Intake process & notetaking...
The intake assessment can be used for many purposes. The form you create should tailor to the target needs of your shelter/clinic's clients. The intake process should involve, but not be limited to: risk assessment, housing assessment, safety planning, legal needs assessment etc.
Client information is always confidential. This not only means that you can not share the information with other clients, but with other unassociated parties either. Under certain circumstances, confidentiality between colleagues is ok. However, it should not not leave the office space nor be shared with other clients/victims. Just because a client shared her pieces with someone, it does not mean that they can take it from her and share it whereever they choose to.
It is often important to remember that every employee of the shelter/clinic does not need to know EVERY detail about the client. If the client is a survivor of childhood sexual violence, her intimate pieces need not be shared with anyone. Likewise, everybody does not need to know everything about her to help her. The housing worker or the parenting worker does not need to know the intimate pieces of her abuse history to help her.
Client information is often used in courtrooms. If the notes are not accurately recorded, they can harm the women. During the intake process, and counselling sessions, if it is required that you take notes, write what she says. Do NOT make judgements. If she says she has a tough time waking up, it does not mean she is lazy or depressed. Do NOT assume. Do NOT write things that are not accurate.
If the client feels bad about parenting, do NOT misquote her. Just say she is currently working on behaviorial management techniques for her kids.
As counsellors, we can often recognize trauma. But do not write down in your notes that she is traumatized. That's judgement. Her state is a result of experiences. Women often build defense mechanisms to get through situations. The 'trauma' that you may be noticing, could infact be a behaviour she may have aqcuired to get through her experiences. Do not judge it. Some clients have come from situations where they have been making financial choices between food and rent. Just because you see symptoms of depression, it does not mean you note it down. Depression in this situation could mean that the circumstances for her are tough and it's not easy for her to smile or be cheery.
If a conflict takes place during her stay at the shelter, no body else's name can be mentioned in your notetaking. If Susy has a conflict with Yasmin, do not mention each other's names in their reports.
At the bottom of it all, we have to work to empower women, not fail them systematically - over and over again. Institutionalized abuse takes place mostly right after the women leave their homes. Do not be an accomplice to violence, be an ally for peace.
Client information is always confidential. This not only means that you can not share the information with other clients, but with other unassociated parties either. Under certain circumstances, confidentiality between colleagues is ok. However, it should not not leave the office space nor be shared with other clients/victims. Just because a client shared her pieces with someone, it does not mean that they can take it from her and share it whereever they choose to.
It is often important to remember that every employee of the shelter/clinic does not need to know EVERY detail about the client. If the client is a survivor of childhood sexual violence, her intimate pieces need not be shared with anyone. Likewise, everybody does not need to know everything about her to help her. The housing worker or the parenting worker does not need to know the intimate pieces of her abuse history to help her.
Client information is often used in courtrooms. If the notes are not accurately recorded, they can harm the women. During the intake process, and counselling sessions, if it is required that you take notes, write what she says. Do NOT make judgements. If she says she has a tough time waking up, it does not mean she is lazy or depressed. Do NOT assume. Do NOT write things that are not accurate.
If the client feels bad about parenting, do NOT misquote her. Just say she is currently working on behaviorial management techniques for her kids.
As counsellors, we can often recognize trauma. But do not write down in your notes that she is traumatized. That's judgement. Her state is a result of experiences. Women often build defense mechanisms to get through situations. The 'trauma' that you may be noticing, could infact be a behaviour she may have aqcuired to get through her experiences. Do not judge it. Some clients have come from situations where they have been making financial choices between food and rent. Just because you see symptoms of depression, it does not mean you note it down. Depression in this situation could mean that the circumstances for her are tough and it's not easy for her to smile or be cheery.
If a conflict takes place during her stay at the shelter, no body else's name can be mentioned in your notetaking. If Susy has a conflict with Yasmin, do not mention each other's names in their reports.
At the bottom of it all, we have to work to empower women, not fail them systematically - over and over again. Institutionalized abuse takes place mostly right after the women leave their homes. Do not be an accomplice to violence, be an ally for peace.
posted by Shezalldat @ 12:40 a.m.
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