ASSESSMENTS IN SOCIAL WORK: THE BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL MODEL

WHAT IS ASSESSMENT Coulshed and Orme (2012) describe assessment as an ongoing process, which is participatory, seeks to understand the service user and his/her situation and sets a basis for planning how change or improvement can be achieved.

WHAT IS AN ASSESSMENT A social work assessment is a WRITTEN REPORT of information a social worker has collected about a client It involves a PROCESS of making judgments about an individual and their environments to decide what their needs are Assessments are PARTICIPATORY: mixes professional appraisal with user viewpoints

STAGES IN ASSESSMENT Milner and O’Byrne (2009) put forward a framework for assessment with five key stages: – Preparing for the task. – Collecting data from all involved. – Applying professional knowledge to analyse, understand and interpret the information gathered. – Making judgments. – Deciding and/or recommending

WHAT WILL YOU DO IN AN ASSESSMENT Contains at LEAST FOUR elements: – Description: e.g. service user’s living conditions – Explanation: suggesting possible causes of any problems and probable consequences of unmet needs. – Identification: for e.g. problems to be resolved – Evaluation: e.g. how a person’s needs might most effectively be met

ASSESSMENT The assessment process begins by interviewing the client and significant parties Review the client's medical and educational records Include all of the information you have gathered about the client in the written assessment Reports are often written in a narrative form that tells the story of the client's current problem

BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL

IDENTIFYING INFORMATION Demographic information – phone no., , mailing address, house no. – dob, sex, marital status, employment status, ethnic group etc It is important because: – it helps you reach your client when necessary – it helps you explore which people use your service – the kind of problems that affects them

IDENTIFYING INFORMATION Referral information Data sources – interviews with clients – observation – other sources (people and written)- record their name and their role in the clients life – medical records

PRESENTING PROBLEM Understanding the problem from the clients point of view Explore past experiences related to current difficulties Description of the problem: Use the clients words, thoughts and feelings as much as possible

CURRENT SITUATION Description of family – name, sex, ages and relationship of the persons to the client – types of roles assumed by significant members Social network extended family, friends, peer groups, and Economic situation – income (adequate or inadequate)/assistance from state

CURRENT SITUATION Physical environment or housing – nature of living circumstances (e.g. homeless, crowded or uncrowded) Significant roles – roles that are important to understanding the clients life (e.g. student, disabled, substance abuser)

BACKGROUND HISTORY Development history – early life to present – client has an learning, physical or psychological disabilities that impact functioning (past or present) – cultural or ethnic background Marital/intimate relationship history – has a relationship with anyone – describe quality of relationship/if it is a support for client Educational training – overview of clients educational attainment

BACKGROUND HISTORY Employment history – explain if and where the client is employed Use and abuse of substances by client/family Health issues (e.g. sleep disorders, disabilities) Previous mental health (MH) history

ANALYSIS At this stage of the assessment the focus is on your perspectives of the client’s problem. It is a structured and detailed review of the client’s problem

ANALYSIS This opinion is based on your assessments as a professional (insights from theory, law and policy, research) It helps the social worker: – Understand the clients problem – Select the goals to solve the problem – Determine the actions or tasks that he/she and the client will take toward problem resolution

ANALYSIS Key issue or problem – Compare and contrasts your perspective with that of the client Micro, Messo, macro Client functioning (Mental Status Exam) – Physical (eating, sleeping, bowel, sexual) – Cognitive (orientation to self, location, time) – Emotional (mood and affect – Behavioural (visual, hearing, impaired speech)

ANALYSIS Contributing factors briefly discuss the factors that seem to be contributing to the problem. Are the factors come from the client or their environment Identify strengths: covers the client’s resources, coping abilities and environment

ANALYSIS Stressors/Threats: these are needs, obstacles, roadblocks or vulnerabilities Client’s Motivation for change: evaluate clients determination and readiness to benefit from intervention Words and behaviour (dysfunctional patterns of coping) Insights: comment from knowledge from environment and theories (e.g. cultural practices, taboos, community based services, Erick Erickson’s)

INTERVENTION OR TREATMENT PLAN This is the final section of the assessment undertaken with the client It becomes the contract that guides the intervention phase Prepares you to go and do your work It is also used for evaluation purpose s

INTERVENTION OR TREATMENT PLAN Plan (SMART): it list the: – Goals (desired ends) List the amount of goals (1-3) to be achieved Helpful in first listing the most urgent problem – Objectives or action steps (tasks) It should be achievable Description of the proposed change It must identify attributes or behaviours observable in the person at the end of the process to make it measure

INTERVENTION OR TREATMENT PLAN Task Assignments Details who will undertake task Give clients task they can complete easily and challenge them Time frame

Problem Summary GoalObjectivesTask whoseTimeframe Akosua has serious injuries Obtain medical care 1. Assist Akos with obtaining medical treatment Social worker Immediately, but within 24 hours of meeting her Akos is a minor and needs support and consent Inform Akos’s parents Call or visit both parents and arrange transportation to clinic Inform parents of rape Social worker and Akos Immediately after the clinic visit

ASSESSMENT PROCESS Assessment Information gathering: (a)Observation (b)Interviews (c)Secondary data Information: Relevant information about client’s situation: Feelings and perception of client and situation Analysis of information Professional Opinion Planning: Law, social policy, social work methods; resources e.g. time, role, and capability of worker Treatment Plan: (a)Aims and objectives (b)Methods (c)Timescale (d)Monitoring Methods (e)Evaluation Methods