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WOLF FAMILY CASE STUDY

Record Keeping & Documentation
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THE WOLF FAMILY

Presenting issue:

The Wolf family has been referred to you due to concerns for the daughter
who has recently been hospitalized for overdosing on her mother’s
medication. The daughter, Melissa, has been struggling with depression and
anxiety since relocating from Tumblewood, Alberta. Melissa has recently
started high school and has been struggling to fit in with peers. Melissa had
been having suicidal thoughts for some time before she decides to hoard her
mother’s benzodiazepines during the past month. Melissa consumes one
month’s supply of her mother’s medication when she is found unconscious
by her mother in her bedroom. Below is a copy of the family assessment.
You are the crisis worker who covers emergency services and have been
asked to meet with the family to provide support.

Family Composition:

Father: Stan Wolf D.O.B. June 15, 1970

Married, Bank Executive

Mother: Peggy Wolf D.O.B. September 25, 1971

Married, Works within the home

Biological Daughter: Melissa Wolf D.O.B. December, 12, 2009

Student at Oakville Collegiate, grade. 9

Biological Son: Craig Wolf D.O.B. March, 7, 2006

Student at Oakville Collegiate, grade 12

Family History:

Stan Wolf was born to Lucy (DOB 07/07/1951) and Marty (DOB 07/08/1950)
Wolf on June 15, 1970. The two married shortly before his birth. Lucy was a
stay at home mother when Stan was born. Marty is a farmer who took over
the cattle farm from his father. The family farm has been in the Wolf family
for four generations. Both Lucy and Marty have large extended families and
frequently gather with extended families for get togethers.
Lucy and Marty have been fairly heavy drinkers most of their lives, although
Lucy’s drinking has always been slightly more and this has escalated over
the years. Lucy has long bouts of depression that have caused her to remain
in bed for weeks on end.

Peggy Wolf was born to Cathy (DOB 09/08/1947) and Len (DOB 01/29/1946).
Cathy and Len met while both working in at a small factory in Cedar Springs.
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They married shortly after the birth of Suzie, on October 1, 1967. Later they
had Sally (DOB 02/03/69), Pam (DOB 05/04/70) and Peggy (DOB 25/09/71).
Cathy has struggled with depression since the birth of her first child and this
would result in extended periods of time where Cathy was not able to
manage the household. Peggy’s mother died shortly after a short battle with
breast cancer when Peggy finished high school. Since the death of their
mother, the sisters typically get together a few times a week for drinks.
Peggy reports that all her sisters are heavy drinkers. Peggy’s father re-
married shortly after the death of his first wife to Wilma (DOB 01/02/48).
Wilma and Cathy were best friends during childhood, and Wilma was
considered part of the family prior to her union with Peggy’s father.

Stan Wolf and Peggy Wolf met in childhood. In 1988, they began an intimate
relationship in their final year of high school. Both Stan and Peggy were
inseparable and opted to leave Tumblewood to pursue post-secondary
education. Stan studied Commerce and Peggy studied English Literature.
She dreamed of becoming a writer. Peggy had a difficult time focusing at
Lethbridge University and ended up dropping out in her second year. Peggy
ended up working at a local campus pub to support her and Stan while
attending Lethbridge. Stan’s father is angry at him for moving to Lethbridge
to study as he wanted Stan to take over running the family farm. Stan and
Peggy had a large social circle and enjoyed living in Lethbridge. Stan
decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Business and Peggy agrees to
support the two of them while he completes his schooling.

Both Stan and Peggy drink regularly and enjoy socializing with friends each
night while living in Lethbridge. In 1995 Peggy and Stan get married and
return to Tumblewood where Stan quickly moves up to the position of Bank
Manager of the TD bank. It takes the couple eight years to become pregnant
with Peggy having three miscarriages before Craig is born in 2006. With Stan
earning a modest income, Peggy keeps herself busy with family and friends
and while she desperately wants to have children of her own. She struggles
with severe bouts of depression which began when she lost her mother and
seem to have gotten worse with each miscarriage. Wilma is especially
supportive to Peggy throughout that time in her life. Peggy becomes
obsessed with becoming pregnant and eventually after eight years of
marriage, is able to conceive Craig, and later, Melissa.

Stan and Peggy maintain an active social life that involves drinking and
socializing with friends and family. Peggy struggles with severe post-partum
depression after the birth of her daughter and finds it difficult to care for
Craig and Melissa in the early years. Peggy has been prescribed sleeping
medication to help her sleep. She experiences a great deal of shame and
guilt for not being happier about having children and has increased her
consumption of alcohol in an attempt to manage her depression and anxiety.
She is grateful to Wilma who visits daily to check in on her and the children.
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They often have a few martinis together before Stan gets home from the
bank.

Stan is a hard worker and spends numerous hours at work making sure that
all the details are looked after. His boss often jokes with Stan that he
admires his obsessive compulsive nature and attributes this to his success at
the bank. Stan has gone from Branch Manager, to Regional Director and has
recently been offered a National Director position in Toronto, Ontario. Peggy
is apprehensive about moving away from Alberta where her sisters, father
and Wilma reside. Stan is thrilled to be relocating and knows that this new
position will provide his family with a new lifestyle. The children are
devastated when they learn that they will be leaving family and friends to
relocate to Oakville, Ontario.

After moving to Ontario, Peggy struggles being away from her family and
friends when they relocate. Stan works most days including weekends and
often puts in 16 hours days which are rewarded with large bonuses from the
bank.

Upon locating to Ontario, Melissa begins grade 6 and Craig begins high
school. Melissa struggles to make friends and struggles with the losses
associated with the relocation. Melissa more recently has been diagnosed
with a learning disability which causes her to feel worse about herself.
Melissa struggles to fit in with kids at school, struggles academically, quits
gymnastics, refuses to participate in choir, and spends the majority of her
time in her room. When living in Alberta, Melissa remembers feeling very
settled in her school and neighbourhood, with a number of friends. Back
“home”, although she struggled with the work at school, she had a great
teacher and was able to access help when needed. In Ontario, she does not
feel like she fits in at school, has not developed any relationships with
teachers and is hesitant to ask for any help, for fear of looking “stupid”.
Melissa initially tried to make some friends when she moved by trying out for
the volleyball team and student council. She reports always feeling like an
“outsider” whatever she tried doing and eventually quit both these activities.
She eats lunch on her own, often sitting in the halls. Melissa spends all her
downtime at school looking at social media on her cell phone, wishing she
was having as much fun as the teens in the pictures seem to be having.
Melissa starts to struggle with her moods and is exhibiting a number of
depressive symptoms, such as losing interest in activities, difficulty sleeping,
and withdrawing from family. Melissa has attempted, on a number of
occasions, to talk to her mom about the difficulties she was having with her
schooling, friends and her moods however found her mom unavailable and
felt that she really wasn’t listening or trying to understand her at all. Melissa
feels that her mom is drinking too much and often passes out after dinner,
for the balance of the evening. Melissa had enjoyed a close relationship with
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her dad before the move, and although they get along well enough, her dad
is always working and is never home.

Craig, on the other hand is able to manage the transition quite well. He
makes a number of friends, plays football and enjoys the status of being a
popular athlete at the high school. At the current time he is in grade 12 and
is being recruited for a football scholarship to the US. Craig hangs out with
the popular kids and drinks most weekends with his team. He has
experimented with most drugs recreationally. At the time of this assessment
Craig is in grade 12 and Melissa is in grade 9.
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