Question

How can weincrease the involvement of the clients during the care taking by the mobile team?

Problem description

When the mobile team is in charge, the team organises evaluation moments on a regular base: “periodic discussions”.   These discussions usually take place after a period of about 3 months, with the aim of getting an overview of interventions in different areas (relations, leisure, daily activities, accompanying the client), the success and the added value of these interventions (what did work, what didn’t work), the intensity of the interventions, the role of the case manager and the help he can use.  All this with the intention to share the treatment goals and the planning of interventions with his colleagues.

The client doesn’t participate in these meetings.  It depends on the case manager whether or not the client is in a formal way informed about these discussions, whether or not he gets a formal feedback regarding the planned interventions and whether or not objectives are shared in a formal way

Impact - effect

First, for the team member these periodic discussions often feel as rendering account for what’s he’s done so far.  When an objective is not realised, he often has to argue and to deliver some evidence about the creative process applied to make things work.  And, because human interactions are difficult to express, such a discussion doesn’t always allow to explain the relationship between team member and client.

Second, these discussions often meet resistance from the client, because the case manager is trying to achieve some objectives or planned interventions without sharing this with the client in a formal way

To do

To inform the client correctly about the context of starting up a follow-up by the mobile team.  Using for instance an info-brochure containing the necessary information for the client, and reading this through with the case manager.

Additionally, fixing an evaluation moment with the client in a formal way, aiming to share treatment goals and to agree about upcoming interventions, can be a tool to avoid the client’s resistance.   Here, some conditions might be met: for example the accessibility of a medical follow-up by a GP or a psychiatrist.

And one last thing is thinking about the possibility of inviting the client together with a family member at this evaluation moment.  This is done currently, in the district team of Alkmaar.  This was a limited success, about 40 (from the 200) clients showed up.  Still, this immediately provides a clear picture of the working relationship, and this will strongly affect the feasibility and reality of the planned interventions and any shared treatment goals.

Theme

Starting up and further development/deployment of mobile teams

Topic

recovery oriented approaches in mobile teams

Reference -  contact

Bert Houberecht

Mobile team

2B

Project

Halle-Vilvoorde

Intership abroad - place

Noord-Holland-Noord

Date

November 2013