Danielle was the product of a highly chaotic home in which the mother was addicted to drugs and abused alcohol on a daily basis. The four children in the home were removed by Child Protective Services and placed in foster care; Danielle was five at the time of foster care placement. She never knew her father. The foster family was religious and took Danielle and her 5 foster-siblings to church each Sunday. At home, the foster father had little emotional interaction with the childrenDanielle would later say that he was in it just for the money. The foster mother seemed overwhelmed with the responsibility of the children and would use excessive corporal punishment for slight infractions. During the beatings, the foster mother would recite verses such as Ephesians 6:1 and then would require the children to memorize passages that seemed to justify the harsh treatment. Danielle, now in middle school, was referred to the Christian social services agency where you are a therapist. She has exhibited both verbal and physical outbursts at school. You are eager to show Danielle that God loves her and can help her with her problems. For her part, Danielle seems pretty disinterested in religion.

Finally, although this case refers to a Christian social services agency, also briefly review what you can and cannot do if this were a public services setting, with regard to expressing your beliefs and faith.