SWU discussion (x3)

Mr. Harjo and Toni: Mr. Harjo is 65 year old male who identifies as Latino. He lives in Globe,

Arizona, and subsists on Supplemental Security Income, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps), and his garden. Mr. Harjo has been

living alone since the death of his wife five years ago and son two months ago. He is the son of

Mexican immigrants, and visits his hometown in Mexico for Semana Santa every other year. Mr.

Harjo identifies as Catholic but has not participated in organized religion since the age of 14,

when he relocated to Globe, AZ.

A granddaughter, Toni (age 13), recently moved in with Mr. Harjo following her father’s death,

Mr. Harjo’s son, from cirrhosis of the liver due to alcoholism. Toni's biological mother is serving

five years in prison on a second conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia, a class six

felony in Arizona (https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/03415.htm) . Toni's biological parents were

never married, and her mother did not obtain a legal divorce from her first husband. When Toni

was born, the hospital registrar accidentally listed the first husband as the legal father on her

birth certificate.

Mr. Harjo went to Toni's school to give notice of a change of address and to put his name on file

as guardian and emergency contact. School officials pointed out that Toni was not legally related

to Mr. Harjo, and that therefore he had no authority to authorize medical care, or to enroll Toni

in school.

The principal referred Mr. Harjo to an attorney, where he appealed for help in getting Toni's

paternity corrected. The attorney advised that the biological father adopt Tony in order to change

the legal parent, but refused to take the case because Toni's mother was incarcerated, and the

likelihood of an adoption by an incarcerated parent was too low (Garcia, Bain, Avera, Armenta,

2005).

Toni’s grades have dipped to a C average (she typically earns A’s and B’s) since the death of her

father. She is on the freshman softball team, and cites this as one of her favorite activities, but

will be ineligible to play should her grades continue to decline. Toni has no specific academic

interests but wants to remain eligible to play softball. Teachers report that Toni has always been

quiet, but has had difficulty concentrating in school since her fathers’ death two months ago.

Three months ago, she suffered a knee injury playing softball and is slowly returning to practice,

and was prescribed Percocet (an opioid) for the severe pain. Toni complains that she still has

lingering pain and continues to take the prescribed Percocet. She also shared a few of her pain

killers with a friend.

Mr. Harjo followed up with the principal for a recommendation to get Toni in to see a counselor,

but has not received a reply. He is unsure where to go to find something he might be able to

afford. Toni has no known medical issues, and has seen a doctor regularly. Toni reports she does

not remember the last time she has seen a dentist, and is worried that she may need braces.