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