Accident or Incident: Disabled Care Facility Psychology Coursework

You are an administrator with a group home which cares for developmentally delayed and physically disabled male adults. You receive a report that a resident appears to have been struck by someone on the night shift and has suffered physical injury.
Upon arriving at the home, you meet Adam. Adam is a 27-year-old male who is physically disabled and confined to a wheelchair. He has also been diagnosed with moderate-severe mental retardation. He lives in a group home with 5 other mentally disabled male residents.
Although Adam is developmentally delayed, his ability to communicate is fairly good. His speech is slow and often slurred, but over time, his caretakers have learned to understand his words very well.
When the morning staff arrived for work and went to get Adam ready for his day, they observed some rather large bruises on Adam's legs and back. When they asked Adam what happened, they report he told them, "Mike hit me." Mike is a worker on the night shift.
**You are investigating the report. Your first interview is with Adam. What questions would you want to ask Adam? What concerns would you have for his comfort? How would you assess his level of understanding? What questions would you ask to determine whether Adam experienced the bruising as an accident that could have happened to anyone or an incident in which Mike was intentionally mean to him?
(Write as if you are personally interviewing Adam.)
***The scenario discussion should demonstrate your ability to apply the steps in the protocol for the week (Michigan Forensic protocol).
Resources for Adam's Interview
For interviews involving an elder or disabled individual, review the Module 05 videos as well as the lectures and discussions from previous modules. Many of the interviewing techniques and skills used in working with children will also apply to working with these populations. But there are differences. Discuss these similarities and differences in your discussions as appropriate.
http://site(dot)ebrary(dot)com/lib/empire/docDetail.action?docID=10084519&page=424
http://site(dot)ebrary(dot)com.library.esc.edu/lib/empire/docDetail.action?docID=10084519