Ray Case study

Ray gains self-confidence from exercising, socializing with the other team

workers at his part-time fast-food job, and honing his woodworking skills. He

graduates high school. Ray applies to college with the support of his teacher-

mentor and gets a full scholarship. He would be the first in his family to attend

college. However, his father George becomes sick with lung cancer the summer

before his freshman year of college. Ray doesn’t know where to turn. He is

estranged from his father’s side of the family due to a fight George had with his

brother years ago.

His mother’s side of the family do not live in the area, and he’s never had a close

relationship with them. He feels a sense of obligation to George and guilt for

what he’d said about wishing him dead, ray never leaves for college, letting the

scholarship lapse. He stays and cares for his father until George dies four

months later. Now 18, Ray lives alone with a rescue pit bull named Daisy.

He has maintained his fast-food job, but after George’s death, he begins to show

up at work late, unshowered, and occasionally drunk. Ray’s boss tells him that

he understands he’s grieving, but he can’t show up in that state. The boss puts

him on probation. If he is late, skips work, or shows up inebriated again, he will

be fired. If Ray loses his job, his housing will be in jeopardy as well. Ray’s work

friends encourage him to see a social worker.

Throughout the course, you have been following Ray as he develops

biologically, psychologically, and socially, as he makes decisions, and as his

social environment changes over time. Now imagine Ray as your client. How

would knowledge of HBSE inform his case?

Social workers are expected to apply HBSE, person‐in environment, and other

multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks during the stages of engagement,

assessment, and intervention when practicing in the field.

For this Discussion, you begin exploring Ray’s case by considering how HBSE

applies when engaging, assessing, and intervening with Ray.

Assignment

Reflect on Ray’s case. How might you use knowledge of HBSE to engage, assess,

and intervene in the case?

Explain how you might apply knowledge of human behavior and the social

environment when engaging, assessing, and intervening with Ray as a social

worker.