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Client Treatment Plan
Film Summary
Beautiful Boy is a 2018 film directed by Felix van Groningen. The film is a biographical
story adapted from the memoirs of a father (David Sheff) and a son (Nic Sheff), describing how
the two moved through mental health and addiction challenges (Groningen, 2018). Nic is a
teenager who developed a substance use addiction during his teenage years. Nic initially began
using marijuana in an attempt to manage stress and depression but later intensified to more serious
substances, including methamphetamines and heroin. The film demonstrates a supportive father
(David) who loves his son and his family. He tries his best to help Nic overcome the addiction.
His father's effort to help Nic overcome addiction seemed ineffective, and he allowed him to move
to Los Angeles, where he lived with his mother (Groningen, 2018). While in Los Angeles, he
recovered from the substance use and psychological challenges. However, when he came back to
live with his father, he had a relapse once again. At this time, he had developed depression and
anxiety disorders.
Problems to Address with The Client in Treatment
The issues to be addressed in the treatment include substance addiction, psychological
symptoms, substance use triggers, and family stability. Substance use is a high-priority problem
since it is evident that Nic substance use is affecting his psychological state, threatening his
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physical health, and impairing his social life. He began developing psychological symptoms such
as depression and anxiety, prompting him to make irrational decisions such as stealing and
injecting drugs (Groningen, 2018). Nic depicts mental health symptoms such as low self-esteem,
anxiety, depression, and emotional instability, all of which require clinical interventions. Nic
parents are divorcees who live in different states and share custody, a dynamic affecting Nic's
recovery. Additionally, David demonstrates enabling behaviors, often depicting guilt, shame, and
grief, which affects his relationship with Nic. Triggers prompting relapse will also be addressed in
the treatment program. Even though Nic always receives psychological assistance, which seems
to work for some time, he has relapsed in several instances, indicating exposure to triggers.
Potential Players On the Treatment Team and Their Roles
The key team players in this case are the client (Nic) and his parents (David and Vicky).
Nic is the primary participant, and the professional team players will be helping him recover. Nic's
role will be to communicate his psychosocial challenges to help case workers develop appropriate
diagnoses. He will participate in designing the treatment plan, which Sowers (2022) describes as
a collaborative approach that ensures the client feels empowered and that the interventions align
with the client's preferences and personal goals. His parents, David and Vicky, will also form the
treatment team. Volker (2020) argues that involving family in a treatment process promotes
healthy family relations and builds a support network for the client. A social case worker will take
part in the process. The role of the case worker will be to conduct client assessments, coordinate
the treatment plan, and monitor and evaluate the client's progress. A family therapist will also be
part of the treatment team. The role of the family therapist in social work is to assess family
dynamics, defining individual members' behaviors and psychological issues in the context of
Client Treatment Plan
Film Summary
Beautiful Boy is a 2018 film directed by Felix van Groningen. The film is a biographical
story adapted from the memoirs of a father (David Sheff) and a son (Nic Sheff), describing how
the two moved through mental health and addiction challenges (Groningen, 2018). Nic is a
teenager who developed a substance use addiction during his teenage years. Nic initially began
using marijuana in an attempt to manage stress and depression but later intensified to more serious
substances, including methamphetamines and heroin. The film demonstrates a supportive father
(David) who loves his son and his family. He tries his best to help Nic overcome the addiction.
His father's effort to help Nic overcome addiction seemed ineffective, and he allowed him to move
to Los Angeles, where he lived with his mother (Groningen, 2018). While in Los Angeles, he
recovered from the substance use and psychological challenges. However, when he came back to
live with his father, he had a relapse once again. At this time, he had developed depression and
anxiety disorders.
Problems to Address with The Client in Treatment
The issues to be addressed in the treatment include substance addiction, psychological
symptoms, substance use triggers, and family stability. Substance use is a high-priority problem
since it is evident that Nic substance use is affecting his psychological state, threatening his
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physical health, and impairing his social life. He began developing psychological symptoms such
as depression and anxiety, prompting him to make irrational decisions such as stealing and
injecting drugs (Groningen, 2018). Nic depicts mental health symptoms such as low self-esteem,
anxiety, depression, and emotional instability, all of which require clinical interventions. Nic
parents are divorcees who live in different states and share custody, a dynamic affecting Nic's
recovery. Additionally, David demonstrates enabling behaviors, often depicting guilt, shame, and
grief, which affects his relationship with Nic. Triggers prompting relapse will also be addressed in
the treatment program. Even though Nic always receives psychological assistance, which seems
to work for some time, he has relapsed in several instances, indicating exposure to triggers.
Potential Players On the Treatment Team and Their Roles
The key team players in this case are the client (Nic) and his parents (David and Vicky).
Nic is the primary participant, and the professional team players will be helping him recover. Nic's
role will be to communicate his psychosocial challenges to help case workers develop appropriate
diagnoses. He will participate in designing the treatment plan, which Sowers (2022) describes as
a collaborative approach that ensures the client feels empowered and that the interventions align
with the client's preferences and personal goals. His parents, David and Vicky, will also form the
treatment team. Volker (2020) argues that involving family in a treatment process promotes
healthy family relations and builds a support network for the client. A social case worker will take
part in the process. The role of the case worker will be to conduct client assessments, coordinate
the treatment plan, and monitor and evaluate the client's progress. A family therapist will also be
part of the treatment team. The role of the family therapist in social work is to assess family
dynamics, defining individual members' behaviors and psychological issues in the context of
