Describe Tamara’s role with the Timbers Independent School District. In what way did this setting pose special challenges for Tamara?

Question

Tamara Simms, a 32-year-old school social worker, had worked in a rural community called The Ridge for more than six years, since 1997. She was assigned a case which caught her off balance. There was something going on in the Anderson home that she couldn’t quite grasp. She had concluded from a home visit that the father was neglecting the children. The home had unsanitary conditions. Sarah Jane, a third grader, had the worst case of head lice Tamara had ever encountered and her lips were severely blistered, a condition that hadn’t healed despite treatment. Furthermore, Tamara sensed that there was something more serious going on in the Anderson home. She suspected that Mr. Anderson was involved in internet pornography and she feared he may have involved his children in some way. In spite of her “hunches” she had no clear evidence to report to Child Protective Services. As seasoned as she was, Tamara still “brought her work home” with her. Although her own family needed her, she could not stop worrying about Sarah Jane and her two siblings. Written for a bachelor’s- level capstone or integrative seminar in social work, the case may also be useful for courses in macro- or micro-level practice, diversity, or international social work. The case situation may be useful for discussion of multiple topics such as social work ethics, policy issues (including policy related to crime victims and to undocumented clients), diversity, language, agency settings, crime victimization, and professional use of self. The case also may be appropriate for MSW foundation courses dealing with these topics.

Answer 1

The rural Timbers Independent School District posed special challenges for Tamara Simms. Tamara was only one of three social workers who served a school district with an enrollment of more than 8500 students. One colleague worked only with pregnant teens, while the other was assigned to a Special Education unit.
Therefore, Tamara “floated” between all the other schools as the trouble shooter who dealt with health problems, truancy, poverty, substance abuse, and behavioral problems. Because social workers were new to the Timbers school system, they had to prove their value to the system. They had been perceived as “truant officers,” “friendly visitors” or child protection workers. One of Tamara’s primary tasks had been to define the roles of a school social worker.
Because Timbers was located in a rural environment, resources for referral were scarce, transportation was a major issue for families, and navigation of rural communities such as the Ridge was time-consuming and difficult.