Discuss the strategies for developing goals with involuntary clients

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There are mainly four strategies for developing goals with involuntary clients:?
1. Motivational congruence

2. Agreeable mandate

3. Let's make a deal

4. Getting rid of the mandate

1. Motivational congruence: Motivational congruence means that as a social worker you work on target goals that are personally meaningful to the client and that also satisfy the requirements of a mandate. Goals are more likely to succeed and result in longer-lasting change when they are meaningful to the client than when motivation and commitment are focused on escaping a sanction or gaining a reward.

2. Agreeable mandate: The agreeable mandate strategy entails a search for common ground that bridges the differing views of an involuntary client and the court. Pursuing the agreeable mandate may also involve reframing the definition of the problem in such a way that it adequately addresses the concerns identified in the mandate or referral source while simultaneously responding to the concerns of the client.

3. Let's make a deal: Negotiating goals with involuntary clients can include a bargaining strategy, or "Let's make a deal." Essentially, the private concerns of the involuntary client are combined with the problem that precipitated the mandate or referral.

4. Getting rid of the mandate: With some involuntary clients, none of the preceding strategies may be viable. In such situations, the only recourse left is to appeal to the client's desire to be free of the restraints imposed by a mandate or referral source. This strategy appeals to the client's motivation, specifically, getting rid of the mandate or outside pressure.