Week 1: Initial Assessment
Defining Objectives
What motivation will the client identify for getting more involved in his community?
- Client will be able to discuss and share his past experiences engaging with his community through sports, work, school, or volunteering. Client will be able to identify ways in which serving others may help him to improve his own functioning
- Client will be able to identify a reason for engaging in community service (building his resume, more confidence in social situations, finding a greater sense of purpose, etc) that connects to his guiding treatment goals
- Client will feel supported by his provider regardless of the client’s past experiences or current knowledge base and agree to a future session out in the community. Client will select a particular area or organization where he would like to get more involved
Taking Action
How will you guide the client towards self-knowledge and intrinsic motivation?
- Provider will promote a discussion around life skills to assess for whether or not the client has experience in community service
- Provider will offer to support client with this life skill using MI to build ambivalence towards doing laundry if the client is resistant
- Provider will promote a discussion that evokes change language from the client around how improved community engagement may improve current level of functioning OR relate to the client’s stated goals of treatment
- Provider will offer community-based interventions, while remaining cognizant of potential resistance. Provider will work with the client to plan for a community based appointment for their next session
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When to Check In
Conducting a session out in the community introduces a new set of variables, not all of which can be controlled. Consider checking in with your provider if:
- The client is drawn to a community engagement opportunity in a potentially dangerous area or one that comes with inherent safety risks
- You feel unsure about any risk factors or contingencies around which you want to plan for the next session
Session Framework
To Be Repeated as Needed
Defining Objectives
What will the client have accomplished at the conclusion of the session?
- Client will participate in a community service activity, either meeting the provider in the community by themselves or arriving to the office first and taking the provider’s car to the agreed upon location
- Client will feel like he is learning the life skill and not just doing the life skill, receiving support from his provider while still taking ownership over the activity
- Client will continue to express themselves openly and honestly throughout any community based session, particularly when faced with distress or uncertainty. Client will feel a greater sense of connection to their provider as a result of the community based engagement
- Client will engage in open reflection around the benefits of continuing to engage in community based services either independently or in conjunction with his provider, being sure to talk about increased distress tolerance he may have experienced
Taking Action
What will you do to support the client along the way?
- Provider will meet with client in the community or provide transportation from the office to the agreed upon location
- Provider will be intentional and deliberate around the community-based session by tying back to a clinically relevant treatment goal to improve the client’s overall functioning
- Provider will continue to support ct’s building of distress tolerance where applicable by engaging the client therapeutically, promoting insight driven discussion and reflection, and affirming the client’s growth during the session
- Provider will promote a discussion around conducting another community based appointment
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When to Check In
A post-session debrief with your supervisor is likely in order if:
- A situation left the client feeling unsafe or threatened
- The community activity did not provide meaningful avenues for engagement and may require a re-evaluation to deliver the desired impact for the client
- You faced lots of resistance and hit an impasse in being able to move ahead