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COPYRIGHT © 2013 Case Management Society of Australia and New Zealand (CMSA)
CASE STUDY 7 – AVRIL
Avril has walked into your service off the street for some help and advice. She tells you she has not slept for 48 hours and
presents as agitated, dishevelled and incoherent.
Avril is a 20 year old single Caucasian woman who shares a 1 bedroom flat with her boyfriend Dave (28 years old).
Avril and Dave started using heroin 4 years ago on a daily basis and are estranged from their families. At 14 years old Avril
started drinking and smoking marijuana. At 15 she dropped out of school and at 16 left home and moved in with Dave
who introduced her to heroin.
Avril refuses to have anything to do with her family and suffers from PTSD. When Avril was 10 years old her father
committed suicide after being reported for sexually interfering with Avril and her disabled younger brother (cerebral
palsy).
Both Avril and Dave are unemployed and to support their heroin habit Avril works the streets at night. Six months ago Avril
contracted HIV and fearful of losing her clients she has not disclosed this information to Dave or anyone. She continues to
have unprotected sex.
Avril usually drinks 5 or 6 beers before going out to work and if she can’t score she will use benzodiazepines.
Avril is 12 weeks pregnant and her friend who works with her at night has told her not to stop using whilst she is pregnant
as it’s worse for the baby than to keep using.
Avril has not told Dave about the baby as she is worried he won’t agree to keeping it.
Avril and Dave are 4 months behind with their rent and have received an eviction notice accompanied by verbal threats
from the landlord.
Instructions:
1.
Please answer each of the questions below.
2.
Please complete this activity with reference to the resource materials provided.
3.
Please document and report your findings back to the group.
Questions:
1.
What guidelines from each of the CMSA National Standards of Practice for Case Management would you utilise in
this case?
2.
How does your proposed case management provide evidence of:
A. Facilitating the personal development of Avril?
(i.e. her individual, diverse and special needs, including her aspirations, choices, expectations, motivations,
preferences and values)
B. Advocating for Avril’s rights?
(including developing Avril’s strengths to advocate for herself)
C. Addressing Avril’s needs?
(i.e. purposeful case management)
D. Promoting sustainable solutions for Avril?
(i.e. balances Avril’s needs with the available resources and any of your possible limitations as a case manager)
E. Effective communication?
(i.e. with Avril and all other Key Stakeholders)