Case Study
Patient Demographic: Client s Age: Client 1: age 12 Client 2: age 14 Client 3: age 14 Client 4: age 16 Client 5: age 13 Client 6: age 16 Sex: Males Gender: Males Sexuality: Varying Ethnicity: Multiracial Relationship Status: Single Counseling Setting: Juvenile Justice Facility Type of Counseling: Group Counseling Presenting Problem: Involvement with the Justice System That Includes Various Mental Health Disorders and Crimes Diagnosis: Imprisonment (Z65.1)
Mental Status Exam: Mental Status Exam: All of the clients appear to maintainappropriate hygiene, and they are all oriented to person, place, time, and situation. They are all somewhat reserved with regard to going into deeper topics, but theyparticipate f
Presenting Problem: You are a licensed counselor working in a juvenile justice facility for teenage males. The group comprises six males that are required to attend as part of their incarceration with the expectation that it will shorten their sentences. The purpose of the group is to work on emotional regulation and to work together to share common experiences and identify goals that can be helpful in preventing reincarceration. During the intake session, you explained the purpose of the group and started with an ice-breakeractivity. The clients participated in the ice-breaker activity that required you to redirect them back to the activity several times because they would joke and get off task. You attempt to go a little deeper by encouraging your clients to start talking about what happened to get them incarcerated, and they appear to be taking pride in the reasons they were in juvenile detention and making fun of those with lesser sentences. You redirect the clients to another topic.
Other Contexts: You meet with the group for the sixth session, and they are focused and appear to be more respectful toward you because it appears that you can get their attention more easily to start the session. You separate the group into dyads at the start of the session and prompt the group members to talk about feelings related to the pros and cons of engaging in school. You overhear client 4 telling client 3 that it does not matter if client 3 does well in school because he is in juvenile detention for sexual assault and therefore he cannot redeem himself. You intervene and remind client 4 of the group rules about respecting others.  You notice that one group member appears to be sexually attracted to another group member

Question: You notice that one group member appears to be sexually attracted to another group member. Which of the following options would be the most likely to support the group goals?
(A): Remind the group members that they cannot have a relationship with each other.
(B): Discuss with the involved individuals that an outside relationship could adversely affect the group process.
(C): Continue to monitor how the relationship affects the group because individuals will do what they want regardless of the group rules.
(D): Discuss the relationship dynamics with the group because others may feel that the relationship is affecting group processes.

Correct Answer: Discuss with the involved individuals that an outside relationship could adversely affect the group process.
Explanation: It would be most helpful to talk with the involved individuals about their relationship and how it might adversely affect the group’s process. Discussing the group rules, relationship dynamics, and monitoring the effects on the group will be helpful, but individuals will often proceed with the relationship anyway. Therefore, the correct answer is (D)
Competency: counseling skills and interventions