Individual Project 2

Weekly tasks or assignments (Individual or Group Projects) will be due by Monday and late submissions will be assigned a late penalty in accordance with the late penalty policy found in the syllabus. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time.

Given the information you have learned about the Moore family as stated in the scenario and your knowledge of how alcohol abuse affects children, do the following:

• Specifically state how Mr. Moore’s alcohol abuse has affected the children and his relationship with the children.
• Additionally, specifically state which role in the family you believe that each member of the family plays (e.g. scapegoat, caretaker, lost child, comic, etc.).
• Explain why you believe this member has this particular role.
• Based on your knowledge of alcohol abuse, discuss whether you believe any of the children are at risk to develop an alcohol-related drinking problem and why.

Extra information you may need to help you complete this assignment: 

Drew Moore has been convicted of an alcohol-related driving offense and has been sentenced to 3 years’ probation as part of his sentence, and his case has been assigned to you. His court docket number is 66666, and his probation case file number is 22222-B. Mr. Moore has been married to Laura Moore for 21 years, and they have three children: Sheila, age 10; Jeffrey, age 11; and Wanda, age 13. Mr. Moore owns a chain of furniture stores, works long hours during the week and on the weekends, and has not been an involved father because he spends most of his time working. His pattern has been to go out to various restaurants and bars with his partners after the stores close at 9:00 p.m. and drink alcohol until closing. He has then typically driven home under the influence of alcohol. You meet with Mrs. Moore, who is very guarded in her discussions with you about her husband’s drinking history. What you can learn from Mrs. Moore includes police involvement a few times during the marriage because of the drinking, long nights where Mr. Moore kept the family awake in his drunken rages, and very poor communication between Mrs. Moore and Mr. Moore

Since your last meeting with Mr. Moore, you have come to be aware that because he is home so infrequently, he does not spend much quality time sober with his children. He recently missed his daughters’ national gymnastics championships in San Francisco, CA. The girls excel at gymnastics and are among the best in the country at their level. Mr. Moore has been to one gymnastic meet 3 years ago. His son, Jeffrey, plays hockey and is on a travel team. Mr. Moore has never been to one hockey game. Mr. Moore has never missed work due to drinking, although you have come to be aware that he sleeps only 4–5 hours per night and is typically hung over the next day after being out drinking the night before. He has very little patience, chain smokes, and has many regrets in his life (although drinking is not yet one of them). When asked about his children, he appears to know very little about them. He is unable to tell you who each child’s best friend is, what each child’s favorite color is, what television shows they like to watch, what music interests them, or what foods they like to eat. He cannot recall ever doing any activity with any of them individually or together. He is not sure of their schedule, and he has never been to a school parent/teacher conference or any doctor or dentist appointments. However, he is very vocal in his expectation that his children excel in school and get all As. He did disclose that he reviews their report cards to be sure they are getting all As. When asked about his children’s apparent athletic ability, he is apathetic. He truly believes that he cannot attend such events because it interferes with his business.

Mr. and Mrs. Moore travel frequently as a couple with different retail groups, and these trips are paid for by the manufacturers of the furniture that Mr. Moore carries in his stores. The children do not come on these trips. There are about two per year, each lasting for 1 week. When asked about these trips during an interview, Mrs. Moore’s face elongates and she looks down. She is very guarded in her responses to you as the probation officer. You learn that these trips are a source of great stress for Mrs. Moore because all decisions are left up to her. She decides and plans for the child care for the children when they travel, she does the packing, and she even has to pick out all of Mr. Moore’s clothing. During these trips, Mr. Moore is intoxicated most of the time except the mornings, and Mrs. Moore is left to deal with his intoxication, embarrassing behavior, and other antics.

Mr. Moore has an early diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver. In addition, he has had an inflamed liver. He takes numerous medications for this condition and has needed different treatments in the past. The doctors have clearly articulated to him that his cirrhosis is caused by his excessive drinking. They have advised explicitly that Mr. Moore must stop drinking if he wants to live. Despite this medical advice and his diagnosis of cirrhosis, he continues to drink and smoke excessively. His wife and children have spent numerous days and nights at the hospital while he recovered from different medical problems as a result of his drinking. 

Sheila, age 10, is the youngest. She is a comedian in the family, always trying to lift the mood and make light of the situations that involve her father’s drinking. She is immature and does not do well in school. She is, however, ranked second in the country at her level of gymnastics.

Jeffrey, age 11, is quiet, withdrawn, and introverted. When he is physically home, he retreats to his room and becomes engrossed in reading or in playing video games. He is an excellent hockey player and is on the travel team, which gives him some relief from his chaotic home environment. No one knows that Jeffrey has an eating disorder, which he began to suffer from at age 9.