Mental Health Multidimensional Intake Form Critique An important element of any social work practice is the assessment process, whereby the social worker gathers the information needed to better understand and analyze the client’s needs and strengths (Hepworth, Dewberry Rooney, Rooney, & Strom-Gottfried, 2013, p. 186). While the assessment is, in actuality, an ongoing and evolving process that can change as the client’s goals adapt, a critical form of assessment occurs at the time of initial contact between the social worker and client when the social worker gathers a multidimensional history from the client. Multidimensional assessments are important due to the interrelatedness of diverse factors that often contribute to human behavior, including …show more content…
The questions are direct and do not feel superfluous. There are not any questions that do not belong and there appears to be an adequate number of questions within each category for the clinician to develop an overview of the client’s background and presenting problems. Are the questions reading level appropriate for the clients? The Mental Health Form appears to be written for an adult audience, or for the guardian of a child under the age of 18. For clients with limited English proficiency, or low literacy level, some language used in the form may be confusing or misunderstood. For example, under “Current Symptoms Checklist,” words such as “libido” and “impulsivity” may not be understood by all clients. Is there enough space to write what is needed in each answer …show more content…
It is unknown whether or not this particular intake form is available in different languages. English is the only language discoverable at the time of this writing. Blank Intake Form (see page 6) Summary The form used for this critique contains many useful components for the purpose of completing a multidimensional assessment. The form is well organized and easy to follow. Compared to much longer assessment forms, this one is comprehensive without feeling overwhelming. Some minor modifications could make this form even more useful to practitioners serving diverse populations. In particular, translations in other languages is of paramount
Utilizing strengths based perspective with clients enables social workers to focus on the client and family strengths and abilities instead of focusing on the client and family’s problems, bad behaviors and pathologies. The strengths based perspective applies six principles that guide the social worker professional in assisting client’s with the strengths based model; we all have areas of strength, but sometimes it takes an unbiased third party to notice and help others clearly see what they are capable of achieving, even in the midst of their crisis.
University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work. (2008). Doctoral student handbook: Ph. D. program. Retrieved from www.uh.edu/socialwork/_docs/phdprogram/DoctoralHandbook.doc
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), it defines mental illness as Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in thinking, emotion or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. (What Is Mental Illness? (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness). Mental Disorders are a wide range of mental conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior. There are a lot of different psychological disorders here is a list of the major psychological disorders and their definitions:
1. - Mental Health: Devon informed the writer that she lost her prescription. The writer called the medical centre and requested a copy of them. Devon could pick it up at any time.
In order to formulate a thorough assessment or intervention a social worker must first evaluate all the contributing factors that influence a client’s life. Problems faced by clients are rarely a result of a single factor or influence. Many individual, interpersonal and environmental factors must be evaluated to fully understand the cause of problems. Multidimensional assessments must be used to determine biological, psychological and environmental issues that contribute to problematic outcomes (Hepworth, Rooney, R., Rooney, G., & Strom-Gottfried, 2013.). Along with conducting multidimensional assessments, social workers must also evaluate stages of development, and assess how age can influence behaviors (2013). All contributing factors must
The subjectivity to the mental health process offers has the potential for clinicians to misjudge or misdiagnosis mental disorders if patients. When developing a diagnosis mental health providers should develop a diagnostic system to navigate through the countless descriptors’ and symptoms a client may exhibit to differentiate behavioral, cultural, psychotic, and situational information. Cuthbert and Insel (2013) describes a diagnosis as the most important function for health care providers perform to ensure the true nature of a patient’s aliments are identified in order to serve the optimal medical care. Competent diagnostic interviewers take an investigative approach to their intake to account for all the “polythetic [of] symptoms list[ed]
As social workers, one way we can understand a person is through a multidimensional approach that specifically looks at a person through different dimensions. These dimensions are who they are as a person, the impacts of their surrounding environment, and the effects of time. A case study has been completed on Manisha. Her life and human behavior will be examined by the multidimensional approach.
The person-in-environment approach views a client’s problems by how they react to the environmental contexts within their environment and how they occur. According to Gordon and Richmond, it has been stated that the person-in-environment approach is the “cornerstone” of social work practice. (as cited in Rogers, 2016, p.24). A clients’ systems are the interrelated aspects of a clients’ lives where all parts come together to function. Social workers utilize and focus on a clients’ systems when applying the person-in-environment. A clients’ system is anything that they interact with and hold roles in their lives. These systems can be on a micro level which is the individual and their biology, personality, and genetics. The individuals’ mezzo level would include their immediate environment, family, school, friends, or work. A macro level would include the larger social aspects of a clients’ life such as government policies, discrimination, oppression, or social class. Social workers incorporate these interactions and how they impact clients’ and their presenting problems. This theory and approach are beneficial as it allows a social worker to find out what resources are available to the client during their time with the worker (Rodgers,
The term mental ill health is defined by Mind as ‘mental health problems that can affect the way you think, feel and behave’ (Mind, 2013). This means that it is a serious disorder in a person’s behaviour which can impact their thinking, feeling or mood and it may also affect their ability to participate with others and function on a day to day basis. There are many types of disorders and some are more common than others. For example, mood
The mental health assessment is a crucial part in everyday nursing care as it evaluates an individual’s mental condition to assess for risk factors of mental illnesses and provide optimal care and treatment. Mental health is described as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” (CDC) If the patient not mentally healthy, they can develop mentally illnesses, which can affect treatment and the disease process of physical ailments because without mental health a person cannot be completely healthy. “Suicide Risk Assessment in High Risk Adolescents” is a nursing article that outlines suicide risk factors and prevention strategies for assist nurses in performing mental health assessments. Suicide, the act of
A multisystematic approach is an “integration of knowledge” based on theories of biological, psychological and social perspectives of human development and the social environment. This approach involves four assumptions. The first is that there are three dimensions for assessing a human’s behavior (biological, psychological and social). The second assumption is that these dimensions make up a system of biopsychosocial functioning. The next thing is that these systems have an organized hierarchy from smallest to largest and the last thing is that each one of these systems is always interacting with the other systems. As social workers we can use these systems to help explain and evaluate
A social worker must have the knowledge and skills to apply to intervention strategies that can address key issues through a wide range of tools (Miley, O’Melia & Dubois 2013, p. 7). To devise an intervention plan for the case study, Miley’s (2013, p. 112) four step model is utilised.
Key words such as closed and open questions are very well explained. Differentiating when to use each type of question is described and useful for facilitating an interactive dialogue. It is important to understand how to assist the patient in relaying important details and to ensure that what the patient has expressed is understood.
Assessment is used as a basis of identifying problems, planning interventions, evaluating and diagnosing clients. Assessment involves identifying statements; actions and procedures to help individuals, groups, couples and families make progress in the counseling environment. Although counselors have the opportunity to limit their scope of practice with respect to modalities, theories, and types of clients, a counselor cannot function without an understanding of the processes and procedures of assessment in counseling. Formal and informal help counselors more accurately assess client issues, create case conceptualizations and select effective empirically proven therapies. The focus of assessments is on gathering information. Thus testing is a way in which counselors construct a measure of psychology through instruments or specified procedures to obtain valid and reliable methods in assessing a client. Counselor uses established scientific procedures, relevant standards and current professional knowledge
Social Work is a discipline that can be a very rewarding experience for both the worker and the client. The practice involves working with individuals, families, or groups who are struggling to cope with lifes challenges. The social worker must combine his or her personal qualities, creative abilities, and social concerns with the professional knowledge in order to help the client’s social functioning or prevent social problems from developing (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 34). Social work practice seeks to promote human well-being, while addressing the processes by which individuals and groups are marginalized or diminished in their capacity to participate as citizens (Ian O'Connor, 2006, p. 1). There are many different perspectives and approaches reviewed by the practitioner to determine a suitable approach towards intervention.