Social Work Helping Process � Evaluation & Termination (3 of 3)

Hello! Welcome to
part three of our helping process series.

This is the final part.

So if you're jumping in now
and haven't watched videos one and two,

in video one, we talk about
engagement and assessment,

in video two, we talk about
planning and intervention,

and now we have finally made it to
evaluation and termination.

So probably watch these videos in order.

But if not, if you're just jumping in now
that's totally okay.

Hi, I'm Anna, I'm a social worker
and I make YouTube videos,

both educational ones like this,
and then also just lifestyle videos

giving a look into the life
of a social worker.

The helping process
gives a general framework

of a social worker-client interaction.

Not too much more introduction needed.

So we all start with evaluation.

This is a step
that will look so super different

depending on if you are a micro
or meso or macro social worker,

but this step happens after engagement,
after assessment, after planning

and sometimes after intervention,
but also kind of during intervention.

Evaluation
is measuring the client's progress

and determining if there is progress
being made toward the established goals.

If you determine, yes,
there has been progress being made,

what is the progress that's being made?
How do you know?

Are there areas of intervention
that need to change?

Maybe progress
isn't getting made in certain areas,

and so something needs to go different
so that you can actually get an outcome.

Do any goals need to change

in order to better
match the presenting problem?

Is the modality of intervention that was
chosen for this client still working?

Is it still a good fit?

And if the intervention
is working for the client,

how do you know?

Both in their own words
and then also in your observations?

Evaluation is so super important because
it ensures that treatment is effective.

It's not just playing around
with the client and seeing,

"Okay, maybe this will help,
maybe this won't.

Even if this isn't helping,
it's kind of fun for me,

so I'm gonna keep doing it."

Evaluation is ensuring that
what the client wants to work on,

what the client wants to be done,
is progressing, is happening.

So some tips to do it well

is to have a flexible mindset
through intervention.

Even though a program worked
really well for one specific high school,

it does not necessarily mean

the same results will be shown
in the high school you are working in,

and you could be
really excited about the program

and think it would be really fun
and really want to see it through.

But if the results aren't there,
the results aren't there.

What are some confounding factors
that may be affecting the process?

What are the differences
between the high school you're working in

and the one that the program
worked really well in?

And can the program be altered to

maybe better fit the high school
that you're working in?

If something is not working after
a standard amount of time, adjust it.

This doesn't mean,
"Okay after two sessions,

if a client's presenting problem
isn't better, it needs to be changed."

That's why I say
the standard amount of time.

A reasonable amount of time
to expect progress or expect change,

but progress isn't happening,
adjust.

This will look different
depending on where you're at,

but collect data continuously.

This can be formal or informal.

For example, some modalities of therapy

have a client rate and monitor symptoms
throughout each week.

Or maybe just rate and do a mood check
at the beginning of a session.

If that's what you're doing,
then you can see over time,

"Okay, what's changing?

How many times are panic attacks
occurring during the week

or whatever you're working on?

Maybe it's a survey
given to community members.

Maybe it's
collecting collateral information

from parents and teachers about behavior
that you're working on with a child.

Are there observable differences
in the classroom

since I began work with this child?

Pulling from our handy-dandy
code of ethics, 5.02,

"Social workers
should monitor and evaluate policies,

the implementation of programs,
and practice interventions.

Social workers should promote
and facilitate evaluation and research

to contribute to
the development of knowledge.

Social workers should critically examine

and keep current with emerging knowledge
relevant to social work

and fully use evaluation
and research evidence

in their professional practice."

So, in the code of ethics, it says you
need to be doing some sort of evaluation.

Now for everyone, that's not going to mean
working in a research lab

conducting research studies.

But even if it is just your personal,
one to one therapy client.

Evaluating intervention.

I also think this is
an important time to point out

that some social workers specialize
in one part of this helping process.

Maybe I should've mentioned this
in the previous videos.

Some social workers,
their job is assessment,

and then the client
moves on deeper into the agency

to actually get the intervention.

Or some social workers,
and this is why I bring it up now,

specialize in evaluation.

You can work in program evaluation
as a social worker.

Sometimes this could be in-house
at a certain community agency.

Or sometimes there's even consultants

who will come in
whenever a company asks them to

and evaluate programs
that they have going on

related to some social issue.

So social workers can, like,
specialize in the evaluation.

Or social workers can be researchers.

This is common, especially if you see
social workers with PhDs.

PhDs have research components in them.

Research in social work can cover

so many broad, various topics
and subjects and points of the process.

Sometimes
it might be defining a social problem,

sometimes it might be
evaluating an existing program.

Sometimes it might be evaluating
an existing policy.

Sometimes it might be testing for
the effectiveness of an intervention.

Research and evaluation
is a huge part of social work

that sometimes isn't talked about as much,
because it's not always client facing.

It can be,
but it's not always client facing.

Pulling back from our handy-dandy
code of ethics, still 5.02,

"Social workers engaged in
evaluation or research

should carefully consider
possible consequences

and should follow guidelines

developed for the protection
of evaluation and research participants.

Social workers should
inform participants of their right to

withdraw from evaluation and research
at any time without penalty.

Social workers should
take appropriate steps

to ensure that participants
in evaluation and research

have access to
appropriate supportive services.

Social workers engaged in evaluation
or research should protect participants

from unwarranted physical and mental
distress, harm, danger or deprivation.

Social workers should report evaluation
and research findings accurately."

So that section is specific to

the people who specifically work in
research and evaluation,

because there is ethics
involved in that, too.

Because there are research
participants involved.

Even if it's not necessarily client facing
in the same way that micro one to one is,

or even that macro is,
working with communities,

it is still so important to be ethical

as a social worker
in evaluation and in research.

But anytime you hear about,
"Oh, use evidence-based practices."

The evidence comes from social workers
working in research.

It's like they're laying the foundation
for the field.

An evaluation of your intervention
or your practice

might be something
that's regulated at the agency work in.

For example, it could be like
every three months or so,

you check in on treatment plans,

see what the progress is,
see if anything needs to be adjusted.

But and this is the big one,
what happens whenever services are done?

I feel like
termination is such a big word.

It does remind of like the Terminator,
I'm going to terminate a client,

but it just means ending services.

Termination is the step of
the helping process that–

I mean, all of them need to be
treated with so much care,

but termination especially
needs to be treated with so much care.

Termination starts to occur throughout
the entire therapeutic relationship.

And what I mean by that is that

through the entire time
you're interacting with the client,

you're preparing them
to not need you anymore.

Termination is not just one session,

and failure to terminate well
could be abandonment of a client.

There is a podcast episode
from the podcast Very Bad Therapy.

Where they go into termination

and I think it could be interesting
for you to listen to

because it goes deeper into specific
perspectives and theoretical backgrounds

that I'm not necessarily
going to touch on today,

so I'll link it
down in the description below.

The podcast hosts have backgrounds
in marriage and family therapy,

but they do bring in
the ASWB code of ethics,

and they discuss in individual
therapy settings more about termination.

So that could be interesting for you.

But for our purposes today,
just thinking about termination

when treatment is no longer
serving the client's needs

or is no longer necessary for the client,
services should be ended.

If the presenting problem
has been addressed

and treatment goals have been met
with no new presenting problems coming up,

treatment should be ended.

Now, if a new presenting problem arises,

then a new helping process
can kind of begin

where you assess and figure out and plan.

As social workers,

honestly our goal is for our clients
to no longer need our services

because we are promoting empowerment,
we're promoting independence.

In a perfect world,
the end of a therapeutic relationship

would never
come as a surprise to a client.

But obviously we don't live
in a perfect world.

So instead, it is important to always be
ethical whenever services are ending.

And we have a responsibility
to do our due diligence

to treat termination with so much care.

That's coming from
whenever a social worker ends services.

A client is free to terminate services
at any time that they would like.

Termination can hold many different
emotions for both client and social worker,

and our job is to support clients

however they're experiencing it
and however they need it.

Some people may feel
joy and pride because,

"Woohoo!
I finished my treatment goals,

I have all these new skills,
I'm ready to take on the world."

Other people may feel
more fear and anxiety because,

"Uh-oh, I have to rely on my own self
and my own support

to keep up the progress I've made."

So some tips to do it well,

these are coming
straight from the code of ethics

because it gives very pointed guidelines
on how to terminate well.

"Social workers should terminate services To clients and professional. Relationships with them when such services
and relationships are no longer required or no longer serve
the client's needs or interests.

Social workers should take
reasonable steps to avoid abandoning. Clients.
Who are still in need of services."

Abandoning means no preparation,
no referrals outwards

so that they can continue service
if they need it.

"Social workers should withdraw services precipitously only under unusual circumstances,
giving careful consideration to all factors in the situation and taking care to minimize possible adverse effects."

I think you can tell from that language
there is a lot of.

Responsibility on a social worker
to terminate.

Well, and this. Means not leaving
client hanging if.

They are mid intervention.

You have not finished up
treatment goals have not been met.

There's a big. Responsibility. On you.

If services are going to have to end
from your end from

for some sort of reason,
for you to connect them with services,

for you to end the relationship
while taking care to minimize.

Possible adverse effects.

Social workers should assist
in making appropriate arrangements

for continuation of services
when necessary.

That's kind of how
I was mentioning the referrals outward.

I can no.

Longer provide you services,
but here are people who realistically can.

Social workers who anticipate
the termination or interruption of.

Services to clients
should notify clients promptly.

And seek the transfer, referral
or continuation of services in relation.

To the client's needs and preferences.
I was trying to.

Keep these videos mostly educational.

Because that's.

What they are, but I think sometimes
examples are helpful.

So for.

Example, I just recently left a position
I had seven clients

that I was seeing at the time, and I.
Gave three weeks notice to my employer.

So I had three. Weeks to notify
and prepare.

Clients
for termination of services with me.

Now they are going
to continue their services.

They are going to do so
with different people.

And so in those three weeks,
we discussed feelings.

That may have come up due to my leaving.

We discussed plans for going forward,

specifically, which clinician
were they going to go to for each client?

It was different of how to transfer
clinicians best.

Some wanted me to just.

Meet by.

Myself with their new person
and kind of give

an overview of their chart
and what's been.

Going on in their present day problems,
because then they felt empowered to just.

Hit the ground
running with the new person.

For some clients, they.

Felt most comfortable
doing joint sessions with me, their new

clinician and themselves
just to kind of pass the.

Baton.

Get to transition into a new person
more comfortably.

Some clients who.

Felt very confident with
the change was like,

no big deal, I'll just pick up where I.

Left off. With you. With them.
You don't have to do anything.

This is all good.

So it just it depends on the person
and it depends on what you're working on

in treatment.

But what would have been unethical.

For me in that time
was to not tell my clients before.

I was leaving and just on the day off,
maybe.

Like, okay, by the way,
this our last session.

You're going to this person. By.

Not would have been unethical
and could have led to.

Adverse effects, adverse.

Reactions, and would be closer to.

Client.

Abandonment
than putting in the front effort

to ensure a smooth continuation
of services for the.

Client. Back to our code of ethics.

Social workers who are leaving
an employment setting should.

Inform clients of appropriate options.

For continuation of services,
and that the benefits

and risks of the options
so similar to the previous point.

That we just talked about.

In this case,
thinking of my personal experience

as well recently, this meant that.

All of my clients had the option.

To discontinue mental health services

if they didn't want to start
with a new person.

Termination is social work.

Guided by a client
led in that how the client.

Felt determined how I proceeded.

But it's not on the client to lay out.

Steps for how they are going to continue.

Because. It is the clinician's. Job and.

Responsibility to terminate services.

Well, with that, social workers
may have a motion that rises due

to the end of therapeutic relationship.
With the client as. Well.

It is important to seek support,
maybe from.

Colleagues, and to process these.

Feelings in a safe space like supervision,
because they're not feelings

that should be ignored.

But also as a social worker, it.

Is not a client's job to process your.

Feelings, so there are safe spaces.
For you outside of the client.

But it's okay.

To have.

Some emotional responses
to ending therapeutic relationships.

So even though termination is the end,
ethical principles are just as important

and just as.

Applicable as the very beginning of the
helping process in the middle of the.

Helping process.

If you are in a situation
where you're going to begin termination.

With client, ask.

Questions and supervision,
or ask questions in your field seminar,

depending on which point of your career
you're at.

Because it is. A loaded part.

Of the social work process.

But obviously is a necessary.

Part because you're not going
to have any client. Forever.

Now, just like with the other two videos,
I have your reflection questions for you.

We didn't go over the social work
principles

at the beginning of this video,
but it's because I'm assuming

you just remembered them from the previous
two videos.

What does it look like
to help people in need and address

social problems
through evaluation and termination?

How can. Social injustice be.

Challenged through evaluation.
And termination?

How can you respect the inherent worth
and dignity of a person through evaluation

and termination?

How can.

You centralize the importance
of human relationships.

Through. Evaluation and termination?

How can you be trustworthy
through evaluation and termination?

And how can you ensure
that you are practicing

within your competence,
through evaluation and termination?

That is it for me for the helping process.

I hope that these three videos
were beneficial to you or helpful to you,

caused you to think a little bit,
maybe learn a little bit.

The best way that you can thank me
if you did

is by liking this video
and subscribing to the channel,

so you can see all future ones
that are to come.

Great job
social workers! I'll see you next time.

I do better things with my time.

Try to make your daily.