CASE STUDY 2
Client’s History
Biological: N/A
Academic: N/A
Demographics: African American Male, mid to late 40s. This information can be used during
research to compare his demographics and his substance use to others in his demographics and
see if it's rising/lowering/about remaining the same when it comes to his criteria among the
population.
Family: Whip was married and has a teenage son, but due to his substance abuse, he has been
divorced from his wife, and his son resents him. Later in the movie, he meets Nicole, a heroin
addict, and they develop an intimate relationship, but later split due to his inability to stay sober,
and she wants to get clean.
Work: Whip Whitaker, played by Denzel Washington, has been a pilot for SouthJet Airlines for
the past 20 years. He has prior flying experience from the Navy, but details of his military
service weren’t disclosed in the movie. But due to his drug and alcohol addiction, he was
involved in an incident during his flight which ultimately had him do an emergency landing at
the cost of extensive damage to nearby property, along with the plane and injury to passengers
which prompted him to do a mandatory drug and alcohol screening by The National
Transportation Safety Board. Even though his courage and talent as a skilled pilot saved the lives
of the passengers, he was still under the influence of substances, which could land him federal
time in federal prison.
Social: Whip’s social life is fairly poor due to his current situation facing legal actions and his
substance abuse issues the people who are close to him, try their best to give help but Whip
refuses the help and is unable to come to terms that he has an addiction throughout the movie
until the end he finally realizes he has lost everything and admits to the court he was under the
influence but he did what he had to do to save the lives of the passengers where he received a 4-
year prison sentence.
Development: Regarding development, this movie shows how you’re your substance abuse can
make a heroic and courageous situation where you’re considered a hero a terrible situation. Whip
throughout the movie denies that he is addicted to alcohol; he constantly states that he “chooses
to drink,” and he abuses cocaine to level himself out during flights and high-stress situations
such as his court hearing. But towards the end of the movie, when he realizes he has lost
everything, he has come to terms with his addictions and owned up to his mistakes at the end of
the movie, while he was in prison, you see him having a conversation with his son, rebuilding
their relationship.
Spiritual Considerations: Whip’s spiritual background wasn’t disclosed during the film, but I
would implement some type of religious aspect into his treatment program by gaining insight
CASE STUDY 3
into how his belief system and values are reflected in his behavior. Throughout the treatment
plan, the counselor should see if his religious and spiritual values help him fulfill his wants and
needs, treat his loved ones with respect, and adhere to their concerns.
Screening Tools
For Whip’s current situation, I have chosen the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, which is
used to detect any alcohol issues, and the Beck Depression Inventory-II, which is a self-
administered test to assess his level of depression (American Psychiatric Association. (2022).B
Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test: This is a widely used test that is designed to
assess alcohol dependency. It consists of 25 questions that help the individual identify
any potential alcohol-related issues. This test is most known for its effectiveness with an
accuracy rate of 98%. This is a self-administered test where the taker's response is scored
to determine the overall level of risk for alcoholism.
Beck Depression Inventory-II: This is also a widely used 21-question self-reported test
that measures the taker's level of severity for depression, and it assesses symptoms of
depression, cognitions, and physical symptoms. A score between 10 and 18 is an indicator
of mild depression, while 30 or over indicates severe depression.
Whip will be currently serving time in federal prison, so these options for screening will be more
suitable for his situation and can be a great tool for counselors to find the root issue of his
substance use also using Beck’s depression inventory we can get a gauge of his level of
depression and see how these two issues correlate and we can form the treatment plan to the
information we have discovered and he can achieve sobriety, heal from his past and current
issues. This will ultimately mend his relationship with his family and show his community and
the board that he has achieved sobriety during his time in prison and is possibly able to fly again
due to his heroism and overall sobriety.
Presenting Problem
Referral Source (Court ordered): The National Transportation Safety Board
Referral Reason (Behavioral): Whip has a clear issue with alcohol and narcotics; throughout
the film, he consumes alcohol while driving and flying. He drinks to the point that he passes out,
along with his use of cocaine and prescription painkillers as a depressant to overcome the effects
of alcohol. So, this is a clear sign that he uses alcohol and drugs to get through his day, more like
a coping mechanism for possible emotional and mental distress (Lorio, R., & Gore, M., 2018)..
Potential Concerns: Some of my concerns are how long he has been abusing substances to the
point that he can function enough not only to operate a motor vehicle but to fly an aircraft, which
CASE STUDY 4
is both amazing and concerning at the same time. Also, his physical health may be affected by
the abuse, which needs to be addressed along with the counseling. I feel that his ex-wife,
Deanna, along with his son, should be involved in the counseling and treatment process to
resolve any underlying issues that may be the cause of his substance use. Lastly, Whip should
have weekly group and one-on-one counseling to track his progress, along with having the
ability to discuss his issues, which would likely lower the chances of him relapsing, which is
common for individuals in his situation (Skinner, H. A., 1982).
Priority List of Concerns:
1. Increasing Reliance on Alcohol as a Primary Coping Mechanism for Stress/Anxiety
2. Potential Development of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
3. Negative Impact on Sleep/Energy Levels
4. Potential Reoccurrence of Anxiety/Depressive Disorders
5. Maladaptive Coping Mechanisms
6. Relationship Difficulties
7. Mental Health Comorbidities
8. Resistance to Counseling/Treatment
9. Stress Related to Flight Incident
10. Desire to Return to Work
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (5th ed., text rev.). American Psychiatric Publishing.
Skinner, H. A. (1982). The Drug Abuse Screening Test. Addictive Behaviors, 7(4), 363–371.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4603(82)90005-3
Lorio, R., & Gore, M. (2018). Taming the problem list. Family Practice Management, 25(1),
33-34. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2018/0100/p33.html
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