Name the Stage of Change for this client and if not in the Action Phase, how could you motivate this client to engage treatment?
Ms. Clark is in the preparation action stage. She is committed to making change and thinking about ways to stop drinking so much. She doesnt want to quit all together but will if thats what it took. She prefers some medicine from Dr. Seal to help with anxiety in order to start cutting back. She mentioned it would be nice for her to have someone to talk to as well. I could motivate the client to engage treatment by sending her back to Dr. Seal to see if he wants to prescribe anything right away or wait. Knowing she is more willing to cut back if she has medication, I would encourage her to set up an appointment with a talk therapist first and try to get a few sessions in before deciding or not that medicine is a good idea. I would give her a therapist she could get set up with right away.
Barsky (2006) says, “A client could be an individual, family, group, organization, or community,” (p. 117) and provides some guidelines for you to consider when making this determination. Using these concepts of your reading, who would you define as the client? Justify your answer with the readings/lecture and information in the video. (This reading is located in Module 3 if you want a refresher.)
The client is an individual. Based on Barsky (2006), one determines who the client is by asking 5 questions. Summing up the 5 questions would be, Who is willing, Who is required by law, which individuals are necessary, who needs to participate in assessment, and who is the worker competent and able to work with (Barsky, 2006). Ms. Clark is being seen for herself. She is the only person willing to work with the social worker. She is the only one participating in the assessment. She is not required by law but willingly coming on her own.
As you envision this client, what resources would you use to develop an initial assessment? Who else would you want to reach out to for additional information, with client permission?