Assessment and Contract Planning

Chapter 7

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand the appraisal in assessing client system needs and building a contractual relationship for intervention and service delivery

Develop problem-solving skills to mobilize client system strengths and resource capabilities

Develop skills for transforming client system problems into needs and measurable goals and objectives

Develop skills for negotiating and prioritizing goals and intervention options

Develop skills for establishing a contract and creating a structure for monitoring and evaluating proposed interventions

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Assessment Assessment is not a health diagnosis

although it can include a health related diagnosis.

It includes the critical appraisal of the person-in-environment psychosocial functioning and configuration.

It is inherently linked to empirical data collection for identified problems, needs, and goals.

It includes the client system strengths, assets, and resource gathering and problem-solving capacities

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Assessment

Melts and molds the respective expertise of the social worker and the client system into a collaborative decision making and contract planning process.

It considers options for interventions for different goals.

It culminates in a contract that identifies who is going to do what, when, for what purpose, and how.

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Assessment Statement

This statement forms the basis for intervention or referral

Main goal is to identify both the problem and the cause of the problem. In doing so:

1. Consider the nature of the problem itself

2. Explore the details of the problem, its triggers and effects on client system

3. Assess the strengths and needs of the client system with the problem

4. Determine the potential for change given the client systems environment and available resources

What do you think are some of the main presenting problems in

social work practice?

How about…

Job stress, unemployment, depression, anxiety, relational difficulties, grief and loss, physical and mental illness and disability,

substance abuse, homelessness, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency

How How confidentconfident are you in your are you in your ability to identify the ability to identify the main main presenting problempresenting problem of a of a

prospective client? prospective client?

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Words to the Wise about Problems• Target problems are client acknowledged

problems• The client must explicitly agree that a

concern is his or her problem to be solved. – “My kids are in foster care. I want them

back.” – “I'm tired of feeling terrible about myself.” – “My mom bugs me.”

– OWNERSHIP

Problem Awareness

Try the following problem self-assessment survey

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The definition of a problem‘A problem is an obstacle which makes it difficult to achieve a desired goal, objective

or purpose’ • It refers to a situation, condition, or issue

that is yet unresolved. • Often we sense that there is a problem, but

are unable to articulate, pinpoint, or solve the problem– This is where the aid of another person comes in

handy– As a social worker you act as an aid

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Assessment Statement

________________ has ___________________

(Who) (What Problem)

(With what level of need)

because _______________________________

(Explain Why)

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Problem: Recent eviction and lack of consistent housing

Need: Emergency housing for mother and two small children

Sample Assessment Statement:Mrs. B. is a 27 year-old Latino woman with a problem of not being able to maintain housing for herself and her two small children. She was recently evicted for the third time. She has been unemployed since the birth of her first child 4 years ago, and has basically lived in an apartment financed by the father of her first child.

She has a conflicted relationship with this man and has never been married. At present, she has no contact with this man. She has off-on relationship with the father of her second child, who has provided for her and the children during the past year. He has alcohol problems and recently lost his job. Mrs. B and her children were evicted for lack of rent payment.

Mrs. B has completed her GED and has acquired basic office training skills. She is interested in finding work but has no means for childcare. She and her 2nd child’s father are interested in living together as a family but his alcohol difficulties have interfered in their relationship.

Mrs. B is highly motivated to secure stable housing for herself and her children but is uncertain how to deal with personal relationship she has with her 2nd child’s father……..

Problem Prioritization

After the client's problems are identified, they are ranked in order of

importance to the client.

This ranking is usually the basis for deciding in which order the target

problems will be addressed.

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Problem Prioritization

Problem: Recent housing eviction

Lack of consistent housing

Current Needs:

1. Emergency housing for mother and two small

children

2. Stability in living conditions

3. Employment and Income means for mother

4. Childcare means for young children

5. Relationship clarity with 2nd child’s father

6. Child’s father’s need for sobriety

7. Child’s father’s need for employment

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Change Potential• It is recommended to select a target problem

with a high potential for resolution or need satisfaction

• In doing so ask the following questions: – What is the change potential of the problem itself, the

persons involved, and the related environment?– What strengths, assets, and resources are available to

facilitate and support the change?

• Estimate the potential for change using a scale of 0-10– 0 = no potential for change– 10 = Maximum potential for change

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You can also have client assess change potential themselves

• On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 meaning you have every confidence that the problem will be solved and 1 means no confidence at all, where would you put yourself today?

No Confidence Every Confidence

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You can use the following statement to formulate an assessment of the potential for change

The change potential for __________________

problem/need of ________________________

is assessed as _________________________

because ______________________________

(whose)

(what problem)

(high, somewhat high, medium, somewhat low, or low)

(reasons: nature of problem, motivation, capacity, resources and restraints in

environment)

Never underestimate…

…the utility of assessing STRENGTHS

Class Activity

List some popular and common words used to

describe

PERSONAL STRENGTHS

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Additional Strength Words

Seek first to understand

who you are so you can be

clear to

others--

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Remember…Clients Have Strengths Too

• According to Saleeby, almost anything can be considered a strength under certain circumstances. This includes:– What people have learned about themselves and

others– Personal qualities, traits, and virtues– What people know about the world around them– Talents people have– Cultural and personal stories and lore– Pride– The community – Spirituality

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The Search For Strengths

• Occurs by:– Asking

Questions– Seeking

responses – Listening

Actively

Person Situation Issue

Competencies

Social Support

Successes

Life Lessons

• Should occur only after client problems and/or have been explored and discussed

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Strengths Related Assessment Questions• Survival questions:

– How have you managed to overcome/ survive the challenges that you have faced? “What have you learned about yourself and your world during those struggles?”

• Support questions: – Who are the people that you can rely on? Who has made

you feel understood, supported, or encouraged? • Exception questions:

– “When things were going well in life, what was different?” • Possibility questions:

– What are your hopes for your future, or the future of your family?

• Esteem questions: – What makes you proud about yourself? What positive

things do people say about you?

Goal Setting

You want to improve _______?

You want to increase _______?

You want to decrease_______?

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Goals have multiple functions…

Provide direction and continuity for the work

Provide means for client and social worker to agree about outcomes to be achieved

Facilitate selection of intervention strategies

Facilitate monitoring progress

Serve as outcome criteria

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Goal Setting: A Plan of Action• Collaborate with the client to:

– Develop well-formed, realistic goals• My daughter would be home again

– Described in specific, concrete, behavioral terms• I need to contact my daughter’s case worker and talk

to here about parenting classes– Described in familial terms and expressed as the

“start of something” instead of the “end of something”

• What will your daughter say when she learns how hard you are working to bring her home?

– Help improve the lives of those in client’s environment and social life

• How will your parents feel once your daughter is home?

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Criteria for Well Defined Goals

Goal Goal Attainment Measure

1. In client’s Language “Meet all the requirements of probation by June 10, 2004”

"Get done with my p.o.”

2. Worded Positively “Not use drugs or alcohol.”

“Will continue doing activities that support a drug and alcohol free lifestyle.”

3. In the here and now “Will stay clean.” “Will”

4. Specificity “I will avoid or learn to cope with high risk situations”

“I will drive my own car to any gathering where I feel that alcohol or drugs will be present, so I may leave if I feel I may use.”

5. In the client’s control “My probation officer will leave me alone.”

“I will have done everything I can to get my p.o. to leave me alone.”

6. In process form “I’ll just quit.” “I will be spending more time playing guitar and finding a job.”

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Sample Client Worksheet

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Goal Attainment

Goal Attainment Scaling ScaleKiresuk & Sherman, 1968

This is a practical scale and one that you

could adopt, in some form, in your

professional practice.

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Goal-Attainment Scale

1. Most unfavorable

results.

2. Less than expected

success.

3. Expected level

of success.

4. More than expected

success.

5. Most favorable

outcome.

Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4 Goal 5

Contract Planning

Translating prioritized goals into purposively designed and

sequenced action tasks with specific time frames for

completion

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Key Ingredients

• Who…• Will do what…• To what extent…• Under what conditions…• By when? • The 5WH

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Contracting

Create Structure in the Contract Plan:

1. Date the problem that has been identified2. Specify the problem and need to be addressed3. Specify goals for each problem4. Specify objectives or tasks for each goal5. Identify person carrying out tasks6. Outline a time frame for accomplishments7. Set up review process mechanism to monitor

goal accomplishments 8. Document the contract with signatures and

copies of the document

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Contracted Plan for Prioritized Problems

Date Identified

Problem/Need

Goal Task Contract Date Anticipated

Date Accomplished

Text page 255

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Rating Scale for Assessment and Contract Planning Process

Not Addressed

Begun Addressing

Adequately Addressing

Addressed

0 1 2 3

Assessment statement for problems, needs, issues, barriers, strengths, assets and resources

Assessment of change potential for each

Prioritization of problems, needs, barriers for urgency, and change potential

Contracting with time frames

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Sample Assessment Forms

• Comprehensive Adult Client Assessment– http://hums.uaa.alaska.edu/Client_Assessment.pdf

• Comprehensive Child Assessment Form– http://mindihigginskessler.com/forms/

ChildIntakeForm.pdfField Practice Student

• Field Practice Client Assessment Form– http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~bswrun/Client_ASS

ESSMENT_FORM_040204.doc

• Family Centered Assessment Guidebook– http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/down

loads/tools/family_centered_assessment_guidebook.pdf