The trials of Gabriel Fernandez

‘The trials of Gabriel Fernandez’ is a child documentary that shows the forces that exist in social care and contribute to torture of children. The documentary is about Gabriel Fernandez, a foster child who died in May 2013 due to torture related complications. The motherand the boyfriend were convicted for the death of Gabriel Fernandez. Thedocumentarian BrianKnappenberger explores the different aspects that relate to Gabriel Fernandez. Some of the questions that relate to Gabriel Fernandez case have been answered in this documentary. The documentary is available in Netflix and is a true story.The NASW code of ethics in relation to thisdocumentary and the actions by the social workers in the film are brought out. The violation of the code of ethics forms a basis for discussion on the different aspects of Gabriel Fernandez case.This paper provides an analysis of the documentary and the LA DCFS role in the death of Gabriel Fernandez. The paper also provides an analysis of social work theories and approaches that relate to the documentary. The social initiatives that relate to the documentary are brought out in this paper.The paper also provides a description of reflections as a result of the documentaries. The reflections bring out different aspects that relate to watching the documentary.

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Agency Introduction

Los AngelesCounty Department ofChild andFamilyServicesor the LA DCFS is focused on the promotion of the wellbeing and safety of children. The mission statement of the department is to promote the wellbeing and child safety by partnering with the local communities to keep children at home, strengthen families, and connect them with families in times of need. The department serves children from birth to 18 years. A high percentage of the children served by LA DCFSare white. The African American andHispanic populationfollowthe whiteswith respect to the percentages.In terms of gender, LA DCFS serves a higher percentage of male children as compared to female. Based on the 2020 dynamics of the department, it is evident that the children referred to the LA DCFS are those that have suffered from emotional, physical, and physical abuse or neglect.

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The 2020 dynamics by the department further bring out the fatality of children by age. A high percentage of children served by the department are those from birth to the age of one year. Children aged two to three years are also served by the department at a high percentage.In terms of the social-economic status, a high number of children served come from the low-income families. Themiddle-classpopulation also form a high percentage of the children served by the department.The agency supports self determination in the promotion of social work. Self-determination in LA DCFS is defined by different characteristics. These characteristics include social workers acting autonomously, self-regulation of the social workers related to the agency, and acting in a specific self-realizing manner.

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On analysis, LA DCFS self-determination is evident in the manner in which the social workers deliver their duties. An example is the social workers who were held accountable by LADCFS as a result of the falsification of records about the condition ofGabriel Fernandez. The documentary shows that LA DCFS was not accountable for the condition of Gabriel Fernandez and it acted to ensure the responsible social workers are held accountable. The agency is therefore self-determined to provide quality care services to children from different backgrounds.

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Social Work Theories and Approach

There are a variety of social work theories and approaches that can be applied to the work carried out by theDepartment of Child and Family Servicesin Los Angeles.One of the social work theories is the person-in-environment theory. This theory focuses on understanding an individual while in the specific environment. The environmental contexts that relate to the individual are considered during the application of this theory(Gray& Webb,2012).The person-in-environment theory has historical roots in the social work profession where proper attention has been given to an individual with respect to the specific environment. The environmental changes that relate to an individual’s state are also consider during the application of this theory in social work.

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The LA DCFS works with social work professionals to ensure an assessment is carried out with respect to the individuals receiving services. The current and past environments are considered during the application ofperson-in-environment theory (Healy,2014).In Gabriel Fernandez documentary, the person-in-environment theory is evident in the manner in which thecase was handled. Based on the procedures set out on what should be followed during the assessment of cases and administration of the required help, it is evident that there are certain loopholes that exist in this case. The environment of Gabriel Fernandez was not assessed and explored by the social workers which contributed to increased suffering.Also,on analysis of thestrategies explored by the LA DCFS when it comes to the analysis of the specific condition that requires attention, it is clear that the social workers overlooked certain aspects.

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As brought out in the LA DCFS information page, social workers are required to provide equal attention to individuals in different situations. Based on this, the focus should be on the different factors that relate to the particular case.The social workers who had been assigned to handle Gabriel Fernandez case did not outline the different factors that related to the case. The reason presented was that there were similar cases that required more attention due to the severity of the situation. The explanation presented by the social workers to explain why Gabriel’s case was not effectively brought out brings out specific procedures set out by the LA DCFS. The social workers noted that on analysis of the environment, there were no signs that Gabriel was being abused.

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There was no information that showed that Gabriel’s mother boyfriend had a history of violence or child abuse. Also, the social workers noted that there were no signs that warranted Gabriel’s removal from the care of his mother.With the information presented by the social workers, it is clear that LA DCFS requires social workers to assess any violence histories that might exist in the environment. Also, social workers have to assess any signs that might contribute to making a decision on moving the affected child to another environment.

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Social Work Interventions

One of the social workinterventionsis case management. Case management involves meeting the individual complex needs of the children and their families(Knight&Gitterman,2018).This involves assessing the current situation of the children, arrange how they can accesssocial services and ensure care is coordinated. The DCFS also uses this social work theories to evaluate the impact of the different support activities provided to children and their families.Case managementalso focuses on the assessment of the health determinants and ensuring intervention takes place at the system and client levels. According to the National Association of Social Work, the goal of social work case management is to provide quality services for the optimization of the functioning of the client in an efficient manner.

Based on the work done at LA DCFS, it is evident that case management is applied. On this, the social workers at LA DCFS focus on the use of an assessment. An assessment is the rendering of a judgement as a result of hearing a specific case about a client.On analysis of the documentary, it is clear that the LA DCFS social workers focused on Gabriel Fernandez case before the determination of the appropriate cause of action.There were numerous visits to Gabriel Fernandez home to assess the current condition of the child. However, the visits did not provide important information that warranted the prosecution of the care givers and taking Gabriel to another environment.The testimonies presented in the Gabriel Fernandez case shows that case management is central to handling issues related to child abuse and neglect.

One of the social workers noted that there were other cases being worked on together with Gabriel Fernandez case. This is an indication that LA DCFS considers the use of case management effective in the management of differentchild situations. Although case management did not work in the case of Gabriel Fernandez, it has worked in other similar cases.One of the important aspects of case management is communication. Social workers have to focus on the effective communication with the individuals that require care. In Gabriel’s case however, there was no effective

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communication between the social workers and Gabriel. With the inexistence of effectivecommunication, there was no information that was collected from Gabriel’ssiblings.On analysis of the different aspects that relate to case management, one can infer thatthe social workers did not explore case management as an effective social work intervention.

As per the NASW code of ethics, one of the ethical principles for social workers is ‘Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems.’ This ethical principle requires social workers to elevate service provided to be above self-interest(NASW,2021).As per the principle, social workers draw on individual knowledge and skills to help people who are in need. This principle was violated by the social workers in the Trials of Gabriel Fernandezdocumentary. They falsified records and did not provide the necessary service to Gabriel Fernandez. Gabriel later lost his life as a result of the torture and mistreatment he was going though at the hands of his guardians.It was also assumed that the social workers falsified records for individual financial gain. This is against the NASW code of ethics where social workers are required to provide professional skills with no exception of the gains in form of finances available.

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Reflections

With respect to the code of ethics, I would have considered the option that is morally right if the supervisor instructed me to do something against the code of

ethics.There are specific situations that the code of ethics is compromised as a result of instructions offered by superiors. When in such a case, I would not compromise my morality thereby acting in a manner that does not harm the individuals involved. With the consideration of the morality of the action, the outcome is expected to besuitable for all the parties involved. However, there will arise issues with the supervisor as instructions have not been followed. I would act as per my moral code asthere are specific legal consequences that might arise as a result of the violation of the ethical codes.

If I were Gabriel’s social worker, I would have considered the solution-based intervention. It is evident that Gabriel is suffering as a result of the constant beating by his guardians. Based on this, I would have considered putting Gabriel out of care of his mother. This would have prevented extreme torture that later contributed to Gabriel’s death. On analysis, there are specific legal requirements to be considered. On this, I would explore the available legal options to ensure Gabriel finds a suitable home away from the torture.

I would have also recommended the prosecution of the guardians as they have caused great physical, emotional, and psychological torture on Gabriel. The pursuant of prosecution as a long-term solution would have ensured the safety of the other siblings as it is evident that there are also going through psychological torture. The solution-based intervention is ideal as it is a long term one and prevents further

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occurrences from being witnessed. I would have also recommended the provision of therapeutic care to Gabriel and his siblings upon the successful implementation of the solution-based intervention.

From watching the documentary, I learnt that I greatly support the use ofrandom-based solutions to handle cases related to children safety. From the documentary, I learnt that I focus on the implementation of working solutions that involve prosecution. Throughout the documentary, I found myself cursing as a result the laxity of the social workers. In the event that I learnt that the social workers were prosecuted as a result of their action, I was happy but still wanted them to undergo capital punishment. I also learnt that I am driven by emotions in different cases especially in cases where there are people who are suffering.

The documentary made me exhibit sad emotions as I sympathized with Gabriel because of the torture he was going through. I had to act and give the documentary a five-star rating as a result of the information on social injustice presented. Also, I learnt that I can be easily controlled by certain situations. An example, when watching the documentary, I found myself being one-sided as I sided with the legal judgment provided by the court. I did not consider that the social workers might be innocent despite the evidence presented.

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References

Gray, M., & Webb, S. (Eds.). (2012). Social work theories and methods. Sage.

Healy, K. (2014). Social work theories in context: Creating frameworks for practice. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Knight, C., &Gitterman, A. (2018). Merging micro and macro intervention: Social work practice with groups in the community. Journal of Social Work Education, 54(1), 3-17.

NASW (2021).Code of Ethics of theNational Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from:https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of…

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. (2020). Netflix.com. Retrieved from:https://www.netflix.com/watch/80234470?trackId=142…

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Annotated Bibliography

Gray, M., & Webb, S. (Eds.). (2012). Social work theories and methods. Sage.

This article provides an analysis of the different social work theories and methods. The author explores the different applications of the theories in social work and what should be considered. This is an ideal article as it provides practical guidelines to the application of social work theories in relation to social work. On analysis of the different section, this article provides a detailed description of the aspects that relate to social work theories.

Healy, K. (2014). Social work theories in context: Creating frameworks for practice. Macmillan International Higher Education.

This article gives a detailed analysis of the application of the social work theories in relation to different frameworks. The practice of social workers is also brought out in this article. based on the information presented, it is clear that the application of social work theories depends on the different aspects of social workers role.

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Knight, C., &Gitterman, A. (2018). Merging micro and macro intervention: Social work practice with groups in the community. Journal of Social Work Education, 54(1), 3-17.

Knight, C., &Gitterman, A. (2018in this article gives ananlysisof the micro and macro interventions that relate to social work. The authors further explore the application of the macro and micro interventions in relation to specific groups in the community. On analysis of the social work that is considered in perspectives of social workers, it is clear that there are certain insights that should be considered in the application of social practice.