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

2. 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.

3. 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
In the early days of the profession assessments by social workers was regarded as a professional task, akin to a medical or psychiatric diagnosis

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

8. BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL

9. 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

10. 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

11. PRESENTING PROBLEM
Understanding the problem from the clients point of view
Explore past experiences related to current difficult
Use the clients words, thoughts and feelings as much as possible
Proceed to other problems only with discussion with and consent of clients

12. 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

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

14. 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

15. 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
MH problems in the family/professional help sought

16. ANALYSIS
At this stage of the assessment the focus is on your perspectives of the client’s problem.
This opinion is based on your assessments as a professional (insights from theory, law and policy, research)

17. ANALYSIS Key problem from your perspective
Compare and contrasts your perspective with that of the client
Mental status examination
(cognitive, behavioral, physical and emotional)
Contributing factors
(thoughts, behaviors, personality issues and circumstances)-client, environment or social network

18. ANALYSIS Identify at the micro, mezzo & macro level
Identify strengths: client’s resources and coping abilities and environment
Stressors/Threats: these are needs, obstacles, roadblocks

19. ANALYSIS
Client’s Motivation for change: evaluate words and behaviour and determine readiness to benefit from intervention
Insights: comment from knowledge from environment and theories

20. 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 purposes

21. 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

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

23. Problem Summary
Goal
Objectives
Task whose
Timeframe
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

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