CLIENT INVOLVEMENT IN CASE RECORDING AT A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
Abstract
This research study was conducted at the Peekskill Community Service Center, a division of Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health. It is an experimental test of client recording, a procedure proposed by Wilczynski (1981) in which clients participate in writing their case record. The practitioner asks the client, generally at the end of the therapy session, to share thoughts or feelings that are relevant to the recording. The practitioner then integrates this feedback into progress notes or case summaries. Wilczynski reported the procedure aids practitioners in making case assessments, helps clients develop self awareness, and facilitates access of clients to the case record. Cognitive learning theories apply to this practice and support its credibility. Five social workers, two psychiatrists and two psychologists practiced client recording with thirty-one clients in an experimental group. At the end of a four month period, questionnaires were administered to the practitioners, the experimental group, and a control group which was also composed of thirty-one clients. The social workers reported more favorable views about client recording as a clinical practice than the other practitioners, but all nine practitioners said the procedure should be instituted as a policy to be used at the option of the practitioners. The majority of the practitioners reported they were able to record what they wished with client involvement. Clients of various ages, educational levels and diagnoses had positive attitudes toward client recording. Although statistical significance was not achieved at the.05 level, clients in the experimental group were found to have more familiarity with the goals of their treatment plan (z = 1.612), and more feelings of involvement in their therapy session (z = 1.553). The qualitative data supports this conclusion as clients reported the procedure helped them to remember the content of sessions, and to feel more involved in therapy sessions. This dissertation demonstrates that client recording has potential for social work practice. Since New York State Law now sanctions client access to psychiatric records, client recording has even more relevance. It fits with social work values of self determination for clients, and is a viable treatment modality for social workers and other practitioners.
Subject Area
Social work
Recommended Citation
BADDING, NANCY C, "CLIENT INVOLVEMENT IN CASE RECORDING AT A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER" (1987). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8724222.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8724222
