Analyses of case 4 case examples will be completed over the course of the semester. These analyses must demonstrate comprehension of material including appropriate diagnosis, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical implications.

Your client is a 9-year-old female in foster care named Tasha. You are working as a case worker with a large case-load that includes Tasha. Tasha’s mother was killed by her “boyfriend” during an argument while Tasha was hiding in a closet in another room. The “boyfriend” has been charged with second-degree murder. Prior to Tasha moving into foster care, she and her mother had lived in five different residences over the course of a two-year period. Her mother was alcohol dependent and said to suffer from depression though no “official” diagnosis has been charted anywhere.
Tasha began acting out the first night in the foster home (that also houses two other 9-year-old females). She hit another resident and threw a plate of food against the wall. She has been in this home for 3 months now. She was assessed by both a mental health agency psychiatrist and a court-related social worker. The psychiatrist diagnosed her with Bipolar I Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The social worker diagnosed her with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The psychiatrist has prescribed an antidepressant (sertraline) (25mg once daily), a “mood stabilizer” Trileptal/oxcarbazepine (900 mg. daily) and an anxiolytic (Xanax, .25 mg twice daily).
She has been taking these medications for two months and there has been no documented decrease in her aggressive behavior or anxiety. She sleeps more and complains of being tired.
What are the most important advocacy questions to ask about Tasha?
Who should you ask?
What do you think the most “resourceful” way to do this is?
Assume that the foster parents become angry when you start asking questions. What do you think the best course of action is to deal with that dynamic?

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