Family Systems

MODULE 4 CASE STUDY:

Caught Between Systems: Family, Foster Care, and Juvenile Justice in Mississippi

Aaliyah is a 14-year-old Black girl living in Hinds County, Mississippi. She entered foster care at age 11 following the incarceration of her mother for a nonviolent drug offense. Since entering care, Aaliyah has experienced three placement changes, including time in a group home. Her father is not listed on her birth certificate and has had limited involvement in her life.

Recently, Aaliyah was referred to juvenile court after multiple school-based incidents labeled as defiant behavior, including skipping class and verbal altercations with peers. While living in foster care, Aaliyah has struggled academically and emotionally, reporting feelings of abandonment and anger related to her mothers incarceration and frequent placement disruptions.

The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) remains involved in Aaliyahs case, while juvenile probation now oversees her court requirements. The foster parent has expressed concern about managing Aaliyahs behavior and has requested additional services, noting that continued challenges could jeopardize the placement.

You are a forensic social worker assigned to work with Aaliyah and her family across both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Mississippi-Specific System Contextual Notes:

• Child Welfare: Mississippi has historically relied on foster care placements and congregate care for youth affected by parental incarceration and poverty
• Juvenile Justice: Youth in foster care are disproportionately represented in Mississippi juvenile courts for school-based or low-level offenses
• Parental Incarceration: Mississippis incarceration rates contribute to family separation, often without coordinated reunification planning
• Education: Exclusionary discipline practices continue to funnel system-involved youth into court oversight
• Instructions
• Using the Aaliyah case, respond to the following questions:

1. Family Systems Analysis
2. Analyze Aaliyahs family as a system, including the impact of parental incarceration, foster care placement, and system surveillance.
3. System Intersections
4. Examine how child welfare and juvenile justice systems intersect in Mississippi to shape Aaliyahs experiences and outcomes.
5. Ethical and Human Rights Considerations
6. Identify key ethical dilemmas present in the case and discuss how family integrity, dignity, and least-harm principles are implicated.