Welcome to Unit 2 Needs Assessment: Community and Individual Craig Owens, LCSW Craig or “Prof C”

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 Do – Engage – Discuss Confidentiality – Assess Safety – Priority Needs/Referrals? – Goals? – Natural supports – Begin Psycho-social – Agree on next steps Don’t Don’t – 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!

Assessing client needs takes patience and “real listening” We (clients) need to “feel heard” before we can move on to solutions. We (clients) need to “feel heard” before we can move on to solutions. In our first meeting with a client; we need to listen and validate their feelings and situation. In our first meeting with a client; we need to listen and validate their feelings and situation. It is not unusual to spend the entire first meeting doing this and gathering data. It is not unusual to spend the entire first meeting doing this and gathering data. Avoid speeding to solutions! Avoid speeding to solutions!

Jim brings his 11-year-old daughter, Sylvia, 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 two years ago and is getting worse. He is sure she is smoking and might be doing drugs or drinking. She is beginning to fail in school. He says, we can’t seem to communicate any more. The daughter just sits and stares at the floor while he talks. Without rushing to solutions yet, stay with “assessing” what you know so far. What are some key facts we know about this family from what Jim has shared? Practice Time - Individual Assessment Intake Case Study

Jim brings his 11-year-old daughter, Sylvia, 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 two years ago and is getting worse. He is sure she is smoking and might be doing drugs or drinking. She is beginning to fail in school. He says, we can’t seem to communicate any more. The daughter just sits and stares at the floor while he talks. What is one “open-ended” question you might ask Jim or Sylvia at this early stage of assessing their needs? Practice Time - Individual Assessment Intake Case Study

Jim brings his 11-year-old daughter, Sylvia, 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 two years ago and is getting worse. He is sure she is smoking and might be doing drugs or drinking. She is beginning to fail in school. He says, we can’t seem to communicate any more. The daughter just sits and stares at the floor while he talks. What would your first response to these two folks be? Take a moment and think about this and then type your response as if you are talking directly with Jim and Sylvia. Practice Time - Individual Assessment Intake Case Study

Jim brings his 11-year-old daughter, Sylvia, 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 two years ago and is getting worse. He is sure she is smoking and might be doing drugs or drinking. She is beginning to fail in school. He says, we can’t seem to communicate any more. The daughter just sits and stares at the floor while he talks. What are some of the service referrals you would suggest Jim consider for Sylvia and for himself? 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; substance abuse and mental health referrals will increase (as will referrals to homeless shelters). Assessing a 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; substance abuse and mental health referrals will increase (as will referrals to homeless shelters). Assessing a community’s needs helps professionals to understand and prepare for providing adequate services for clients who live in that area

Assessing Community Needs Con’t 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. As a result 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. As a result 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 see in the scenario above to people achieving good health in this community.

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. – –Good job! Now lets prioritize these obstacles to human health from biggest to least.

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. – –How might your agency solve the first obstacle on our list?

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 – Be Specific! Guidelines for Making and Evaluating Referrals – Details! Identifying Barriers – Client’s role and your role! Timeline for Referrals – This needs to be very specific! Guidelines for Coordinating Services – Describe and give multiple examples of different services and your role! (This project should be between 800 and 1000 words, not including your title and reference pages) Unit 3 Project Preview

Great job on Individual and Community Needs Assessment Folks! Any questions