1st Phase of Treatment

Abstract

The first Phase of Treatment lays a foundation for selecting and implementing intervention. This is aim at resolving the clients’ problem and promoting his problem solving skills. Goals to be accomplish in the first phase of treatment includes: exploring the client’s problem, establishing rapport, and enhancing motivation formulating a multi- dimensional assessment mutually negotiating treatment goals and formulating a contract and making referrals. 

Introductory Sentence

            In the first phase of treatment, the objective in the first meeting is to build rapport, explore and present the client presenting problem. The first meeting is vital for making a productive assessment because it increases the client willing ness to speak openly about himself problems and situations.

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The help process using begins with your efforts to explore the client presenting problems. With some clients however you will have additional priorities in the initial interview. First, if you are legally mandated to work with a client you must access the legal concerns. For instance if you are making an assessment at the request of a child protective agency or court, you must include an evaluation of those factors of interest in court. Second you made need to address serious health and safety concerns that require immediate attention, In some situation you may conclude that the danger to self or to other is some serious, you are legally required to take protection actions. Therefore with some clients your priorities in the first meeting will be to assess and properly manage clinical risks.

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The objective in the first meeting is to present the client presenting problem. The presenting problem is the client understanding of why he is coming to therapy and what he thinks his problem is because most clients are not always aware of all the factors that are affecting their problem, your views of the client difficulties make different from his. Your impression of the client problem may be affected by intake information and other documents describing his problem or situation. The presenting problem represents the concern and feelings that are upper most in the client mind. You should ask neutral and open-ended questions. This invites the client to describe why he has come in. At this point your role is to facilitate and exploration process and response to ways that conveys understanding. You should access pieces of information the client discloses and observe his interactions with you and with others who may be present in the interview.

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Most clients talk in general you will need to move to the specifics to see what the problem is. Some skills that will encourage the client to continue talking is: fulfilling response are used to offer the client immediate feedback that you have understood his message. Paraphrasing involves using other words to restate a client message. It focuses on the client facts rather than emotional state, and emphatic responding. Closed ended questions define a topic and limit the client response to a few words or simple yes or no answers. Close ended questions are used late to find missing data. By exploring the client’s expectations for treatment you create an opportunity to establish mutuality. It allows professional competence and communicating o the client that you are equal partners in the helping relationship. You are both responsible for seeking solutions to his difficulties. Last in the initial interview it is important to access certain factors that can affect the presenting problem. These factors include using alcohol and other drugs to abuse a violence that presents health problems, depression or other mental health problems and the use of other prescription medications.

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To establish rapport you should you should show that you are an interesting listener who is making an effort understand the client as he relates his problems. The first meeting is vital for making a productive assessment because it increases the client willing ness to speak openly about himself problems and situations. You should use verbal and non-verbal communication to show your understanding. You should also demonstrate respect of the client neatness, worth and capacity to solve problems. Demonstrate a commitment of confidentiality and to the client’s need of self-determination. Empathic responding involves the ability to perceive accurate inner feelings of the client. In the initial meeting reciprocal empathic responding is use to prepare the client for a deeper exploration of its feelings. This skill promotes a climax of trust and understanding that enable the client to self-disclose his feeling and problems. At the reciprocal level your verbal and non-verbal response convoys an understanding.

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When building rapport you must start where the client is. It involves focusing your attention on the client immediate concerns and emotional state. It helps with building rapport because it shows that you have a perceptive understanding and interested. If a client is emotionally upset in the interview you will work to reduce his distress before exploring his problem. It is important to start where the client is because if the client get the impression that you don’t know want to deal with his problem or he feel that your priorities is different from his he will have no reason to trust you. When building rapport it is good to use authentic behaviors. Which usually encourage the client to return the favor and be more openly to you. In the first phase of the helping process being authentic involve relating as a genuine person rather than as a professional. You will also self-disclose some background information about yourself so you and the client can develop a working relationship.

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Multi-dimensional assessment gathers and formulates relevant information to develop an image of the client and circumstances.  Among the systems if depression hopelessness is the best predictors of suicide risk. The ego map understands the client environment.  The ego map is used to develop a diagrammatic depiction of the client relationship with his family and environment. The gio gram is used to gather the client family relationships at least three generations. Another important process in the assessment is to identify the client’s needs and wants. Needs refers to universal necessities such as adequate nutrition, housing, and health care. Wants refers to strong desire that motivates behaviors and that when fulfill enhance the clients sense of well-being. Examples of wants include greater self-confidence, more independence, less family and martial discord and less depression. When expressing the presenting problem clients may state his needs and wants. As a social work you are not advised to tell clients about side effects or how to cope with them. You must advise them to see a medical assistance, or the person who gave them the medication.  Clients who come involuntary are more motivated than those who were referred or legally mandated. You should help the client express his immediate feeling about therapy and you. A client commitment to change can be enrich by giving them choices. When there is usually more than one goal when setting and planning treatment. You should help the client prioritize his goals.

What is most interesting about this podcast?

I believe this whole podcast was important and interesting because it teaches you the first phase of treatment which is the foundation for selecting and implementing intervention. The objective in the first meeting is to present the client presenting problem. Social workers generally rely on a bio psychosocial model when attempting to understand a client problem.  These models assume that biological, psychological, and social factors may all play a role in the initiation and maintenance of a problem. Cultural resources are important when a client has a mental disorder or a substance abuse related disorder that may prevent him for providing reliable information.

What can you share with other students about this podcast?

I would share this podcast with other social work students because this podcast offers vital information relating to the first phase of treatment. Your knowledge and skills may be tested in the social work exam. It tells you how to go about solving the client problem and choosing interventions.

Concluding Sentence

In conclusion, Intervention must be based on an accurate and complete assessment of the problem. Second, you must take in account the client reviews regarding how best to resolve his problem and allow him to participate in choosing interventions. This respect his right of self-determination and increase his likely that ne would understand and corporate. You must select these interventions that are most relevant. It is important to end the phase with a treatment contract. The contract includes the goals to be accomplished in order to prioritize and an agreement that the help is mutual in the problem solving process.