Explain how you might evaluate client progress and determine when a client is ready to terminate services.
Discussion: Management of Planned and Unplanned Termination
Depending on the client and the length of treatment, saying goodbye can be hard for both of you.
While you generally anticipate that successful treatment will lead to the eventual termination of the client relationship, there are a variety of other reasons for why this relationship might come to an end. There might be a set number of sessions the client’s insurance will allow, or maybe the end of your internship is quickly approaching. Maybe termination results from the unexpected, like a new job or an illness, or the client leaves without notice. Regardless of the cause, you and your client must be prepared for the end of your working relationship.
In this Discussion, you reflect on the termination process, the potential feelings associated with ending a client relationship, and skills to address challenges related to termination.
By Day 3
Explain how you might evaluate client progress and determine when a client is ready to terminate services.
Describe a situation when a professional relationship may end before the client achieves their goals.
Describe one potential positive and one potential negative feeling that you, as the social worker, might feel regarding a planned termination and an unplanned termination.
Describe one potential positive and one potential negative feeling a client might feel regarding both a planned and an unplanned termination of a therapeutic relationship.
Support your post with APA citations to the course text and any other resources used to respond to this discussion. Demonstrate that you have completed the required readings, understand the material, and are able to apply the concepts. Include a full reference of resources at bottom of post.
By Day 6
Respond to at least two colleagues:
Provide a suggestion for dealing with the negative feelings that can occur with terminating client relationships.
Identify a social work skill and provide a specific example of how your colleague might use this skill to address challenges in termination.
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2018). Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Chapter 8, “Evaluation, Termination, and Follow-Up in Generalist Practice” (pp. 307–348)
Marmarosh, C. L., Thompson, B., Hill, C., Hollman, S., & Megivern, M. (2017). Therapists-in-training experiences of working with transfer clients: One relationship terminates and another begins. Psychotherapy, 54(1), 102–113. http://dx.doi.org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1037/pst0000095
Answer preview to explain how you might evaluate client progress and determine when a client is ready to terminate services.
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