Case Study

Community Advisors – Rachel and Noelle

Case

For this reflection, we’d like you to think of a pregnant person with substance use who you helped care for. It can be a recent case. It can be a case that has stuck with you. The case may still be vivid, or the memories may be foggy. Any case will work. The goal is to spend some time thinking about the patient and about your own experience and reactions. The next page has a series of questions for you to reflect on. You can journal your answers, speak them, or simply meditate on the parts of the case you’d like to sit with.

Reflection Questions

What had you heard about the patient before you met them?

How did you picture the patient when you were hearing about them?

How did you feel towards them when you heard their story?

When did you meet the patient?

How did you feel in the room?

How did your expectations align with your interactions?

What was the patient’s relationship with substance use at the time of delivery?

How did you know?

How did the patient feel about their substance use?

How did other staff talk about this patient?

How did you feel during these conversations?

What did you learn as you got to know the patient through your time together?

What were your impressions of the patient’s partner?

How would you describe your interactions with the partner?

How did people on the team talk about the partner?

What was the best-case scenario in your mind for this family?

How does it feel to reflect on that scenario?

What did you feel needed to happen to reach that best-case scenario?

Has your thinking on this question evolved since that time?

What was the worst-case scenario in your mind for this family?

How does it feel to reflect on that scenario?

How did you feel you could help prevent this worst-case scenario?

Has your thinking changed at all since that time?

Where is the patient now? Or if you are unsure, how do you picture them?

What do you hope for this patient?

How do you carry this patient with you now?

How does this affect your views on child welfare reporting?