Welcome to Unit 2 Needs Assessment: Community and Individual Craig Owens, LCSW

Seminar Agenda Warm-up Activity Warm-up Activity Review last week and apply the learning Review last week and apply the learning Individual Assessment, “do’s” and “don’ts” Individual Assessment, “do’s” and “don’ts” Individual Assessment – case study Individual Assessment – case study How do we “Assess” an entire community? How do we “Assess” an entire community? Hypothetical community assessment Hypothetical community assessment Looking ahead – Unit 3 Project Looking ahead – Unit 3 Project

Warm-up – What is one thing that always helps you calm down when you are stressed or feeling like you are about to go into crisis?

Last week we discussed how to approach a client in crisis and the first things we should do when we arrive on the scene. Briefly describe one new thing you learned in that discussion and how you will apply that to your work in human service.

Assessing client needs Human service professionals constantly assess client needs according to the emergence of social problems compared with service availability. This assessment is completed in formal or informal settings such as an office interview (formal) or observations made during an in-home visit (informal). Knowing how to assess clients’ needs and then how to make an appropriate referral is an essential job task. Human service professionals constantly assess client needs according to the emergence of social problems compared with service availability. This assessment is completed in formal or informal settings such as an office interview (formal) or observations made during an in-home visit (informal). Knowing how to assess clients’ needs and then how to make an appropriate referral is an essential job task.

Creating appropriate needs assessment surveys of clients during an intake session helps human service professionals make appropriate referrals to agencies. Understanding what to ask, how to ask, and then how to prioritize needs is essential for effective delivery of service. Creating appropriate needs assessment surveys of clients during an intake session helps human service professionals make appropriate referrals to agencies. Understanding what to ask, how to ask, and then how to prioritize needs is essential for effective delivery of service.

Individual Assessment Time! Do’s Do’s Don’ts Don’ts

Individual Assessment Time! Do’s Do’s – Engage – Discuss Confidentiality – Assess Safety – Priority Needs/Referrals? – Goals? – Natural supports – Begin Psycho-social – Agree on next steps Don’ts Don’ts – Go too fast! – Judge – Impose our values – Write “our” goal – Forget to validate feelings – Forget to check with client to see if we are actually helping!

A father brings his 10-year-old daughter in to your community mental health agency because she keeps hanging out on the streets with older kids after school. He is at his wits’ end, saying he has to work two jobs since her mother died 3 years ago. He says the trouble started about a year ago and is getting worse. He is sure she is smoking and maybe even drinking, and now she is failing in school. He says, we can’t seem to communicate any more. The daughter just sits and stares at the floor while he talks. Practice Time - Individual Assessment Intake Case Study

Assessing Community Needs Often, the social problems of a community are similar to the individual problems of clients in that community. For example, if a large local employer suddenly closes a factory, substance abuse and mental health referrals will increase (as will referrals to homeless shelters). Assessing the community’s needs helps professionals to understand and prepare for providing adequate services for clients who live in that area Often, the social problems of a community are similar to the individual problems of clients in that community. For example, if a large local employer suddenly closes a factory, substance abuse and mental health referrals will increase (as will referrals to homeless shelters). Assessing the community’s needs helps professionals to understand and prepare for providing adequate services for clients who live in that area

Using knowledge of social problems and problem solving skills will assist the human service professional in making predictions of services that will be needed in the future. For example, if an information and referral specialist who works on the local crisis hotline notices an increase in calls for food shelters, agencies that provide this service can be notified of the increased need. Using knowledge of social problems and problem solving skills will assist the human service professional in making predictions of services that will be needed in the future. For example, if an information and referral specialist who works on the local crisis hotline notices an increase in calls for food shelters, agencies that provide this service can be notified of the increased need.

Human service professionals must adhere to federal and state laws and regulations that dictate proper collection, storage, and use of client private information, and many of these laws originated in response to a social problem. For example, because of issues with breaches of confidentiality and obtaining health insurance after leaving a job, the government enacted HIPAA laws. Human service professionals who work in most job settings are carefully trained and required to follow these regulations. Failure to do so can result in being fired and/or losing state or national certifications (field specific) Human service professionals must adhere to federal and state laws and regulations that dictate proper collection, storage, and use of client private information, and many of these laws originated in response to a social problem. For example, because of issues with breaches of confidentiality and obtaining health insurance after leaving a job, the government enacted HIPAA laws. Human service professionals who work in most job settings are carefully trained and required to follow these regulations. Failure to do so can result in being fired and/or losing state or national certifications (field specific)

Individual and Community Needs Assessment (Hypothetical Case Scenario) For the past few months, you have been working as substance abuse program aide in an outpatient program (clients return home after treatment each day). Lately, your town has had many budget cuts and you have noticed this in the number of clients who complain about not having enough food or clothes for themselves and their children. Other complaints relate to bus route cuts and the closing of two government- funded day care centers. Counselors in your program have noticed a significant drop in client daily attendance. One of your job tasks is to call clients who miss treatment each day and discuss the reason for the absence and help them to solve whatever obstacle is preventing their attendance. During a staff meeting, your program director asked you to make a list of the main obstacles reported by clients and to propose ways in which the agency can prevent or reduce those obstacles, or how many agencies together might be able to solve the problems. – –List the obstacles that you found in the scenario above in order of what you think is the hardest to solve to the easiest to solve.

Individual and Community Needs Assessment (Hypothetical Case Scenario) For the past few months, you have been working as substance abuse program aide in an outpatient program (clients return home after treatment each day). Lately, your town has had many budget cuts and you have noticed this in the number of clients who complain about not having enough food or clothes for themselves and their children. Other complaints relate to bus route cuts and the closing of two government- funded day care centers. Counselors in your program have noticed a significant drop in client daily attendance. One of your job tasks is to call clients who miss treatment each day and discuss the reason for the absence and help them to solve whatever obstacle is preventing their attendance. During a staff meeting, your program director asked you to make a list of the main obstacles reported by clients and to propose ways in which the agency can prevent or reduce those obstacles, or how many agencies together might be able to solve the problems. – –List all of the obstacles that you found in the scenario above in order of what you think is the hardest to solve to the easiest to solve. – –How might your agency solve the first obstacle on your list?

Unit 3 Project Preview – Your Task: You are to create a coordination of services plan, a plan to update and connect clients in your agency with appropriate services offered by other agencies. The plan must include: You are to create a coordination of services plan, a plan to update and connect clients in your agency with appropriate services offered by other agencies. The plan must include: –Guidelines for confidentiality of client information during the referral process –Guidelines for identifying barriers to service (e.g., transportation or cost of services) –Guidelines for making, tracking, and assessing the success of referrals to each agency –A reasonable timeline that specifies the time from first the meeting with the client to the time that the referral is made to the amount of time for checking with the client or agency to assess the effectiveness of the referral –Guidelines for coordinating all of the referrals to help the client to manage appointments and services

You are working as a community resource coordinator at a Workforce One Stop. Your primary duties are to attend community fairs and events to advertise the services provided at the One Stop (usually job training, food stamps, cash assistance, housing, and referrals to substance abuse and mental health treatment). Your supervisor asks you to create a coordination of services plan to update and connect clients in your agency with appropriate services offered by other agencies. The plan must include: Guidelines for Confidentiality Guidelines for Making and Evaluating Referrals Identifying Barriers Timeline for Referrals Guidelines for Coordinating Services (This project should be between 800 and 1000 words, not including your title and reference pages) Unit 3 Project Preview

Questions?