Sue Hernandez, a 35-year-old female, has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia Disorder
exhibiting delusions and hallucinations. Sue identifies as a white, Hispanic, straight
woman who has never been married.
Sue is an Iraq War veteran. She served as a liaison to human resources and then as a
paramedic and was honorably discharged in 2009. Before she served, she received a
degree in medical technology at a local community college. Her father was a veteran
and she grew up on army bases. She attended five high schools in four years. Her
mother was a secretary and a teacher. She has not seen her family for two years; she
lived with them after her return from Iraq, but both parents and Sue could not find a
peaceful way to live together.
Sue can often be seen walking to and from the downtown area and the local grocery
store. She spends most of her days on the streets. A case manager working downtown
saw her walking through the rain and called a friend working for a shelter. She asked if
she could refer Sue. The outreach team located Sue during one of her walks the
following week and learned that Sue cleans up several local businesses late at night.
She sleeps in the places she cleans.
Sue appeared sober but complained of hearing voices. She believes that she is in
danger from wild animals most of the time. Sue also often fears for her life and believes
her parents will find her and kill her.
Sue has never been arrested and indicates she doesn’t want to live in a house, and
does not want to live with anybody around. People and noises scare Sue and she has
trouble sleeping. The outreach worker referred Sue to you, a case manager at a local
homeless shelter providing comprehensive care. Reluctantly, Sue agreed to come to an
initial interview.
HSV340 – Case Management
Case Vignette
HSV340–Case Management
