Case Scenario: Sgt. Carlos Diaz, a 30-year-old Army veteran who worked as a Communication Specialist,
returned from his tour of duty in Iraq 11 months ago. On return to the United States, he received a medical
discharge based on his physical and mental health injuries of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major
depression. Sgt. Diaz indicated that several of his friends passed away in Iraq.
Sgt. Diaz lives with his wife of 10 years and his three young children in Brooklyn, New York. After completing
his high school education focused on technical training, he enlisted in the Army, where he has served for the
last 10 years. Both partners and their children are bilingual and speak Spanish and English interchangeably at
home. The parents and children rely on their Catholic spiritual community as a source of hope, healing, and
social support.
Although previously an avid reader, Sgt. Diaz cannot sit still to concentrate for more than 2 minutes. Most of
the time he feels “tense, nauseated, agitated, irritable, enraged, and numb.” He has trouble falling asleep and
suffers from nightmares. He drinks eight beers with friends 4 or 5 times a week but is unconcerned about his
alcohol intake.
Sgt. Diaz was referred to counseling and you have just been assigned to be his case manager.
In Your Essay Include:
Introduction
Using a client-centered approach, please:
Identify 2 challenges Sgt. Diaz is currently experiencing
Pinpoint 5 strengths Sgt. Diaz possesses
Explain in detail how you would help leverage these strengths to overcome his challenges
Laura Berk and other researchers have recently argued that the process of grieving does not follow stages in a
particular order. Instead, Berk and others have theorized that people experiencing grief can best cope by
accomplishing 4 tasks. Please detail these tasks and ways you would incorporate this knowledge when
working with clients who have suffered a loss.
What is burnout? What advice would you give someone who is dealing with burnout to improve their situation?
Conclusion