Question

An agency provides therapy for low-income single parents. The agency is able to provide services for up to six months, at which point the clients are given referrals to other resources. A social worker at this agency has been working with a client for five months and is aware that the client will soon lose his eligibility to receive services. The social worker has located resources for the client's ongoing needs. What should the social worker do NEXT?

A. Facilitate a conversation regarding termination and potential referrals.
B. Empower the client to contact the agency and advocate for ongoing services.
C. Offer to provide the client with ongoing treatment after hours until he is ready to terminate.
D. Provide the client with the new agency's telephone number and hours of service.

Answer 1

The social worker should facilitate a conversation about service termination and referrals, preparing and supporting the client for the transition to other resources. Professional boundaries and the agency's policy limitations make other options less suitable.

Step-by-step explanation:

The social worker's next step should be to facilitate a conversation regarding termination and potential referrals.

This conversation would involve discussing the client's progress, acknowledging the nearing end of eligibility for the agency's services, and introducing the referrals to other resources that have been located for the client's ongoing needs.

It is essential that the social worker prepares the client for the transition and ensures that the client understands how to engage with the new resources.

Moreover, empowering the client to advocate for themselves in the future is also a key element of the social worker's role.