Case 2.5 Identifying Information Client Name: Jason Jones Age: 18 years old Ethnicity: African American Marital Status: Single, no children Background Information As a new caseworker at the State School for the Developmentally Disabled-Community Services Division, you have been given a client caseload of 30 developmentally disabled adults. These clients have been residents of the State School for at least 10 years and have been discharged to the Commu- nity Services Program where they participate in a companion-living program. In order to get to know your clients better, you decide to read the files from the previous caseworker. Jason Jones is one of your companion-living clients. Social and Developmental History Jason Jones was born to a 16-year-old, single, African American mother who received no prenatal care prior to giving birth. The mother gave birth with no medical assistance in the bathroom of a gas station. She had no permanent residence and after moving from one homeless shelter to another, she finally left the baby at Child Protective Services and gave up all parental rights. At that time, Jason became a ward of the state. Jason lived with a foster family until he was 5 years old. At that time, the foster family stated they could no longer care for Jason because he was so "slow" and wasn't developing the way most children do. At 5 years old, he was speaking only in one-syllable words, was not toilet trained, and was becoming a behavior problem. Since the foster family had four other children to care for, they decided to return Jason to Child Protective Services. At that time, Jason was tested by a psychologist who determined he was developmentally delayed. He was placed at the State School for the Developmentally Disabled, where he has remained a client for the past 13 years. From the ages of 5 to 18, Jason has made some achievements in his educational development. He is able to write the alphabet and his name. He can use a calculator to add and subtract. He knows the value of money and is able to discern the difference between lesser and greater amounts of money. He is able to understand time and is able to use a digital, electronic watch. He has also learned how to ride a bicycle. At 15 years old, Jason was placed in the ad- vanced residential unit to prepare him for com- munity living. He was taught daily living skills that he would need in order to function in the com- munity. He learned how to use the bus system, go grocery shopping, cook basic meals, perform basic housekeeping tasks (such as cleaning and launder- ing clothes), and manage basic hygiene. He was later placed in a job as a dishwasher at a local restaurant where he was teamed with a work co- ordinator who taught him the skills he would need to function adequately in that position. Jason has held the same job for the past 2 years and currently earns $10.50 an hour. His employer states that Jason is an excellent employee who rarely misses a day of work. Currently, Jason lives in an apartment near the State School with a roommate who is also a client at the school. In order to stay in the apartment, he must remain employed. Jason rides his bike to his job each day. He has his own checking account al- though he needs assistance with writing checks and depositing his paycheck. Jason has bought his own microwave oven, television, VCR, and a CD player. Jason pays half the monthly rent and utilities with his paycheck. He also buys his own groceries. Jason socializes with other State School clients living in the same apartment complex. He enjoys going to the mall and to the movies. He requires supervision with household management issues, such as clean- ing and laundering his clothes. In the past year, Jason was tested by a State School psychologist and was assigned an IQ of 35-40. Initial Meeting with Jason You schedule a time to meet Jason at his apartment one afternoon after work. Jason is a tall and attrac- tive African American man who does not give the appearance of being disabled. He greets you at the front door and shows you into his small apartment. He seems very excited and happy that you have come to see him. When you begin conversing with him, you real- ize he has a serious stuttering problem that hinders his ability to communicate. He is often unable to pronounce words and becomes very anxious when he can't explain something adequately. You often have to ask him to repeat himself in order to under- stand what he is trying to say. Jason asks you if you are his new caseworker and if you are a nice person. He seems eager to impress you with his apartment, opening all the cabinets and closets for you to examine. He states that he needs to go to the grocery store since he only has hot dog buns in the refrigerator. A strong odor of disinfectant throughout the rooms indi- cates that he attempted to clean the house before your arrival. Jason asks you if you're going to come and check on him every week, and you tell him you'll come by to help him with his shopping and checkbook. Jason pulls his checkbook from his back pocket and tells you that he needs to put his paycheck in the bank. He has his paycheck folded into the top flap of the checkbook. He tells you to look at it and says, "Isn't that good?" You ask him if he knows how much money he made with this paycheck, and he says, "A hundred something dollars." You explain to him that he's actually made $322 and that he can sign the check on the back to be deposited into his account. Together, you decide to take a trip to the bank to deposit his check. On the way to the bank, Jason tells you about his job and his schedule. He gets up at 5 A.M. so that he can be at work by 6 A.M. He works through the lunch hour and gets home around 3 P.M. He tells you proudly that he has had the job for a long time. Jason appears to be a happy and gregarious fellow. You stop at the Dairy Queen on the way back to his apartment, and he gets a milkshake. The treat seems very satisfying to him. Jason appears to function on a higher level than his IQ would indicate. He has some excellent daily living skills that have made it possible for him to live outside the State School. He is an engaging person who seems to enjoy his work and home. He receives assistance and social support from the State School professionals and his friends who live in the apartment complex. Jason has some dif- ficulties in getting along with his roommate, Lee, who is less industrious than Jason. Jason gets an- gry with Lee, who doesn't always follow through. with his share of the housework. Overall, however, Jason is currently doing well in his independent living situation.