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Stories
of Success...
Nellie
and Alicia Reunited...
Alicia, the Filipino mother of two-year-old Nellie, was referred by APA's
home visitation program for case management services. Alicia abandoned
Nellie to her maternal grandparents for one year. The grandparents struggled
with Nellie's myasthenia gravies, a condition causing her eyelid to droop,
and they hadn't given Nellie the full dosage of her medication because
it severely upset her stomach. Alicia returned to find that Child Protective
Services had removed Nellie and her parents blamed her for this "mess".
Observation of Alicia raised questions about her ability to care for Nellie
because she failed to engage with Nellie. During visitation hour, she
frequently observed Nellie play from a distance to the point of service
providers questioning if Alicia was mentally ill and/or developmentally
delayed.
Although
Alicia is not articulate, the case manager learned that she wanted to
regain custody of Nellie. The case manager knew that the tension between
Alicia and her family needed to be resolved, that Alicia needed to get
re-acquainted with Nellie and that Alicia needed to learn some parenting
skills. During weekly visits, the case manager modeled adult-child play
and positively reinforced Alicia's efforts. Alicia was referred to Filipino
parent support group and education classes in collaboration with APA's
home visitation program. The home visitor successfully resolved the conflict
between Alicia and her parents.
Appropriate
Medical Care is Critical...
Refusing to be examined during pre-natal visits, Mary, a pregnant monolingual
Chinese woman, was carrying a pair of scissors in her purse with the intention
of delivering the baby herself. After numerous visits and family counseling
sessions, APA made sure the client came in for weekly pre-natal checks.
During her seventh month of pregnancy, we convinced her husband to commit
her for psychiatric assessment and evaluation. One month later the woman
gave birth to a healthy baby boy and the baby went home with the father.
The mother remained at San Francisco General Hospital psychiatric ward
and was put on medication; Her symptoms improved markedly and she was
able to join her husband and baby at home.
Getting
a Life Back...
One day, Mrs. Ming came to the APA Family Support Center with bruises
on her face. Her husband had abused her and their two-year-old son the
night before. Mr. and Mrs. Ming were married for two years and the domestic
violence was never reported because she was too scared. When she tried
to make a 911 call, he pulled the telephone cord out of the wall and threatened
to beat her again if she called the police. She sobbed in our office as
she described her husband's treatment towards her and her son. The APA
social worker immediately sent her to the emergency room for treatment
and a home visitor went with her.
Returning
home, she discovered her husband had left and taken their child. APA contacted
the District Attorney's office, filed with Child Protective Service and
worked diligently until the child was located. They are now living in
at a women's shelter until things settle down. Mrs. Ming is in the middle
of divorce and child custody proceedings. Our home visitor is assisting
with her multiple needs, including translation services during legal procedures,
child care referrals, and of course, emotional support and guidance.
The
Difficulties of an Arranged Marriage...
Mrs. Kiang, an isolated Chinese mother of two, was a victim of domestic
violence. The father, a domineering and angry man, resented their arranged
marriage and held it against her. He was physically abusive and disciplined
the children very harshly; Reports had been filed with the Children's
Protective Service for cigarette burns and finger imprints on the children.
The father controlled the mother by threatening to divorce her and take
the children. Mrs. Kiang became extremely depressed and immobilized. APA
provided tremendous support to her with frequent home visits and trips
to the playground with the children. The older child was enrolled in pre-school
allowing him to socialize with other children and learn appropriate impulse
control. The parents attend bilingual marital counseling.
A
Family Ripped Apart...
A three-year-old Cambodian girl and her two-year-old brother were referred
to APA for possible sexual abuse by their mother and seven-year-old
brother. The sexual abuse also involved a fourteen-year-old blind sister
who was placed in a foster home. It was difficult to help this monolingual
family from Khmer because they are suspicious of social agencies. APA
counseled the parents and facilitated communication and trust between
them and other agencies working on their case. APA also translated for
the medical providers of the Refugee Medical Clinic who were treating
the children.
A
Devastating Medical Condition...
Siu, a thirty-year-old monolingual Chinese woman, gave birth to a baby
girl with "Compomelic Dysplasia" Syndrome which causes dwarfism with short,
curved and deformed legs, small chest and lungs, and a large head with
flat facial features. Siu and her husband William were devastated because
the condition is a chromosome disorder with mental retardation and very
early death. Despite extensive counseling sessions, William and his mother
blamed Sui. William also handled pain by rejecting the baby, refusing
to hold her or come near her. The parents were given counseling and support
to help them understand and accept the baby's condition and to overcome
their fears and superstitions. William bonded with the baby and acknowledged
that she was "cute". The parents brought her home for the few weeks that
remained of her life.
A
Story of Strength, Courage and Determination...
Janet and her two children live in a one bedroom apartment and share a
public kitchen and bathroom with the building's other residents. Janet's
day starts early as she prepares her children for school and then escorts
them. She works two part-time jobs as a maintenance/cleaning person in
order to financially support herself and her two children.
Janet has
come a long way since her first visit to APA in 1996. Her husband's extramarital
affairs led to a divorce that was complicated by her residence status
in the United States, her financial difficulties and her unfamiliarity
with the San Francisco United School District. During these difficult
times, Janet was assigned a home visitor from APA who provided her with
community resources like information on parenting education and brokerage
services that helped her fill out paperwork and apply for welfare. Janet
said that the most important service that APA provided was the emotional
support for which she will always be grateful.
She began
to volunteer at APA doing janitorial work which later helped her gain
employment as a maintenance worker in a local factory. APA encourages
and motivates clients to develop their own internal strengths and to attain
their goals. Janet has reached her goal to be independent and to raise
her two children. Asked what her next goal is, she replied, "I want to
see my children grow up as kind and successful adults."
Shaken
Baby Syndrome
Ann, a twenty-seven-year old Asian mother, gave birth to a premature baby
boy. The baby was born in an ambulance on the way to San Francisco General
Hospital. APA opened a case on this family because the baby was born premature
at thirty-one weeks, the family had heavy child care duties and limited
financial support. Ann worked as a housekeeper in a hotel, but the father
was unemployed and cared for his three children, ages one, two, and the
newborn infant. The APA home visitor found the father unreceptive and
the family soon ended their cooperation with APA.
Then the
baby was admitted to the hospital and Shaken Baby Syndrome was suspected.
Appearing to have been badly shaken, the baby had seizures, blindness
in one eye, and marks resembling cigarette burns. A report was filed and
after investigation all the children were placed in foster care. At this
point that Ann called her APA home visitor, crying and asking for help.
The home visitor encouraged the family to cooperate with Child Protective
Service and to visit the baby everyday. The family's attitude began to
change and they agreed to call whenever they felt emotional stress and
needed support. The parents opened up and made tremendous progress in
their lives, reunifying their family.
Caring
for a Child with Special Medical Needs...
June, a Cantonese speaking mother, had her first baby born premature with
chronic lung disease. She did not know how to care for this special child
and there was no extended family nearby to help. Her physically disabled
mother-in-law had suffered two heart attacks and was one of her responsibilities
and she felt greatly disappointed about her marriage. An APA home visitor
worked on this case for over two years, providing psychological support,
parenting education and special agency referrals to the Golden Gate Regional
Center, Chinatown Child Developmental Center, home care nurse, and Senior
Self-Help Center. Currently the child is healthy and does not need intensive
special care. The family dynamics have greatly improved. June is now enrolled
part-time in City College and got a job related to her professional education
received in China.
The
Kindness of Strangers....
Mrs. Liu is a Cantonese speaking mother of four. Two of her children's
teachers observed that Mrs. Liu had bruises on her face on several different
occasions. She admitted that her husband had beat her on several occasions
and they referred her to APA. The APA case manager took her to the hospital
for medical treatment.
There have
been several police reports, but Mrs. Liu had never filed any charges
against her husband. She has suffered a long history of physical, emotional
and mental abuse. An arranged marriage, the husband had several affairs
and left Mrs. Liu after eight years to live with another woman yet refuses
to divorce her. She says that he visits their home to see his mother but
has limited contact with the children. This situation is extremely difficult
for Mrs. Liu because the mother-in-law blames her for all of her son's
problems and illegal gambling habits. Finally, she had agreed to go to
the Asian Women's Shelter.
The APA case
manager and Mrs. Liu have developed a strong, trusting relationship. She
feels tremendously isolated here because her family is in China. However,
she has developed a deep, familial bond with the staff at APA who continue
to offer a strong support system for her and her children. The case manager
had worked intensively providing translation, emotional support and advocacy
in Mrs. Liu's legal, housing and medical issues. She has coordinated additional
services with the counselor at the child care facility to provide counseling
services for the four-year-old daughter.
An
Extra Set of Hands to Help...
May, a single, Chinese mother with her eighteen-month-old son was referred
to APA with a diagnosis of low cognitive development and anxiety disorder.
Since the birth of the baby, the father has not been involved with the
mother or child either emotionally or financially. The maternal grandmother
was the one helping to take care of the newborn. When the grandmother
was diagnosed with schizophrenia, Child Protective Services assisted in
placing the baby in foster care. Attorneys of May referred her case to
APA. An home visitor provided psychological support, parenting education,
and helped the mother cooperate with the CPS system, foster parents and
the legal system. Currently, May has a part-time job. The baby stays with
the mother a few days a week and overnight during the weekends. The father
visits May and the baby quite often now and both parents bond well with
the child. The home visitor continues to work to eventual reunify this
family.
A
Home of Her Own...
Jessica , a single Samoan mother of three children, lives in the Potrero
Hill Housing Projects, but the father of the children gives them little
financial and emotional support. Jessica is unemployed and has limited
financial assets and support. During her pregnancy, she used substances
and had a lapse in prenatal care due to stress. The APA case manager built
a rapport with Jessica who shared that she was undergoing enormous stress.
She lives with her father who tries to be supportive by sharing his home
and assisting with child care, but they have many disagreements. Her precarious
relationship with her father threatens her housing and support system.
The APA case manager works with Jessica to provide ongoing supportive
counseling and to develop more appropriate parenting skills. The APA case
manager works with the Samoan Community Development Center in helping
Jessica find a place of her own.
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