture in evidence-based practice. Professional Psychology: Research And Practice, 40(4), 361–368.

·       Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Petrakis family: Episode 1 [Video file].

Discussion 2: Treating Psychotic Disorders

There are two major types of antipsychotic medication. Typical antipsychotics are older drugs, such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol. Typical antipsychotics tend to be highly effective, yet they often have severe side effects. Older clients are more likely to have been prescribed typical antipsychotics before newer atypical antipsychotics became available. However, as long as the client is tolerating the medication, generally the treatment will continue.

Atypical antipsychotics, or newer drugs, tend to be tolerated more readily, and the side effects are less severe (Perry, Alexander, Liskow, & DeVane, 2007). Since typical antipsychotics often have severe side effects, they are used as a last resort when the atypical antipsychotics are not effective. Nevertheless, both antipsychotic medications manage the positive symptoms of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, including hallucinations and delusions.

For this Discussion, review the media programs “Psychotic Disorder Case Study: Harry” and“Psychotic Disorder Case Study: Ralph”and consider the case study’s current antipsychotic drug treatments. Next, you will be placed into one of two groups (i.e., Group A: “Harry” case study or Group B: “Ralph” case study). You then will post to your specific group about your assigned case study. You will then respond to a colleague from the opposite group about their case study.

·       Post an alternative antipsychotic drug treatment for your assigned case and explain why you think it is more appropriate.

·       Explain the potential negative side effects and identify symptoms that may not be relieved by the treatment.

·       Then, explain one potential ethical concern related to this client’s treatment and your role as a mental health professional once the client has been stabilized on his medication.

Psychotic Disorder Case Study: Harry

Program Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

HARRY: Hey. I’m Harry. I guess I need to talk to you about the voices. I’m

schizophrenic. And I tried Seroquel. I tried Zyprexa. I’ve taken Geodon, and

Risperdal, the whole shoot and shebang.

They work, or they work pretty well for a while. I’m having trouble controlling the

voices again. The voices are getting stronger. I can hear them now.

Dr. Davis says he’s going to try to have to dig deeper into his bag of tricks to find

something that will work. I don’t know he’d want to play a trick on me. I’m not

going down that rabbit hole. What?

So I’ll take these stronger drugs that used to be on the—stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.

Stop. Stop that. The drugs from that bag are golden. These are dark and cloudy.

I’m ready for it to stop.

Sorry. [MUMBLING] How can I live alone if the voices keep getting stronger?

How can counseling help me other than to help me keep a straight thought for

five minutes and figure out about this new—I mean, old pill in the rabbit hole?

References (use 3 or more)

·       Laureate Education (Producer). (2012f). Psychotic disorder case study: Harry [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

·       Lichtblau, L. (2011). Psychopharmacology demystified. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning.

·       Preston, J. D., O’Neal, J. H., & Talaga, M. C. (2017). Handbook of clinical psychopharmacology for therapists (8th ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

·       Lieberman, J. A., Stroup, T. S., McEvoy, J. P., Swartz, M. S., Rosenheck, R. A., Perkins, D. O., … Hsiao, J. K. (2005). Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in patients with chronic schizophrenia. New England Journal of Medicine, 353(12), 1209–1223.