Setting aims for the people attending social services is a crucial step in human and social services professionals’ work. When the targets are determined properly, the outcomes of an interview and further work with a client will be successful and rewarding. To establish and reach the goals most efficiently, it is necessary to create a service plan which will include the needs of a client and the ways of attaining these requirements.
Whether or not social workers consider their impact powerful, it is undoubted that they have ample possibilities to affect the clients’ decisions. Thus, it is crucial not to cross the border between suggesting goals to people and pushing them towards choosing their targets. Challenges presented to service managers are connected with the variety of stakeholders and specific circumstances of the situation (Healy, 2014). Also, outlining the goals is complicated as it is done in two stages: first, case managers delineate them together with the clients, and then, provider agencies create a more detailed plan of action (Summers, 2016).
A service plan involves several stages and begins with the analysis of the case. After exploring the situation, a social worker needs to concentrate on the extent of the issue, use outlines, and evaluate the client’s emotional and cognitive pattern (Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, Strom-Gottfried, & Larsen, 2010). After these initial actions, a social worker can proceed to discuss the goals with the client (Hepworth et al., 2010). Aims to describe the desired outcomes of the cooperation between social service professionals and clients. Goal achievement requires perfect interviewing skills, as it is necessary to negotiate the customers’ needs and ensure that they do not shift from the initial plan.
When the provider agency starts developing goals, its first task is to cooperate with clients. Although social workers know what is best, they cannot make decisions for others. They can only explain the need for some actions and encourage the clients to accept some steps. However, case managers should always take into account the position of their clients. The next step in creating a plan is making the goals possible to accomplish (Summers, 2016). It is worthwhile to set small targets that will not make the clients feel confused and scared. Also, there should not be too many aims. A small number of goals will make people feel empowered and believe in their possibilities (Summers, 2016). In developing goals, the provider agency should have positive anticipation and keep the client in the center of attention while creating a plan (Summers, 2016). While goals may be identical for similar cases, the objectives are different in every situation. It is crucial to combine the objectives with the goals to reach the best outcomes.
To facilitate social change, I will base my work on the principles suggested for goal planning and achievement. In cooperation with the clients, I will combine informing them about the best solutions by listening to their preferences. I will cautiously persuade them about the best goals but will not assert my opinion as to the only one suitable. After all, it has to be the client’s decision as it is his/her plan of action. The role of human and social services professionals in action planning and goal development is to provide clients with the most positive outcomes. Thus, the proper use of one’s impact on the customers will promote social change.
References
Healy, K. (2014). Social work theories in context: Creating frameworks for practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hepworth, D. H., Rooney, R. H., Rooney, G. D., Strom-Gottfried, K., Larsen, J. (2010). Direct social work practice: Theory and skills (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage.
Summers, N. (2016). Developing goals and objectives at the provider agency. In Fundamentals of case management practice: Skills for the human services (5th ed.) (pp. 421-438). Boston, MA: Cengage.