One of the roles as a chaplain is to network with other services in the community for referral and for partnering with these services to ensure that children and their families can have support in times of need including grief and other critical events.

A parent, called Susan, with school aged children disclosed to me that her partner Gregory had lost his job because of his alcohol problem and now they are struggling financially. After paying rent and the bills there is very little money left for food. I spoke to the wellbeing team at school, and they suggested I find a service that provide food hampers for families in need.

I have also been given permission to visit this family in their home to offer pastoral and practical support. I went to the home to talk to the family and give them referral options for their ongoing support.

I also took a food hamper with me to meet their immediate needs. When I went to the home Susan cries and tells me she doesn't know how she is going to get through all the stuff that is going on.

Susan tells me that her mum recently died, and she is finding it so hard to cope with her partner Gregory drinking all the time and the grief she is feeling over the loss of her mum.

How would I demonstrate empathy, active listening skills, what would be some questions I could use to get Susan talking with me and what should I be looking at for problem solving?

What would a Critical Incident Form, Referral Form and Case Plan look like for this case study?

What are Susan's needs, cultural issues, behaviours of concern, and grief/loss look like?

How would I come up with a brief intervention plan and what would it look like?

What would be some of the legal and ethical issues in this case study?