HUS4256 Jasmine Case Study

HUS4256 Jasmine Case Study

Identifying Information:

Client Name: Jasmine Mack

Age: 18 years old

Ethnicity: African American

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: College student

Intake Information

The intake appointment was made by the client’s mother, Jocelyn Mack. She indicated that her daughter, Jasmine, had been having “problems” at college and

acting “strangely” since she left for school and returned back home. Mrs. Mack

also indicated that Jasmine was not “very pleased” about coming to the mental health center for the appointment.

Initial Interview

When you meet Jasmine in the lobby, she is initially unwilling to come to your

office. After some persuasion from her mother, she agrees only if her mother

accompanies her. Jasmine appears uncomfortable once you have settled down in

your office. She presents with very little facial expression and does not make eye

contact with you.

“What brings you to my office for an appointment today?” you begin.

After an uncomfortable pause, with Jasmine looking at the floor, her mother

replies. “This appointment was really my idea. Jasmine started classes at the

university in the fall. Things seemed to be going well at first, but by October she

was asking to come home. At first, I just thought she was having some roommate

problems.”

Jasmine interrupts her mother at that point. “It was Christy! Everyone on the floor

of the dorm was in on it! Probably more than that!”

“Jasmine, can you tell me more about what was going on?” you ask. Once again

after a long pause with no facial expression from Jasmine, Mrs. Mack continues.

“Well, then she stopped calling me, and we thought things might be getting better.

But she didn’t call at all, and when we’d try to call her, she was never in. I was

really worried but my husband, Joseph, told me we had to let her find her own

way. She did come home for Thanksgiving but hardly talked with us at all. Then,

the semester was over and she failed almost all of her classes. When we tried to

talk to her about it, she’d just get angry and stop speaking to us.” Mrs. Mack

becomes tearful at this point.

Jasmine sighs deeply and turns away from both you and her mother. You again try

to engage her. “Jasmine, would you like to tell me what happened with your

classes?”

“School isn’t the point, you know. My room was the center of it all and everyone

was involved. They tried to confuse me in those classes. It wasn’t safe, I had to

stop going,” she says.

Mrs. Mack stated: “We didn’t know any of this. She wouldn’t tell us anything.

Joseph and I finally thought she was embarrassed and just needed another chance.

He had trouble his first semester in college, too. So we just told her we loved her

and sent her back to school for the spring semester. In less than a week, we got a

call from the resident assistant in her dorm. She said she thought Jasmine was

having trouble and needed help.”

“That’s not true!” Jasmine interrupts again. “She was in on it too. They were all

trying to get me to leave because I was starting to understand what they were all up

to.”

“Jasmine, will you tell me what they were up to?” you ask.

“They set up a communication system in my room. They had cameras everywhere.

I mean everywhere. I couldn’t do anything without them watching. Then they got

the voice machine going!” Jasmine is shaking her head and speaking in monotone.

“Did you hear voices, Jasmine?” you inquire.

“Yes, from the machine. All these different voices saying stupid things and mean

things. I couldn’t keep anything straight anymore. I couldn’t pay attention to

anything. Finally, I couldn’t do anything. I just stayed in my room…just let them

look. Then I came home,” she says.

“Have things gotten better since you came home?” you ask.

“No, not really. It was better for a few days, but they started setting up the network

at my parents’ house”

Jasmine starts holding herself and rocking quietly. Mrs. Mack is looking more and

more alarmed. You decide that you can talk with them separately now that Jasmine

is interacting with you.

“Okay, Jasmine. It sounds like you’ve been having some really frightening

experiences. I want to try to help you, but I need to ask you a lot of questions so I

can figure out the best wat to help. Is that going to be all right with you?” you ask.

“I guess so. I just don’t know what to do,” she responds.

“Okay, do you have any idea why these people would do these things to you?”you

ask.

“I’ve thought about it a lot. I think they wanted to be like me. I’ve done really well

in school. They wanted to understand how I did that and duplicate it. I would have

told them. They didn’t need to say bad things about me.” She begins to rock gently

again.

“Mrs. Mack, I’d like to talk more to Jasmine alone. Would you mind waiting in the

lobby for a while? I’ll talk with you when we’re through” you say.

“Okay,” she responds and leaves the room.

“Jasmine, did anything like this ever happen to you before you left for college?”

you ask.

“What do you mean?”

“Things like hearing voices, or having people working against you?” you clarify.

“No. and it didn’t start until a little more than 6 months ago,” she answers.

“Okay, Jasmine, just one more question for right now. Did you see any doctors or

counselors while you were at school?” you ask.

“No” she answers.

“Would you be willing to talk with a doctor if I could arrange it?”

“I guess so if it’s okay with my mother,” she responds.

“Great, Jasmine. Why don’t you stay here while I check in with your mother and

try to set up an appointment with our doctor? Is that okay with you?” you ask.

“I guess so” she replies.

HUS4256 Jasmine Case Study