Obtaining the American dream: The Perez Family

1. Obtaining the American dream:The Perez Family Research Conducted and Presented by:Charlie Emerson Edgar

2. The Perez Family • Mr. Perez • Recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis • No current means of income • Applied for and was denied political asylum • Originally given a Green Card • Experiencing depression • Mrs. Perez • Lacks understanding of U.S. legal and social services system • Earns small amount of income • Alien status continued as result of denial of asylum • Increasing number of disputes with Mr. Perez • Experiencing distress • John Perez • Earns small amount of income • Decreasing grades and frequent truancy from school

3. Goals for the Perez Family: • Understanding of United States legal and social services systems • Job security and obtainment for all members of Perez family • Sense of cohesion among members of family • Sense of secure future in regards to Mr. Perez’s health • Improvement of John’s academic performance • Permanent residency in the United States

4. Rapid Immigration is a private information Web site, not affiliated with the United States Government, with the goal of providing the general public with “clear, concise and practical information that would be useful in deciding which course of action to consider when immigrating to the United States” (Rapid, 2011). • Rational: • Perez family lacks a fundamental understanding of U.S. legal and social service systems • Gained understanding will assist Perez family in achieving adequate assistance to correct the problems they have presented • Description: • Information regarding • U.S. Visas • Green Cards • Immigration forms • U.S. Citizenship • Lessons in American civics • Legal system • Resources available through social service system

5. USCIS will secure America’s promise as a nation of immigrants by providing accurate and useful information to our customers, granting immigration and citizenship benefits, promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship, and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system (USCIS, 2009). • Rational: • Perez family does not wish to return to Nicaragua • Denied Asylum • Must now find a different method of obtaining Green Card • Lack understanding of immigration services • Description: • Methods on how to obtain a Green Card • Granting of asylum not necessarily needed for obtainment of a Green Card • Detrimental information for aliens, asylees, and immigrants on how to obtain permanent United States Citizenship

6. To foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights (DOL, 2011). • Description: • Information available: • Employer and Employee Rights • Disability Resources • Youth Labor Laws • Termination • Leave benefits • Immigration and Nationality Act protects U.S. aliens from discrimination based on citizenship status • Available Permanent Labor Certification programs • Capable of resulting in Green Card • Rational: • Mr. Perez’s depression because of belief that his wife and son are not eligible to work legally in the U.S. • Lack of income restricts ability to contribute to overall financial well-being • Web site provides information on how Mrs. Perez and John can obtain employment

7. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a Better Business Bureau accredited charity, is a collection of individuals passionate in the betterment of the lives of those who are affected by Multiple Sclerosis (NMSS, 2011). • Description: • Information Available: • Professional and Societal Education • Cutting-Edge Research • Advocacy • Service and Programs • Financial Assistance • Resources • The Americans with Disabilities Act • Rational: • Mr. Perez fears mounting medical bills and lack of financial means • Also possess a lack of understanding of assistance to which he is entitled under ADA • NMSS resources will provide sense of secure future in regards to his health

8. We, as child life professionals, strive to reduce the negative impact of stressful or traumatic life events and situations that affect the development, health and well-being of infants, children, youth and families (CLC, n.d.). • Description: • Information Available: • Directed towards individuals in social service field • Child Behavior • Crisis Intervention • Family-Centered Care • Provides assistance in locating academic research and evidence-based practice methods • Rational: • John’s parents are taken back by his decline at school and are at odds on how to handle the situation • Information suggests his shift in behavior can be attributed to • Possible feelings of distress in regards to dad’s serious illness • Shift in role within the family

9. Talking about depression: A qualitative study of barriers to managing depression in people with long term conditions in primary care Coventry, P. A., Hays, R., Dickens, C., Bundy, C., Garrett, C., Cherrington, A., & Chew-Graham, C. (2011). Talking about depression: a qualitative study of barriers to managing depression in people with long term conditions in primary care. BMC Family Practice, 12(1), 10-20. doi:10.1186/1471-2296-12-10 • Key Findings • Professional and patient belief sets reflect a normalization of distress • Professionals presenting an uncertainty in the appropriate time to transition from awareness of emotional issues to formal depression screenings • How patients and professionals create and define labels for depression • Summary of Article: • Demographic: • Persons professionally diagnosed with a long term condition (LTC) • Sampling Strategy: • Qualitative in-depth interviews • Focus groups • Data Collected: • Awareness and vulnerability to depression in LTCs • Presentation and detection • Management of depression • Communication in the consultation • Training to improve services for depression in LTCs

10. Talking about depression: A qualitative study of barriers to managing depression in people with long term conditions in primary care • Mr. Perez lists several roots to his depression • Concerning because several of these situations require long-term solutions • No immediate relief from depression • Should be encouraged and empowered to seek futher assessment and management of his depression • Rationale: • Risk of depression doubles in patients with LTCs when compared to the adult general population • Depression perceived as normal in LTC patients • Mr. Perez shows signs of normalizing his depression • Normalization and disregard for one’s depression can worsen feelings of distress in the future

11. A qualitative study of programs for parents with serious mental illness and their children: Building practice-based evidence Nicholson, J., Hinden, B. R., Biebel, K., Henry, A. D., & Katz-Leavy, J. (2007). A Qualitative Study of Programs for Parents with Serious Mental Illness and Their Children: Building Practice-Based Evidence. Journal Of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 34(4), 395-413. doi:10.1007/s11414-007-9063-5 • Key Findings • Development of increased parent empathy for their children • School readiness and attendance improvements • Preservation or reestablishment of stable family unit • Summary of Article: • Demographic: • Parents with serious mental illness and their children • Sampling Strategy: • Qualitative method and a grounded theory approach • Data Collected: • Feelings towards benefits of programs • Site visits of the existing programs

12. A qualitative study of programs for parents with serious mental illness and their children: Building practice-based evidence • Rationale: • John’s sudden change in behavior and decline in his achievement at school is cause for concern • Study suggests his shift in behavior can be attributed to: • Possible feelings of distress in regards to dad’s serious illness • Shift in role within the family • Study shows individual intervention and professional support will likely result in • School Achievement • Improved Attendance • Positive Psychological Adjustment • Family-centered intervention will result in • Preservation or reestablished feelings of a stable family unit

13. Sense of coherence and distress in cancer patients and their partners Gustavsson-Lilius, M., Julkunen, J., Keskivaara, P., & Hietanen, P. (2007). Sense of coherence and distress in cancer patients and their partners. Psycho-Oncology, 16(12), 1100-1110. doi:10.1002/pon.1173 • Key Findings • Cancer patients and their partners who have strong SOC are less distressed • Reflects previous research suggesting pathological anxiety to be more common in clinical populations • Multiple Sclerosis patients commonly experience pathological anxiety • Summary of Article: • Demographic: • 123 cancer patients and their heterosexual partners • Sampling Strategy: • 12-item Finnish short version of the original 29-item Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) • 7-point Likertscale • OLQ items are assessed by higher scores = higher sense of coherence (SOC) in the couples • Data Collected: • Self-report questionnaires at time of diagnosis and 8 and 14 months later

14. Sense of coherence and distress in cancer patients and their partners • Rationale: • Mr. and Mrs. Perez are experiencing frequent disputes • Mrs. Perez reports feelings of distress and being overwhelmed by various stressors • Financial concerns • Son’s change in behavior • Immigration status • Lack of job • This quantitative study provides assurance that feelings of distress are common in couples facing serious illness • Resolve to feelings of distress can be achieved through • Couple counseling • Individualized counseling

15. Strengths and Weaknesses of Internet-Based Resources Strengths and Weaknesses of Article-Based Resources Strengths Peer-reviewed which ensures accurate and unbiased information Weaknesses Once published, an article regarding newly emerging populations and studies may be already outdated • Strengths • Turnover rate of new and improved information • Increasing amounts of agencies and organizations utilizing the web • Weaknesses • Possibility of inaccurate or misinformed information