888 Morton Lane

Salt Lake City, Utah 84119

www.bestofbothworlds.com

P:(801) 888-8888
F: (801) 888-8888
Info@bestofbothworlds.com

888 Morton Lane

Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
www.bestofbothworlds.com

P:(801) 888-8888
F: (801) 888-8888
Info@bestofbothworlds.com

Mission Statement:
The Best of both Worlds believes every biracial family system deserves empowerment
through tools, skills and options that filter a greater scope of understanding towards
family evolution in relevance to race, ethnicity and culture. We support such families by
providing therapeutic and counseling services, as well as strength oriented group
activities with the goal of enhancing greater cultural competency and family resilience.
We want to open the conversations towards less ambiguousness about such families.

888 Morton Lane

Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
www.bestofbothworlds.com

P:(801) 888-8888
F: (801) 888-8888
Info@bestofbothworlds.com

November 17, 2014

Marc Baker
Child & Family Services Director
195 North 1950 West
SLC, Utah 84116
Dear Mr. Baker,
Best of Worlds would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your uncondinonal
continuos support towards this agency. Every year, the Child and Family service interns
and volunteers come to add a greater type of support dynamic and atmosphere to the
annual Cherio family Pannel directed by our agency. They are a significant piece to the
community invololvement, participation and publicity each year. We look forward for
our partnership to diffise amongs other departments as well and we look forward to a
concurrent benefit.
This years Cherio Family Panel event will be hosted at the Univerity of Utahs officer
circle and its scheduled for January 17, 2015. We are currently looking for volunteers
who may be intrested in helping to assist some of our new faculty and staff. We would
enjoy having anyone from your department present, taking into account the familiarity
existing with such events. Along those lines, through the enrollment numbers, we have

888 Morton Lane

Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
www.bestofbothworlds.com

P:(801) 888-8888
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come to confirm 10 panel speakers and in regards to the public, we have come to register
an estimate of 95 children and parents.
We would really enjoy to have some of your student interns and volunteers to participate
and collaborate some time with us once again. Currently, I am in need of 20-25 indiviauls
who would be willing to help out in the planification and commnity organization aspect
of this family panel. Furthermore, I was also planing on half of them possibly being in
charge of a table in which Child and Family serices could connect with the public as a
resource available within the community. This way a greater platform for networking
could come about. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me
via phone or e-mail. I look forward to your participation!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Gamarra
Best of Both Worlds Director
The Best of Both Worlds Agency
Case History
Name: Jingni Nayera
DOB: November 25, 2001
Parent/Caregiver: Mat Nayera

Date: 11/25/2014
SSN: 017-00-0000
Client ID #: 171821

Identifying Information: Jingni is a 13-year-old female; she has a Japanese mother and
an African American father. She currently temporarily lives with her fathers
grandmother due to the recent separation of her parents. Both parents reside in Park City,
Utah. Jingi is in 8th grade, the finalization of middle school and initiation of High School.
She currently attends Rose Knight Middle School and will soon transfer to SLCSE High
School.
Chief Complaint: Jingni has been refereed to Best of Both Worlds agency group by her
school social worker. In October of 2014, Jingi came to experience confusion and
pressure in regards her racial identity. She has a challenging time forming groups and
making friends, of which manifest itself as anxiety and stress as supported by the parent
teacher conference records and documentation. As disclosed by her parents, both have a
negative bias towards one anothers culture and how they want their daughter to grow up.

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In the recent parent teacher conference, in which both parents got the opportunity to
meet, it is disclosed that Jingni is barely passing her classes, attendance is suffering and
lack of interaction skills with friends. Rose Knight Middle School has reported the
following symptoms:
Emotional symptoms: shyness towards peers and teachers, anxiety, stress and fear
of participation.
Social symptoms: difficulty making groups or integrating to peer groups and low
self esteem.
Behavioral symptoms: crying, tired and irritated.
History of Presenting Problem: Jingni expresses stress and anxiety levels with school
and parents expectations. Jingni addresses that she does not feel comfortable with who
she is and where she comes from. She describes feeling confusion and guilt in regards to
who she is. Jingni discloses, I feel like I have to choose one of my parents culture and
traditions over the other. Judgment and bias is presented from mothers statements, and
slightly from fathers, as evidenced by the tone of voice and vocabulary usage of Jingnis
mom in regards to how honor plays an important role in Asian families.
At intake, Jingni reports that her light brown skin shade complexity identifies her as
African American to most people. She also discloses how the use of ebonics in her
community encompasses inclusivity through her eyes. She describes Asian traditions as
something she is familiar with but cant really relate due to her mothers pressure and
lack of nurture. Furthermore, Jingni describes feelings of being unable to easily make
friends and join groups in school due to teasing existing in relevance to her phenotype
and identity. The client reports that she enjoys all subjects, especially art but tends to act
shy around teachers and mentors. She also reports a significant amount of anxiety present
when she gets asked the question, Sowhere are you actually from? Client compares
herself with other peers identifying as full African American or full Japanese as
evidenced by the comparison scenarios she shares.
Medical History: No information disclosed at this time about medical diagnosis or past
medical history.
Personal and Social History: Jingni is the only child from the spousal unit of Mr. Mat
and Mrs. Geum. As reported by her 8th grade teacher and parent teacher conference
documentation, Jingni has come to proceed with behavior relevant to her racial identity
and in congruency to her recent poor academic performance as evidenced by grades

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Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
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dropping and attendance. Her biracial family constellation consists of family members
identifying as African American and others from Tokio, Japan. As reported by her 8th
grade teacher, Jingni has a very difficult time in forming or joining groups made amongst
her peers and describes her as a shy and sensible student. As indicated by Jingni words,
finishing Middle School and proceeding with the initiation of High School comes to
signify a lot to her and her father. As reported in the intake, Jingnis parents have been
married five years and with such recent separation, have indicated their prioritization
more towards the completion of such divorce and both cultures have assimilated such
separation differently. Theyve disclosed their parenting style being both strict and
lenient and both, to an extent and with variation, described Jingni as a content child.
Jingni describes the divorce as the segue towards deciding what side to take and based on
that, who to associate with in school. Jingni explains that she spends much of her time
enjoying watercolor art and sketching, she describes this as a self-soothing activity that
permits colors to join, emerge with no consequences present.
In regards to her school, Jingni reports that is a place that isolates who she want to be and
often, has headaches as well as fatigue. She describes the majority of her classmates as
unfriendly people due to the teasing involved in relevance to her culture. Jingni explains
and elaborates on how she likes hanging out with the art club in her community because
it is a mixture of everyone; Latinos, Asians, African Americans, Native Americans and so
on. She discloses, When I am there, I feel like it is easy because assimilation and fitting
in is prevalent and fun. Furthermore, Jingni mentions the role of spirituality playing a
role in her life in the sense of knowing there is someone powerful and meaningful in life,
as evidenced by her disclosing such words. She indicates that no matter if God is Asian,
African American or even both, it is someone she communicates to gain strength and
guidance especially in the moments of guilt.

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P:(801) 888-8888
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Best of Both Worlds Center

Treatment Plan
Name: Jingni Nayera
DOB: November 29, 2001
Parent/Caregiver: Mat Nayera

Date: 11/29/2014
SSN: 017-00-0000
Client ID #: 171821

Synopsis: Jingni is a 13-year-old, female who is not fully accepted by her mother and
shows some signs of neglect and isolation pertaining to home as evidenced by her culture
differences and variation conflict within her family constellation. Her mother is from
Tokyo, Japan and her father is African American. Her mother is not acceptable towards
Jingnis acceptation and identification towards the African American culture, traditions
and community rather than Asian based traditions as evidenced by her mothers negative
response and attitude towards Jingnis use of ebonics and community friends. Jingni
reports her mother feels her acceptance of African American heritage is a dishonorable
act. In late October of 2014, Jingnis parents came to the finalizing their divorce and each
one of them wants custody of Jingni. Since the initiation of the separation, Jingnis social
behavior has suffered as evidenced by the lack of participation in class and poor
academic performance.She presents as shy and isolated especially with lacking skills
relevant to forming groups or making school friends. The school itself reports a negative
behavior change and attitude shift regarding Jingni.

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Problem 1: Jingnis attitude towards shyness and isolation at school are contributing
factors towards the lack of skills in relevance to forming or being part of peer groups.
Goal: Spend time towards the development of healthier attachment behavior with and at
school.
Action 1: Routine establishment towards after school group activities, clubs, or programs
every other school day.
Action 2: Involvement in an end-of-the-month activity with selective classmates to
promote as well as enhance social skills and relationship building.
Start Date: 11/29/2014
Person Responsible: Elizabeth Gamarra, Jon Gonzales, Best of Both Worlds
staff/faculty.
Completion Date: Continuous, year round.

Problem 2: Jingnis identification guilt/burden to both ethnic identities: Japanese and

African American.
Goal: Increase Jingnis understanding of identity.
Action 1: Clarify and/or change distorted, inaccurate, false, unhealthy thinking patterns
that may negatively affect Jingins view of self and others.
Action 2: Attend at least two monthly cultural event workshops at the, Best of Both
Worlds Center. Session will be held for one hour and a half every Friday afternoon.
Start Date: 11/29/2014
Length of Time: 6 months
Person Responsible: Elizabeth Gamarra, Jon Gonzales, Best of Both Worlds
staff/faculty.
Completion Date: May 2014
I acknowledge my participation in the development of this Treatment Plan. I have
received a copy, and furthermore, agreed to its contents.

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(Caseworker) (Date/Time)

(Client) (Date/Time)

Elizabeth Gamarra, November 29, 2014

(Supervisor) (Date/Time)
(Date/Time)

(Parent/Caregiver)

Best of Both Worlds Center

Progress Note

Date: 12/2/14 Duration: 65 minutes Location: Best of Both Worlds Client: Jingni
In our session pertaining to today, time was spent with Jingni discussing her Saturday
evening project in partnership with the African Dance club with the purpose of
reflecting on participation with community. Client reports that she was a nervous
wreck at the very beginning but involvement in the face painting station made her feel
like she could be herself. We spent some time on the reflection aspect and the rest of time
discussing her conclusions, assumptions and possible bias in regards to her African
American identity in contrast to what she was familiar with in regards to the Asian
cultural standards. The Client shed lights upon her inner feelings of being culturally
competent and fair. Furthermore, Jingni is assigned further homework in regards to
activities and literature that will help towards the establishment of social skills

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development. Overall, this reflects progress towards her first goal, in relevance to this
agency, by demonstrating skills and exposure towards a new cultural experience, creating
some sense of resilience within her self.

Elizabeth Gamarra
Elizabeth Gamarra

RE: Jingni Nayera

DOB: 11-29-2014

December 2nd,2014

Dear Presiding Judge:

Client was seen on November 29th, 2014 for an assessment at the Best of Both Worlds
Center. Included in this report is a brief description of our meeting together.
Current Situation:
The clients mother shows a mild neglectful attitude and accepting behavior towards her
childs participation in African American culture, tradition and community evidenced by
the documented statements of Jingnis parent teacher conference meetings and her
mothers disclosing remarks at the beginning of counseling. Client was referred to the
Best of Both Worlds center by her school social worker of Rose Knight Middle School. In
October of 2014, the client came to experience a noticeably shifting behavioral pattern in
school in relevance to academic performance as evidenced by her lowered grades,
participation and poor attendance. This behavior is reported by her school to have started
around early October, the time frame in which parents were initiating separation. The
client currently reports living with her fathers grandmother and expresses a longing to
spend more time with both her parents. Client describes feelings of identity cultural
confusion and shyness towards being herself.

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Progress:
Client reports that the monthly cultural events that she has had the opportunity to attend
at the Best of Both Worlds center have been enriching towards both cultures she identifies
with. She comes to recognize her unconscious bias towards the African American culture
and community. She comes to also, specifically recognize the influence her phenotype
and ebonics has had in contrast to the Asian culture. Client appears to have participated in
these events as evidenced by the registration logs of the agency. However, client has
displayed an inconsistency in regards to full attendance in the after school activities,
clubs or programs. Clients daily schedule consists of school and homework hall. Some
clubs client has joined but is not entirely consistent with is the Asians in Action,
organization, the African dance, club and The language of Art non-profit. Client has
followed through on attending at least two meetings but expresses some insecurities of
fitting in.
Recommendations:
It is my recommendation that the family attends therapy sessions individually and/or in
conjunction for the benefit of the childs well-being and identity exploration as they all
work through the finalization of the divorce and separation process. New family roles are
in the process of developing and Jingni now comes to face a new family life style that
may present challenges in regards to adjustment and inclusivity. These changes can be
handled and dealt with in counseling. At this time I recommend for Jingni to stay with the
fathers extended family but mother be allowed open visitations especially due to the
cultural differences existing in such case as well as the mothers process and transition of
realizing and coping with the neglect that has been in present towards client, in a
constructive way.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at 801-888-0000.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Gamarra
Agency Director
Best of Both Worlds

888 Morton Lane

Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
www.bestofbothworlds.com

P:(801) 888-8888
F: (801) 888-8888
Info@bestofbothworlds.com