- African Refugee case study. Paul is a man in his 30s who fled his home country in East Africa. Paul recounted growing up under an oppressive regime in his country, and he became politically active at a young age. He attended a deeply split and politicized high school and grew up in what he described as a relatively affluent and middle-class family. He also spoke of his belief that it was the role of the middle class in his country to work toward political change, even though political activity was deeply repressed and dangerous. He learned English in his secondary school and spoke it fluently. He reported having no psychiatric difficulties prior to the incidents leading to his fleeing his country. In response to an upcoming local election, Paul began to increase his visible political activity. One night when he was returning home to his mother’s house where he lived, he was ambushed and kidnapped. He was kept in confinement in a room for over two weeks and was interrogated and tortured. He was told by his captors that they would never let him go and that his family would be tortured as well. He was deprived of food, beaten into unconsciousness, forced into ice-cold water, given electric shocks, and forced to listen to the screams of other prisoners. He believed he would be killed. Eventually he was put into a van and dumped on the side of a road and warned that his life would continue to be in danger. He was hospitalized for over a month for his injuries. Realizing that he had no other option, he arranged to flee to the United States and apply for political asylum. His family continues to receive threatening phone calls demanding to know where he is. He was referred to treatment by his primary care physician whom he saw for continued pain related to his torture injuries. He lived in the basement of a house of a family from his home country whom he met at a religious function.
- Assessment/Conceptualization: Consider how you would apply evidence-based practices. Specifically, what does existing research suggest about this particular presenting concern (find one additional reference to answer this question)? What are the sociohistorical contexts of the client’s social identity(ies) that you’d want to consider? What are the client’s strengths? What additional information would you want to ask about?
- Intervention/Treatment Planning: Identify what approaches you would take in providing mental health sensitive services working with this client. How would you show cultural humility? What might you say and do to develop rapport?
- Ethical Issues and Advocacy: Identify potential ethical concerns you’d want to be mindful of, including your own self-awareness and the interaction between your identities and biases with the client. What current sociopolitical issues or current events might impact the client that you’d want to be mindful of?
- Scholarly Writing and Critical Thinking: Integrated and cited course material throughout case conceptualization. Included at least one additional scholarly (peer reviewed) reference OUTSIDE OF THE COURSE MATERIAL. Used APA style appropriately and writing is organized without typos.
