CLICK HERE and use the assessment worksheet to collect several categories of information about your client. [You can also use this form later to gather information for any client.]
copyright 2008 Cheryl K. Hosken, BSN, MS Psych.
A case study is a broad basis of information about the client. It gives us realistic information to work with when we begin to plan for returning to work. To gather the right information, the rehabilitation worker needs to do the following:
- Gather as much information as necessary, because you may have mistaken conclusions if your information is inadequate.
- Note the positive and negative information such as poor communication skills.
- Personal characteristics must be considered in context of external conditions. For example, if a person lost a job due to depression following the death of a spouse, the loss of the job was not for bad behavior or other uncooperative behavior.
- Try to verify the accuracy of the information you get.
- If there are contradictions in the information you get, try to resolve them personally with the client.
Meditate Word By Word On These Verses:
Rom. 12:4-9.
During the first interview with a client, you may realize that the client may not be aware of his own needs. However, we can ask them to explain what their wishes are for future life. We also need to explain that we want to help them find work and this is our job. You need to share any information with the client (medical, psychological, work history, former employers, and other results) that you get from people so that he has a greater self-knowledge, that is, he knows what other people think about him.
1. Why do we need a case study for vocational placement?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a. because it gives us information we can use,
b. because it is interesting,
c. because we need realistic facts to begin planning for work.
Before the interview, you may have some facts and materials about your client. Take these materials with you to the interview. A interview usually lasts for 1.5 to 2 hours. As an interviewer, you must concentrate on what the person says and observe the person's responses to your questions. Try to help the person feel at ease.
As you interview a person for potential placement in a job, you learn about him and his personality. Here are some suggestions about the interview process:
- An interview can give you information that cannot be found on a form.
- The interview can confirm the data that you already have about the person, i.e. medical history or family history
- Missing or inaccurate data can be supplied or verified.
- An interview may show you some problems that were not noted before. You may also have time to discuss these problems. For example, you may find that the person has had a problem with drugs, and you will want to know what kind of treatment he has had and if he is now using drugs.
- Nonverbal communication during an interview may be more meaningful than verbal responses. For example, if a person answers your questions, but has a depressed attitude and appearance, he has a problem that you can observe and explore with him.
- During an interview, the person can receive as well as give information.
- Interviews give you an explanation - a person often explains the impact his injury has had on his life.
2. From an interview, you learn:
(One or more of the following answers may be correct.)
a. about a person and his personality,
b. from non-verbal communication,
c. about a person's reaction to his injury.
The information you give a person from his records needs to be used in a constructive manner. For example, you do not accuse him of not being a good worker, you may simply ask him, "Your former boss said that you were often absent from work, do have certain reasons for being absent often?" Clients should not be shielded from unpleasant facts about themselves or their situations, but they need to be given information that will help them change.
3. Why is it important to understand various aspects of a person's life?
(One or more of the following answers may be correct.)
a. it is nice to hear life stories,
b. it helps us form a picture of the total person,
c. it contributes to our understanding of his situation.
What are the sources for this information?
The client and family members are the main sources of information. Former employers or co-workers can give further information. Records from schools and training programs give information about his performance in an academic setting.
Observation is important as you talk with a client. Give attention to the person's feelings about his former work and employer. Other professionals: doctors, teachers, social workers, may also give you information about the client.
Question:
4. Why is it important to know a person's habits? Give an example.
Appraisal of Vocational Information
Vocational interests can be determined by inquiring into the client’s preferences as to work: does he like people, things or ideas? An interest that is not part of a person's work may show what he truly likes to do compared to the work that he does to earn money.
What is the origin of the person's vocational interest? Does it come from reading, personal experience, false values, observation, or pressure from others? How often do his interests in a certain type of job change? We need to find out if a person thinks the job preference he wants is congruent with his capabilities. For example, it is not likely that a person who wants to work in information systems will be successful if he likes people and has little interest in computers.
We need to also observe the congruence between the person's verbal preferences and abilities to his preferred activities and interests. It is important to find out if his interests are realistic in terms of possibilities for employment. If a person really likes deep-sea diving, but has to live in the middle of Russia, there is little chance that he will be employed in some kind of underwater work in his city. Special conditions and skills are meaningful: car ownership, friends who can help with giving him information about new jobs, good speaking voice, special licenses, manual dexterity, typing ability, and ability to speak a foreign language.
5. What would you do if a person wanted to become an airline pilot, but didn't like heights?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a. point out the incongruity of the desired work with his fear of heights,
b. laugh,
c. try to change his mind about the profession of pilot.
Evaluation of vocational information is based on one principle: doing it in terms of the individual person. As we have said before, each person is uniquely created by God and has certain abilities and strengths to use. We need to use the strengths of each person to guide him into work.
From this case study, there will be a fund of information about a person. It needs to be sifted, synthesized, and interpreted. It is a process of logical thinking that finds a consistent pattern of vocational choice from a mass of relevant and irrelevant facts about a person's abilities and liabilities. When the case study is complete, the counselor can explain the results to the client and a search for work begins. As has been said previously, people change and mature as they learn new skills. Do not be afraid to help your client find work, even if that work does not have all the desired qualities that your client wants in a job. One must start working, or he will waste his life looking for "just the right job." With experience, he may be able to find the work of his dreams later on in life.
The Relationship Between the Counselor and Client
When you meet with a client, the atmosphere should be comfortable for him. He should feel accepted as a person. The experience of having another person who listens attentively to one's troubles tends to give a warm response from the client.
However, there are strains that are put on the relationship because of the material discussed, the realities of the client's situation, and other problems. One example of such problems is called transference. Transference is the transfer of problematic relationships from the past with other counselors, teachers, or parents. The client may have had a bad relationship with one of the people in the past and thinks that the relationship with you will also be problematic. Oftentimes, this is an unconscious behavior or attitude. At first, the person may have negative feelings about you, but as time goes by he begins to trust you and what you do for him.
Another concept is reinforcement. The positive responses (smiling, nodding, leaning toward the person as he talks) give reinforcement to the client and his behavior or speech. The counseling person needs to be careful about the response he/she gives the client because the response will make the client repeat his behavior or speech. For example, by nodding your head positively, you encourage a person to continue talking. By shaking your head negatively, you show that his behavior or speech is not acceptable.
There are some basic premises that can help with the relationship between the client and counselor. They are:
- Expect the client to be honest about his answers.
- Permit the client to be unique. People are different from one another and do not all share the same cultural or personal values.
- Tolerate imperfections and mistakes. People can change through opportunity to make mistakes.
- Agree about goals you and the client want to achieve and when. The client and the counselor should both have responsibility for certain tasks.
- Understand that you are helping the client to do something, but the client has to assume responsibility for his own life.
- Intensive personal involvement can cause your judgment to be distorted and there are times when you need to ask for help from others for a different perspective.
6. A person who counsels a person with disabilities:
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a. needs to be accepting and set goals with his client,
b. always nods his head when the client gives the right answer,
c. is transferable.
Below are listed some counseling terms to help you when working with clients:
Probing - Leading the client to unexplored areas that a client must explore. An example of this is future life plans. The counselor must in subtle ways insist on discussion of a particular topic even though it may be uncomfortable.
Structuring - This is a statement of the rules of the helping process. Structuring explains counseling, the outcome of the counseling, limitations of time, and the responsibilities of the counselor and client. For example, you may agree that you can spend 1 hour every week for 4 weeks with the client to help him decide what job options he has for the future.
Confrontation - This is a technique of counseling used to move a client forward. Clients may be confronted with probable consequences of this present undesirable behavior pattern. They may also be confronted with problems of meaning and values and be challenged to find the answers.
Body Image - The conceptions of the client as to his physical appearance to others. When the body is disturbed by trauma or disease, the image is changed. Oftentimes, the cultural values of having a beautiful body have to meet with the reality of a changed and perhaps not so beautiful body.
Self-Concept - This is one's conception of one's personal characteristics and values. Interactions with others are of importance in development of self concept. A healthy individual can integrate new experiences, even disability into his self-concept. The person who has problems understanding who he is and what is important in life, may ignore or deny his changed body and life.
Sick Role - Illness or disability is a role that a person acquires which has certain assumptions or expectations. There is an inability to carry out normal expected tasks for one's age and education level.
7. The difference between body image and self-concept is:
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a. none - they are very close in meaning,
b. body image is physical appearance, and self concept is personal characteristics,
c. self concept is ignoring one's changed body, and body image is a disturbed body.
ATTENTION! After sending your answers to this lesson, CLICK HERE and use the assessment worksheet to collect several categories of information about your client. [You can also use this form later to gather information for any client.]