• Noting how the client presents
When meeting a client for the first time, or talking to them on the telephone, you will gain a first impression of them based on such things as:
• mental state (irrational thinking, memory loss, delusions, etc.)
• emotional/psychological state (highly distressed, anxious, withdrawn, etc.)
• personal circumstances (no home, no money, no food, etc.)
• support networks (Do they recognise anyone in their life who could help?)
• indicators of abuse.
• Inform the client of your role
Occasionally clients have been misdirected to your agency, and their expectation of the assistance available does not match the resources and responsibilities of your agency. The Intake Officer or person initially interviewing the client …show more content…
• Allow enough time
To go through all the processes of obtaining information will require time. Make sure that you have allowed enough time to thoroughly evaluate all the information that the person has given you, to confirm that what you have recorded is a true statement of what the person said.
It is not uncommon for an interview over the telephone to last more than one hour. It may then be necessary for you to do some follow-up to verify the claims. Do not rush this process as you may leave out important …show more content…
Ensure eye contact is natural and direct. Be aware of racial, age and gender differences. Be sensitive to your client’s responses and be guided by those responses.
• Developing rapport and providing a trusting environment
In order to build rapport with a client, you must appear to be genuinely interested in them. This can be demonstrated in small ways, from ensuring there are no distractions during your interview, checking that they are comfortable, and checking how they wish you to address them, to speaking respectfully to them and allowing them to adopt a measure of control within the interview. Trust can only develop over time and you should be vigilant in ensuring that any actions/plans you offer to undertake on behalf of the client are completed in the time frame specified.
• Non-judgemental communication
Every interview or contact gives you an opportunity to learn more about your client; hence your communication should demonstrate respect for a client’s opinion. You can achieve this by listening to their ideas and points of view, accepting that you will have differences of opinions and values and not overreacting to a client’s behaviour or statements. Be genuinely interested in how that client acquired those beliefs; this helps in understanding the client
When meeting a client for the first time, or talking to them on the telephone, you will gain a first impression of them based on such things as:
• mental state (irrational thinking, memory loss, delusions, etc.)
• emotional/psychological state (highly distressed, anxious, withdrawn, etc.)
• personal circumstances (no home, no money, no food, etc.)
• support networks (Do they recognise anyone in their life who could help?)
• indicators of abuse.
• Inform the client of your role
Occasionally clients have been misdirected to your agency, and their expectation of the assistance available does not match the resources and responsibilities of your agency. The Intake Officer or person initially interviewing the client …show more content…
• Allow enough time
To go through all the processes of obtaining information will require time. Make sure that you have allowed enough time to thoroughly evaluate all the information that the person has given you, to confirm that what you have recorded is a true statement of what the person said.
It is not uncommon for an interview over the telephone to last more than one hour. It may then be necessary for you to do some follow-up to verify the claims. Do not rush this process as you may leave out important …show more content…
Ensure eye contact is natural and direct. Be aware of racial, age and gender differences. Be sensitive to your client’s responses and be guided by those responses.
• Developing rapport and providing a trusting environment
In order to build rapport with a client, you must appear to be genuinely interested in them. This can be demonstrated in small ways, from ensuring there are no distractions during your interview, checking that they are comfortable, and checking how they wish you to address them, to speaking respectfully to them and allowing them to adopt a measure of control within the interview. Trust can only develop over time and you should be vigilant in ensuring that any actions/plans you offer to undertake on behalf of the client are completed in the time frame specified.
• Non-judgemental communication
Every interview or contact gives you an opportunity to learn more about your client; hence your communication should demonstrate respect for a client’s opinion. You can achieve this by listening to their ideas and points of view, accepting that you will have differences of opinions and values and not overreacting to a client’s behaviour or statements. Be genuinely interested in how that client acquired those beliefs; this helps in understanding the client