Explain your approach for working with the new immigrant as a social worker. Consider how you might adapt the cultural formulation interview for the particular Address what you would do if the client does not speak a language in which you are fluent.

 

Identify the country of origin, language(s) spoken, and any employment, housing, legal, or family concerns of the individual. Maria is from Venezuela and she came to the United States to make a better life for herself with hopes to help out her family who is still in Venezuela. She is the eldest child in her family so she feels a lot of pressure to be able to provide for herself as well as for them. Maria's first language is Spanish, though she knows a small amount of English which has been useful for her thus far, though she hopes to be able to improve her English in time. Upon her arrival to the United States, Maria was staying at a local shelter while she tried to find a job. Eventually she was able to find a job in housekeeping. While it's not her ideal job, she understands that she has to start somewhere and start making some money. Her hopes are to save up for her own place and possibly to apply to the local community college to receive further education. Her dream is to become a nurse. Describe strengths and challenges related to their arrival and experience of American culture. One strength that Maria has is that she knew a bit of English before arriving. This helped her upon arrival because she was able to communicate somewhat and could read the signs and information around her. Another strength seen within Maria is her drive and motivation to provide for herself and her family. She has hopes and dreams that she intends to achieve, and this is something that keeps her focused on her goals instead of worrying about the uncertainty of everything else in her life. One challenge she faces is finding permanent housing. She has been staying in a shelter since arriving but hopes to find her own place to live at some point. Another challenge she faces is her dream to be able to further her education, but she isn't sure how to get there and what steps need to be taken in order to achieve this.