assessments in social work: the bio-psycho-social model
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ASSESSMENTS IN SOCIAL WORK: THE BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL MODEL. WHAT IS ASSESSMENT. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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., email, 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 purposes
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
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
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