Name: Stephanie Givens
Describe/identify key actors, systems,
and sources of tension
Explore sources of tension (what do we
know about actors, systems,
interactions between actors and
systems)
Case Analysis Worksheet
The key actors that are known from the case are Dionna and then her
children; Kevin, Deshon, and two young infants from her. We also have
Mitch (who is Kevin’s father; but is currently incarnated for 3 years), Brain
(location unknown’ father of Dionna’s two youngest children. Then case
manager Cheyenne Rowtag (who also self-identified as a native American
and it well known in the community that she serves), Richard Maxwell who is
a social worker and a supervisor for Cheyenne. And lastly, Mitch’s aunt and
uncle (who have current kindship care for Kevin and Deshon). And then
Linda from Navajo Nation Child Welfare.
The key systems that are also involve include The Children, Youth and
Families Department (CYFD) of McKinley County and the Navajo Nation Child
Welfare.
The known sources of tension and conflict are as listed:
 Cheyenne and Dionna
 Cheyenne and Navajo Nation Child Welfare
 Mitch’s aunt and uncle, Cheyenne, Richard
Cheyenne and Dionna
The key sources of tension that has been identified has been between the
Case Manager Cheyenne and client Dionna; due to Dionna’s lack of efforts to
attend a doctor appointment that Cheyenne had schedule for Dionna to
evaluate her mental health statues, Dionna’s lack of effort to reapply for
TANF benefits or to attempt to reestablish housing, or steady income for her
older two children (Kevin and Deshon) to be re-home with her. Dionna
overall from assumption, appears to have lack of motivation, or, from the
circumstances from her social environment; may be preventing her to obtain
the viable resources that she needs (transportation, emotional support,
additional parental support or childcare).
Cheyenne and Navajo Nation Child Welfare
The organization feels as though Cheyenne is not doing the best of her
capabilities as Dionna’s Case Manager, to support her. As well, Cheyenne’s
supervisor, Richard has sided with Cheyenne and has validated her
experience when it comes to her overall experience with managing
Cheyenne’s case.
Mitch’s Aunt and Uncle, Cheyenne, Richard
What is previously known about Mitch, Mitch is the father of only Kevin. But,
Mitch’s aunt and uncle agreed to do kinship care for both Kevin and Deshon
when both children had to be removed from the previous foster home in
Cibola County due to “inappropriate discipline.” And then placed with a
woman in Manuelito temporary. Although the aunt and uncle are looking to
have both children removed from their household because they were under
the belief Mitch would be sentence to jail for 3 years and would be able to
come and care for both children. Cheyenne now has to find another
placement for the children. Richard is involved due to Cheyenne debriefing
over the case to him.
Identify types of knowledge needed
(what empirical knowledge and theory is
useful for better understanding sources
of tension), and locate appropriate
knowledge
Integrate new information with your
own thinking to determine what, at the
core of everything, is going on?
Formulate your central problem.
 Does your statement focuses
attention on what needs to be
addressed in order for the
decision-maker to move forward
productively?
 Does your statement clarify the
[few] factors most salient to this
An ecomap can help assess Dionna’s life and what are current tensions that
are interfering in having her become stable. Different assets to consider for
Dionna when completing a ecomap to understand different strengths,
weakness, or tensions would be family, social services, friends, health, and
so forth.
Psychosocial Development theory may explain or get an insight for how
Dionna prioritizes or develops resolutions because of previous life
experiences.
Systems theory has the ability to identify why the Navajo Nation Child
Welfare may believe that Cheyenne has not done her duty in completely
helping Dionna. There could be an exploration, or analyze of the beliefs that
the organization has that could impact their perception onto Cheyenne as a
case manager.
Although the case analysis doesn’t give more detailed context regarding
Dionna’s family history, relationship statues with her children’s fathers,
medical conditions, past history with social services, and how she is currently
finding transportation and the ability to find enough finances to cover basic
needs for the two youngest infants.
But I can assess that Dionna’s lifestyle is causing stress and exhaustion when
supporting children as a single parent; mistakes and accidents are more
prone when a parent is a sole provider with lack of support in areas of social,
financial, health, and more. It is noted that in the beginning that Dionna’s
oldest children (ages between 2 and 3 years old) escaped one night and
were picked up by local police officers. Shortly after she lost custody to both
older children.
It is also important to include that Dionna recently had another child and
could be suffering from undiagnosed postpartum depression; for this to be
left untreated can cause a series of poor choices due to the condition itself –
and can then pose itself as Dionna appearing unmotivated, “a bad parent,”
to become stable to be reunited with her other children.
For known client, Dionna (unknown last name), has been producing poor
results to prove to be a stable, and consistent parent. Although Dionna’s
lifestyle of consistent moving, unstable housing, and possible undiagnosed
post-partum depression can be contributing to her being unable to be
successful to become a stable parent for 4 children.
 problem coming to be?
 Is your statement succinct (eg
ideally one or two sentences,
and no more than 3)
Develop alternative strategies.
 Is each reasonable?
 Is each distinct?
 Does each start in the moment
and get us through the central
problem to a place where things
are productively moving
forward?
 What evidence supports each
strategy?
Choose your strategy and justify this
choice
 How does your strategy respond
to the central problem?
1.) Alternative Approach 1
a. Speak with Dionna and see if she is willing to see a doctor; and if
she is, what type of doctor is she willing to see and what type of
preference she may have as well (female, native American
descent only, and other cultural or social factors).
b. If the previous attempt failed, attempt to schedule at home-visit
family doctor visit at a home that Dionna is comfortable with.
Cheyenne could ask Dionna where the last place was she felt the
most comfortable at from the rotation of the houses that she
has stayed within.
c. If the doctor appointment approach works; depending on the
doctor’s diagnosis or referrals would dictate next steps that
would be best suited for Dionna’s health.
d. After Dionna’s health has an intervention in place. Cheyenne can
discuss with Dionna regarding what would she like to focus on
next (housing stability, discuss where she is able to gather her
finances, able for TANF). If Cheyenne approaches Dionna on
what she should do, she may shut down Dionna.
e. Cheyenne can then focus with Dionna regarding reunification
with her older children as she monitors Dionna’s progress.
2.) Alternative Approach 2
a. Cheyenne can contact the Navajo Nation Child Welfare to seek out
other alternative approaches, this could be approaches that may
incorporate factors of culture even if Cheyenne is of Native
American descent.
b. Cheyenne can then implement these approaches onto Dionna (this
could be further connections with resources; more outreach to
Dionna for check-ins) and use Richard as a liaison between her and
the Navajo Nation Child Welfare to decrease tension.
c. Depending on if the approaches or recommendations given from the
Navajo Nation Navajo Child Welfare, may result in removal of all
children from Dionna’s custody and into foster care or possible
kinship care with other family members. Or hopefully reunification
with all four children.
3.) Alternative Approach 3
a. Removal of all children from Dionna’s care to be place under kinship
or foster care.
b. Assessment an evaluate for Dionna’s stability for reunification with
all four children, or not.
Alternative Approach 1 is the most humane and empathetic approach when
assessing Dionna’s case. The strategy implemented in the approach is asking
for Cheyenne to be more communication with Dionna to understand what
she is willing to do for herself, but with sole focus on improving Dionna’s
 What makes this strategy better overall wellness to strengthen supports for herself. Moreover, the approach
than the alternatives? ends with the goal for reunification with all 4 children with Dionna.