Intake

The Brief Intake/Assessment may also be used to screen clients to determine if they need case
management services, and if so, to determine the model of case management most appropriate to meet a
client's needs, and to assess the client's willingness and readiness to engage in case management services.
In the Supportive Case Management model, the Brief Intake/Assessment is the sole mechanism for
assessing client needs. Documentation from this assessment provides the basis for developing the Brief
Service Plan and providing case management services. In Supportive Case Management, a Comprehensive
Assessment is not required.
In the Comprehensive Case Management model the Brief Intake/Assessment allows initiation of case
management activities until a Comprehensive Assessment can be completed.
Case managers must assure the client's privacy and confidentiality in all phases and activities of case
management.
Building relationships
These skills involve being able to communicate understanding, care and concern and the capacity to
explain events, provide encouragement, allay fears, contain anxiety, and provide practical help and
support in ways that help to build trust and a confidence.
Defining a Problem
A social problem is an issue within the society that makes it difficult for people to achieve their full
potential. Poverty, unemployment, unequal opportunity, racism, and malnutrition are examples of social
problems. So are substandard housing, employment discrimination, and child abuse and neglect.
Why is contracting important in social work?

Based on the assessment an in conjunction with the client, during the contracting phase of social
work practice you attempt to define clearly the issues and goals for work and develop plans likely to
resolve the identified issues and achieve the final goals.

What is Social Work Assessment?

In the assessment phase of the social work process, multidimensional information on the client and his or
her situation is gathered and assessed. Based on this assessment a plan will be devised to assist the client
to overcome the challenges and issues.  
A social work assessment helps look into different aspects such as the client’s mental health, education,
occupation, strengths, finances etc.
Social Work Process
Assessment is the first step in the social work process.
Assessment
In this first step of the social work process, information on the client’s strengths, needs, challenges, goals
and resources are accumulated.
By examining these aspects, you will be able to identify what needs to change and why, and generate an
idea about what should happen next.
Planning
In this stage, it will be decided who will need to take action, when and how they will do it. Accordingly
create an action plan that is flexible enough to survive the changing circumstances.
Intervention
In this stage you will be deploying your action plan.
In an intervention, as a social worker you might be required to offer the necessary resources to help your
client live independently, or provide advice and guidance to develop their skills.
Review/ Evaluation
Review and evaluate the progress you have made with the implemented plan. Have you been able to
achieve the results you expected? Has it changed the life of your client positively?
Social Work Assessment Tools
There are various methods and tools to help facilitate the social work assessment process. In this post, we
will look at several visual social work assessment tools that can help social work practitioners gather as
much information on their clients as needed.
Culturagrams
Culturagram is a family assessment tool developed by Elaine Congress to understand families that come
from different cultural backgrounds. It helps focus on 10 different cultural aspects and works best with
immigrant families/ refugees.
The culturagram consists of a diagram that examines the following factors;
Reason for Relocation Legal Status
Time in Community
Language Spoken at Home and in the Community
Health Beliefs
Impact of Trauma and Crisis Events
Contact with Cultural and Religious Institutions Holidays, Food, and Clothing
Oppression, Discrimination, Bias, and Racism
Values about Education and Work
Values about Family
Ecomaps
Commonly used by nurses and social workers, the ecomap was developed by Dr. Ann Hartman who also
developed the genogram.
It is a tool that is used to visualize the personal and social relationships of a family with its external world.
It helps convey the quality of these connections as well. The ecomap is commonly used with refugee and
migrant families.
How to draw an ecomap
Step 1: Begin your ecomap with a circle in the middle. Portray the family members within the circle
using a genogram – squares for male family members and circles for female family members. Mention
their name and age in the middle of the shape assigned to them.
Step 2: Represent the quality of the relationship between the family members by using one of the
connection lines below.

Step 3: Identify and add any extended family members or close friends. Visualize the quality of the
relationship to them using the lines above.
Step 4: Add the social and environmental systems such as schools, religious institutions, work etc. that
have an impact on the family. Portray the quality of the relationships here as well.
Approaches to Goal Formulation:
There are mainly three approaches to goal formulation. They are as follows:
Top-down approach: Top-down approach is a directive approach. Under this approach, top executives
first develop the corporate goals and disseminates them to middle and lower level managers for
implementation. Top level mangers use their knowledge and experiences to formulate the goals.
Bottom-Up approach: Bottom-up approach is a participatory approach. Under this approach, functional
workers formulate goals for their positions and passes to the top level for final revision and approval. Top
level management finalizes the goals on the basis of mission statement and disseminate to lower level for
its implementation.
Management by Objectives (MBO): MBO is initially suggested by Peter Durker in 1960.It is the
process under which both top level and lower level management jointly formulate the goals for an
organization. They determine each individual’s major area of responsibility in terms of goals which gives
employees a sense of ownership and motivates further. The collective effort of both superior and
subordinates in goal setting process is the major advantage of MBO.
Goal Formulation
Assigning a group: At first a group in which the involvement of all the level of mangers from top,
middle and lower level are assigned. The involvement of higher level ensures the utilization of their
expertise on environmental changes and effective allocation of resources; whereas the involvement of
lower level ensures the formulation of realistic and achievable goal and commitment towards the work.
Environmental Scanning: After the group is assigned the necessary and relevant information of internal
and external environment are gathered and analyzed. This helps to know the changes occur in external
environment like political changes, technological changes, socio-cultural changes etc. and its possible
impacts as well as, the strength and weakness of the organization that can capitalize the opportunities and
neutralize the threats.
Determining and listing the potential goals: After the rigorous analysis of environmental factors and its
impacts, potential goals are formulated and listed.
Brainstorming on potential goals: Once managers formulated the list of potential goals, it is necessary
to think deeply on each of them according to their importance. Managers discuss these goals on their
relevancy, strength, weakness and success in future.
Reach the consensus: Once the goals are carefully discussed, a best goal among the list is choose. There
must be acceptance of majority in goal selection. This not only helps to avoid conflict but also helps in
motivating the workers toward goal achievement.
Determine the major area of responsibility: After finalizing the goal, the activities related to its
achievement are determined. In addition, the authority-responsibility relation of the activities and
individual are determined and assigned the task accordingly.

Intervention
Intervention is the stage when the client and social worker mobilize resources to implement the
action-plan, both complying with their agreed-upon expectations. During this stage, the social worker
should monitor client progress, and the client should bring to the social worker’s attention any
challenges, obstacles, or threats to carrying out the action-plan. Plans and timelines can be adjusted
as needed to ensure that the intervention is working for the client.

The Helping Process

Three phases of the helping process:

Phase 1:  Exploration, engagement, assessment, and planning
Phase 2:  Implementation and goal attainment
Phase 3:  Termination 

Phase I:  Exploring, engaging, assessing, and planning

Phase I is helpful in any setting and lays the groundwork for subsequent application of interventions and strategies
for resolving clients’ problems and promotes problem-solving skills

Processes involved and tasks to be completed during Phase I:

1.  Exploring clients’ problems by eliciting comprehensive data about the person/person, the
presenting problem, and environmental factors 

    -What circumstances brought the client?

    -Is the client mandated?
    -Give a brief description of your view on the purpose of the client's visit and and aks how you can be of help

2.  Establish rapport and increase motivation

-Having effective communication skills is crucial- you must be able to engage the client

-Establishing rapport will help client feel less intimidated by the process as well as to acquire client’s trust;
nonjudgmental attitude, acceptance, respect or client’s right of self-determination, respect of client’s worth and
dignity,

-Client must perceive you as understanding and genuinely interested in their well-being.

-Cultural factors should always be considered when implementing interviewing techniques

-Involuntary clients can be resistant-your interaction with the client can help motivate and influence

-Acknowledge clients problem and recognize their motivation to work towards a solution

-Establish expectations of the helping process

3.  Formulate a multidimensional assessment of the problem, identifying the systems that play a significant role in
the difficulties and identifying relevant resources that can be utilized or must be developed

-Continue to establish rapport while exploring client’s problems

-Exploration of the problem is a critical process

-While exploring, attend to emotions and immediate concerns

-Gather information of the individual client, interpersonal and environmental

-Recognize client’s strengths (these can be tapped into during the goal attainment phase)

-Formulate a working assessment from which the goals and contract upon which Phase II of the problem-solving
process is based

        -An adequate assessment includes analysis of the problem, the person, and the ecological context

-  Analysis of the individuals system includes assessment of the client’s wants and needs, coping strategies, strengths
and limitations, and motivation to work on the problem

        -The factors to assess, which are critical in selecting appropriate and attainable goals, are:  flexibility,
judgment, emotional characteristics, degree of responsibility, capacity to tolerate stress, ability to reason critically
and interpersonal skills

-Assessment of ecological factors involves consideration of the adequacy or deficiency, success or failure, and
strengths or weakness of salient systems in the environment that bear on the client’s problem

        -This assessment aims to identify systems that must be strengthened, mobilized, or developed to satisfy the
client’s unmet needs

        -Some of the systems that affect client’s needs include couple, family, and social support systems , spiritual
beliefs, child care, health care, employment systems, various institutions, and the physical environment

        -Cultural factors should also be taken into consideration

        -Keep in mind larger systems and the properties of these such as power, rules, norms etc

-Remember that individual difficulties tend to be related to systematic difficulties so interventions should be directed
towards both the system and the individual

-Assessment focuses on the style of communication employed by individual participants, interactional patterns
among members, and the impact of individual members on process that occur in the system. These factors are
weighed when selecting interventions intended to enhance functioning at these different levels of the larger systems

Note:  Problem exploration skill are used during the assessment process that begins with the first contact with
clients and continues throughout the helping relationship

4. Mutually negotiating goals to be accomplished in remedying or alleviating the problem and formulating a contract

-This process aims to recognize what needs to be changed and what related actions need to be taken to resolve or
improve the situation

-Formulating a contract is a vital process because it demystifies the helping process and clarifies for clients what
they may expect from the relationship and what is expected of them

-The solution-focused approach takes the position that goals are central when working with clients

-By focusing on goals as perceived by clients, an empowering momentum may be created

-Exploration of clients problems often reveals that resources or services that are not provided by the agency may
need to be utilized.

Phase II: Implementation and Goal Attainment

1. Also known as the action-oriented or change-oriented phase, this phase involves explaining the plans formulated
together by you and your client.

- The process begins with dividing the goal into general tasks that identify general strategies to be employed in
pursuit of the goal

- These tasks are then divided into specific tasks that designate what the client and social worker plan to do between
each of the sessions.

-after formulating goals with the client, you select and implement interventions designed to assist the client in
accomplishing the goals set forth

-interventions should relate to the problems that were identified and the goals that were designated

 2. Enhancing self-efficacy

-The helping process is greatly enhanced when clients experience an increased sense of self-efficacy

        - Self-efficacy is when it is believed that they can successfully accomplish a task or perform behaviors
associated with their goals

-Help clients become aware of their strengths and recognize incremental progress of clients towards their goal
attainment

 3. Monitor Progress

 -Monitoring progress is important for several reasons:

        -Evaluating the effectiveness of change strategies and interventions (for third-party payers and implementing
interventions that are based on evidence based practices) 

-To guide client’s efforts toward goal attainment

            -Evaluating their progress towards their goals enhances endurance of focus and efforts and promotes
efficient use of time

-To keep abreast of client’s reactions to progress or lack of

            -When clients do not feel that they have progressed they may become discouraged and lose confidence

-To concentrate on goal attainment and evaluate progress

4.  Barriers to Goal Accomplishment

-Progress rarely will go smoothly
 
-Clients typically encounter obstacles and experience anxiety, fears, and frustration

-Others involved with the client may undermine the client’s efforts to change by being opposed to the changes,
ridiculing, or by making change even more difficult

             -for this reason, it is important to involve significant others in the problem-solving process

-You need to be aware of the challenges your client may face and assist them to overcome these challenges

-Other barriers are personality factors, problematic behaviors, and obstructions within the family’s environment

-Finally, there are barriers in regards to denial of services by organizations, or policies and procedures that restrict
client’s access to resources

5. Relational Reactions

- Working with your client may create emotions for each of you, hamper the helping process and create difficulty
towards goal attainment

-Clients may have unrealistic expectations or misperceive your intentions

        -this may cause disappointment, discouragement, hurt, anger, rejection, and other emotional reactions and
hamper the helping process

-In addition, couples, parents, and other group members may experience relational reactions to other members
resulting in problems while they are interacting

        - These reactions reflect maladaptive attitudes and beliefs learned from relationships with parents or significant
others

-Make sure that you explore and resolve these relational reactions

-Finally, make sure you are aware of your own relational reactions and how to manage them

6.  Enhancing Client’s Self-Awareness

-During the helping process, clients will experience a wide variety of emotions from confusion, anger, and being
overwhelmed

        -Though at these times you may veer from goal attainment activities, this is also a time that clients have an
opportunity for growth in self-awareness

-You can facilitate the process of self-discovery by employing additive empathic responses (discussed in chapter 17)
during the goal attainment phase

        -These can be applied both in individual and group sessions

-Additive responses are particularly helpful with clients who wish to get in touch with their emotions and wish to
express their feelings to significant others
-Confrontation is another technique used to foster self-awareness

-Confrontation helps clients become aware of growth-defeating inconsistencies in perceptions, feelings,

communications, behavior, values and attitudes, and then examine these discrepancies in relations to stated goals.

7. Use of Self

-Throughout the helping process, you will increasingly use yourself as a tool to facilitate growth and
accomplishment         

-Relating and disclosing feelings, views, and experiences ensure that clients believe that you are genuine, open and
authentic

-By modeling authentic behavior, you encourage clients to reciprocate by risking authentic behavior themselves

        -By doing so, they will achieve significant growth in self-realization and in interpersonal relations

-Assertiveness should be used when problematic behaviors impinge on the relationship or impede progress

Phase III: Termination

The terminal phase includes three major aspects:

1.  Assessing when client goals have been satisfactorily attained

-You may develop specific indicators of goal achievement (discussed in chapter 12)

-Termination may be based off these indicators  

2. Helping the client develop strategies that maintain change and continue growth following termination

-After termination many clients relapse or regress to their previous level of functioning
            
3. Successfully terminating the helping relationship

-Termination may produce mixed feelings for both you and the client

-If you have had an extensive period of time with your client, they may have a sense of attachment

 -Try to have follow-up sessions to evaluate results and to facilitate the termination process by indication the social
workers continuing interest in clients