©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing Contracting Chapter 11 Social Work Skills Workbook Barry Cournoyer Indiana University School of Social Work Supplements Developed by Patricia Clark, Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Introduction The contracting process begins during the exploring phase and continues throughout the assessment process. It culminates in a service agreement or contract for service. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Skills especially applicable to contracting include the following: –reflecting an issue –reflecting hypotheses –identifying an issue –clarifying issues for work. –establishing goals –developing an action plan –identifying action steps –planning for evaluation –summarizing the contract ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Reflecting an Issue Reflecting an issue is a form of empathic listening. Reflecting shows the client that you understand his experience and his perspective about the issue. –Clients are generally more willing to work with workers that they know understand their feelings. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Reflecting Hypotheses Clients’ thoughts about the factors associated with an issue of concern are explanatory hypotheses. –They are the client’s explanations for the existence and persistence of problems. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

When workers empathically communicate their understanding of clients’ explanatory hypotheses, clients not only feel heard and understood, they also feel like genuine collaborators in the helping process. –Reflecting an explanatory hypothesis does not necessarily indicate agreement. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Clients’ thoughts about what should be done to resolve their problems and achieve their goals are change-oriented hypotheses. –Workers should empathically reflect clients’ change-oriented hypotheses in order to demonstrate understanding and respect. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Clients’ hypotheses do not necessarily remain fixed and unalterable. –Clients often develop more sophisticated, more accurate, and more relevant explanatory and change-oriented hypotheses as they collect more information, reconsider facts, engage in change-focused activities, and monitor outcomes. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Identifying an Issue Occasionally the worker may decide to identify an issue that the client did not mention during the exploration process. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

This may happen when: –There is an area of concern that relates to the presenting problem that was either not noticed or not mentioned by the client. –The worker has a somewhat different perspective regarding a problem or issue that the client has introduced. –The situation is immediately life-threatening. –Services are involuntary. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Clarifying Issues for Work The issues for work are derived from those the client has identified, those the worker has contributed, or some negotiated combination of the two. These agreed-upon issues for work provide a context for all subsequent professional activities. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Establishing Goals Setting effective goals is the second critical element of the contracting process. –Goal setting is a vital step toward change. –Goals are the aims toward which the social worker and client direct their cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and situational actions. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

The SMART format is often used in writing goals. SMART stands for: –Specific –Measurable –Action-oriented –Realistic –Timely ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Egan’s criteria for effective goals: –Stated as accomplishments –Stated in clear and specific terms –Stated in measurable or verifiable terms –Realistic –Adequate, if achieved, to improve the situation –Congruent with clients’ value and cultural systems –Time-specific ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Developing an Action Plan Action plans address the questions of who, what, where, when, and especially how the worker and the client will pursue the agreed-upon goals. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Identifying Action Steps When a goal is too large to accomplish through a single action, it can be broken down into action steps. Identifying action steps involves determining what will be done, when, and by whom. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

–Client tasks are action steps that clients take during the intervals between your meetings. –Worker tasks are those that the social worker completes before the next meeting with the client. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

–In-session tasks are procedures, activities, or intervention techniques that the worker or clients undertake during meetings. –Maintenance tasks are regularly occurring personal or situational practices or activities that become routine and serve to promote long-term change. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Planning for Evaluation Social workers are responsible for evaluating progress toward problem resolution and goal achievement. The choice of evaluation method must consider the clients’ capacities and resources. Failure to evaluate progress may constitute negligence or malpractice. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Progress toward goal attainment can be measured in several ways. –Goal-attainment scaling (GAS) –Frequency counting –Subjective ratings –Rapid Assessment Instruments (RAIs) ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing

Summarizing the Contract Summarizing the contract involves a concise review of the essential elements of the service agreement that the worker and the client have constructed. ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishing