Discussion: Working With Families

The Singh family are middle-income, Indian Americans. They live in a suburban area within Hart City. Mr. and Mrs. Singh own a small employment staffing company and have five employees. The Singh’s have two teenage daughters who are 16 and 18 years old. Both daughters grew up in Hart City unlike Mr. and Mrs. Singh who emigrated from India as young adults. They grew up in traditional Indian homes, and their parents arranged their marriage. It is their hope that after each of their daughters finishes college, they will enter into arranged marriages as well. The oldest daughter, Amani, has secretly dated an African American teenager from her high school for the past two years. They kept their relationship a secret because neither family would support the union. Amani and her boyfriend have come into the Hart City Clinic because Amani is pregnant. Amani does not want to abort the baby because of her personal and cultural values. However, she does not know how she and her boyfriend will tell their parents and how they will raise a baby without family support. She is seeking assistance from the advanced human services professional practitioner to help the couple tell their parents and make decisions for them and their child.