PLANNING

GOAL FORMATION AND INTERVENTION PLANNING

Planning is the link between assessment and intervention

It translates the content of the assessment into a goal statement that describes the desired
results and is also concerned with identifying the means to reach the goals.

—The end goal of planning is planned change.

—Guided by social work values and a body of knowledge, planning allows the worker, with
the client’s participation to move from problem definition to problem solution.

—Although it is often considered part of the assessment process, it is so important in the

helping process that it should be discussed separately.
 MAJOR TASKS INVOLVED IN
THE PLANNING STAGE

Goal setting - formulating goals that directly relate to the client’s need or
problem.; and

Planning interventions - defining the specific actions or interventions that are

necessary to achieve the goals.
 —Goals or helping goals give direction to the worker’s relationship with the
clients.
—Goals are ends.
— - They are the desired or expected outcomes of an endeavor.
— - In brief, goals are concerned with solutions.
—Goals may relate, not just to the client, but to the other persons or social
systems that are involved in the situation.

—Goals should have the following characteristics:

1.Specific, concrete & measurable; and
2.feasible = Realistic & Attainable

GOALS
—Furthermore, in formulating goals, it is important for
the worker to consider her expectations as well as those
of the client, and those of the significant others in the
client's environment.

Goals can be changed after they have been set. They should
be constantly evaluated, and flexibility should be observed
because original goals may no longer be appropriate to
changing situations as the plan is implemented

GOALS
 GOALS
LEVELS OF GOALS

Optimate/Optimal or General Goals/Long Term Goals - the stated goals

are the final, overall, or long-range results to which efforts are directed.
Interim/ intermediate Goals also referred to as Objectives – are specific,
short-term goals that facilitate the achievement of long-term or overall goals.
Such “objectives” or “intermediate goals”
Immediate Goals - determines the point at which the social worker could most
effectively intervene to set the start of the helping process

Progressive Subsidiary Goals - focused on the ongoing work

 PLANS
—Also referred to as Helping Plan, Action Plan, or Intervention Plan, plans
are the means to achieve the goals (or ends).
—
—It consists of the specific actions or steps to be undertaken to reach the
goals.
—
—Jointly made by the worker and the client.
—
—This is arrived at in the same way one arrives at problem and goal definition,
i.e., by the worker considering not only her expectations but also, those of the
client’s and significant others in his environment.
 PLANS
—Compton and Galaway remind us that any differences in these expectations have to be
negotiated and resolved. They also call our attention to a common error in social work
which is that of offering an intervention plan without considering alternatives with the client.
—
—This has to be pointed out because, in our setting, many social workers allow token
gestures of client participation but in reality, clients are often denied involvement in
intervention planning.
—
—A systematic review of client strengths when preparing an intervention plan — personal
and other resources — preferably concerning each goal, is viewed as one way of avoiding
this danger.
 PLANS
UNITS OF ATTENTION

Other systems that are the focus of the change activity.

Other persons who, in addition to the client, have to be given

attention also because they are involved in the situation, and
working with them is essential to goal attainment.
 PLANS
strategy
Is defined as “an overall approach to change a situation.”

It implies orchestrated action that involves different entities, each having a role to
play in achieving the defined goals.

In social work we now find a variety of approaches to practice, called theories of

practice or models of practice.
These provide an overall approach to practice and therefore may be considered as
strategies.

Note: The social worker can choose one or more of these models and approaches as
his/her helping “strategy”
 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE AN
INTERVENTION PLAN

—Following the established social work principle of individualization,

no two plans of action are alike.
—Each plan of action is designed to suit a particular client system and
the situation.

1. The community in which it is being carried out;

The environment in which the plan takes place is an important consideration in
planning.
The culture of the place, attitudes about receiving help, prevailing values like
cooperation and self-help, and the existing service delivery system are among the
factors that influence an action plan.
 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE AN
INTERVENTION PLAN

2. The agency sanctioning the plan;

—The worker is influenced by both constraints (e.g., agency function and
kinds of service available, funding considerations, time and attention that
can be provided) and resources (e.g., staff, structures, money, and
supplies).

3. The social problem that the plan is a response to.

Societal attitudes and expectations about social problems vary and the social worker should
recognize this because it influences her plan of action.
Thus, some problems are perceived as personal pathology and deviance, and some
problems are attributed to the environment.
Often, policies that are developed and support extended to agencies depend on the
attitudes about the social problems being addressed by these agencies’ programs and
services.
 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE AN
INTERVENTION PLAN
4. The worker involved in the plan.
—The worker is a unique person who brings into the helping situation
many facets of herself, e.g., a professional, an employee, a member of the
community.
—Each of these exerts an influence on the worker, sometimes favorable
(such as adherence to ethical conduct or her commitment to place client
interest above other considerations), sometimes unfavorable (such as a
sense of loyalty to one’s agency which makes the worker accept its rigid
policies).
—Tile plan of action also reflects the worker’s preferences, priorities, and
skills (e.g., the worker’s choice of practice models).
 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE AN
INTERVENTION PLAN

5. The client.
—The client is a unique bio-psychosocial being who has his motivations,
capacities, coping abilities, expectations, limitations as well as
preferences.
—These, plus the many roles he has in his current living as well as the
response to the worker-client relationship, can affect the plan of action.
 PLEASE REMEMBER THIS!

—The Assessment and Planning steps in the problem-

solving process culminate in the worker’s writing of a Case
Study that contains a synthesis of the information that has
been obtained on the client and his situation, an assessment
statement/definition of the problem for work, and the
helping intervention goals and plans.
 THE HELPING CONTRACT

In social work parlance, the helping contract sets the expectations and terms of
the commitments and obligations of both client and worker, which are often clearly
spelled out

—A contract with a client is a simplified version of the Plan of Action (which represents the
worker’s thinking and is more for her use).
—It includes a problem statement, goals and objectives, a specification of tasks to be carried out
by worker and client, and the time frame required.

—Can be written or verbal agreements/contracts.

 THE HELPING CONTRACT

Commitment and obligation are also very important in a

helping relationship; it is a shared responsibility of both client
& worker.
After having worked together in assessment and action
planning, what should follow is an agreement between the
worker and the client on what needs to be done and who
should do it. This is called a “contract” in our setting.
 THE HELPING CONTRACT

In the Philippines, we know that many of these expectations are discussed during the intake
or admission process, and usually about what the client or his family are supposed to do,
e.g., providing necessary information, keeping appointments, meeting deadlines, paying
fees, observing agency rules, and so on.
Our concept of commitment and obligation goes beyond this; it is not one-sided but a
shared responsibility of both client and worker.
Thus, besides those which we have mentioned, we expect the client to participate actively
in the process of problem-solving, and to cooperate fully with the worker. On her part, the
worker’s obligation includes the giving of accurate information and interpretation of
agency policies, services, and rules; proper use of information obtained from the client;
being prompt with appointments made; responding to emergencies; focusing the helping
relationship on the client's problem; and doing her best in the interest of the client.
 THE HELPING CONTRACT

Finally, there is one additional dimension of commitment that relates to the worker.
This is the kind of commitment that exists not because a client meets a worker’s personal
needs, or because the relationship enhances the worker’s status or prestige. Rather, it is a
commitment that is seen in the worker’s responsible follow-through of the client’s problem
situation, and a deep sense of accountability to the profession which is the source of her
authority to help people, and to herself.
After having worked together in assessment and action planning, what should follow is an
agreement between the worker and the client on what needs to be done and who should do
it. This is called a “contract” in our setting, and having verbal agreements is the more
common practice. This seems preferable in crises when the worker must immediately take
appropriate action minus a formal agreement with the client, or in cases where the client is
distrustful of anything written down that also requires his signature.
 THE HELPING CONTRACT

Today, however, written agreements or contracts between the worker and the
client are becoming popular in the country.

Contracts facilitate evaluation and provide tools for accountability.

The issue has been raised about the correctness of the use of the term in social
work practice since in a real contract, each party can compel the other to do
what the contract calls for or recover damages which is not being done in the
field of social work.
At any rate, what is important is that the worker realizes the necessity of having
an agreement with the client as to what tasks have to be done to achieve the
goals and who will be responsible.