Briefly explain the importance of involving clients in monitoring and evaluating progress

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Client involvement, an integral part of the goal negotiation and development process, is equally important at the measurement stage. Also, as in goal planning, client participation may mean that procedures to be used are culturally relevant and consistent with the client's values and beliefs.
Feedback from clients regarding their progress and satisfaction with the services and rationale for their inclusion as partners in monitoring and evaluating progress is summarized as follows:

?1. By eliciting clients' views of their progress or by comparing their latest rates of the target behavior with the baseline, you maintain focus on goals and enhance the continuity of change efforts.

2. Clients gain perspective in determining where they stand in relation not only to their ultimate goals but also to their pretreatment levels.

3. Observing incremental progress toward goals tends to sustain motivation and to enhance confidence in the helping process and in the social worker.

4. Eliciting clients' feelings and views about their progress can alert you to and allow you to address feelings or behaviors that can impede future progress and lead to premature termination.

5. Clients can provide feedback on the efficacy of a goal or intervention strategy and whether an approach has yielded expected results within a reasonable period of time.

6. Indications of marked progress toward goal attainment alert you to when clients might be ready to shift their focus to another goal or begin planning for termination if all goals have been achieved.