Intervention Support to Assist Clients

Question 1

What is Intervention Support?

Answer 1

An intervention support is any involvement an agency or social worker has with a client. It can be voluntary or it can be involuntary or statutory.

Question 2

There are 2 types of Intervention Support. Explain Voluntary intervention.

Answer 2

Voluntary intervention
It is a response given by the agency to a client who comes to the agency voluntarily with an issue(s) and ask for support from the agency. The client has to agree to the intervention if help can be rendered. The social work or social service professionals will assess the client’s need first before making a
decision about how the agency or another service/professional can provide support to meet that need.

Question 3

There are 2 types of Intervention Support. Explain Involuntary intervention.

Answer 3

It is when a client does not request for assistance from an agency but the social workers and social service staff are legally required to intervene.

This has always been a controversial issue because people are helped against
their will or without their knowledge. There has been endless debate regarding
this among individuals like family members, legal professionals, Social Service
Organisations (SSOrgs), government ministries and service providers.

Examples of involuntary interventions could be:

• A medical treatment is undertaken without a person’s consent such as
  administering psychiatric treatment administered despite the client’s
  objections. This type of intervention is necessary if the person has been diagnosed with a mental illness and is deemed by a court to be a danger
  to himself/herself or others.
• Children are removed from a ‘dangerous’ home if members of the public
  have informed the authorities and investigations have proven that the parents are physically, mentally, emotionally and/or sexually abusive to the children. Sometimes, it may not be the parents who are abusive but the environment is not ‘safe’ to the children.
• The aged person is removed from the family if members of the public
  alert the authorities and investigations have proven the family members
  have indeed abused him/her. The aged person may be removed against his/her will to protect him/her from further harms.

Question 4

What are the Forms of Intervention Support?

Answer 4

NCSS and SSOrgs provide a broad range of social services designed “to
promote the well-being of people and communities. It seeks to help individuals
to be self-sufficient and less dependent, and restore individuals, families or
communities to successfully function in the society.”
Intervention support can come in the forms of:

• Counselling support
• Emotional support
• Financial assistance
• Behavioural management
• Employment assistance

Question 5

Give an Overview of some of the intervention support available in Singapore for people with changing behaviour patterns

Answer 5

Refer to LG page 75-78

More social services and financial assistance schemes:

http: //www.ncss.gov.sg/social_service
www. ncss.org.sg/documents/AssistanceSchemes.pdf
app. msf.gov.sg/assistance

ministry of social and family development

Question 6

How do you Select the Appropriate Intervention Support to Assist Clients?

Answer 6

1. Starts with reviewing the clients’ needs

• Establish interpersonal relationships with clients that will enable all issues to be dealt with directly and quickly. They could have difficulty engaging due to low self-esteem, shame, anxious or feelings of being
  overwhelmed.
• Engage the client throughout the conversation by remaining helpful and
  listen to them attentively. Establish a trusting and respectful relationships with the clients. Avoid stereotyping and personal
  prejudices.

2. Evaluate the clients’ range of issues
   - Define boundaries and use facilitative communication skills to discuss their needs, expectations, goals and aspirations.
   - Be patient in assisting the clients to identify areas of concern and to prioritise areas for immediate and long-term action
   - Assist clients to develop their own action plans to address their circumstances.
3. Recommend appropriate types of intervention support
   - Share relevant information with clients about services available and determine options for action and workable strategies to address their priority areas of concern.
   - Work with clients to set personal goals and explore personal strategies and to identify a hierarchy of strategies, including contingency plans.
   - Work with clients to identify and plan for potential consequences of their decisions, if any.

Question 7

Why and how do you Refer Clients for Appropriate Follow Up?

Answer 7

1. It is important that the agency sets and implements standard procedures to ensure all services and responses to clients comply with duty of care and accepted standards of ethical behaviour.
2. In the event when the actions to be taken is beyond own job role, the social service professionals should refer the client’s case to the supervisor according to organisational procedures.
3. If the social service professional needs to refer the client to another agency to address the presenting needs, he/she has to consult the supervisor first before contacting the relevant social welfare agencies, treatment clinics or juvenile centres. Proper protocols must be observed when linking the clients to agencies or clinics.
4. Before the referred agency or clinic take over the case, a brief intervention by the social service professional and the agency may be required. The purpose is to provide the client with immediate support as an interim measure to de-escalate the problem and to provide emotional support.

Some interim intervention supports can be in the form of:

• financial aid
• emergency accommodation
• court attendance
• medical or legal aid appointments

Question 8

What is the flow for intake and assessment?

Answer 8

Refer to LG page 81

Question 9

What is empowerment?

Answer 9

Empowerment is defined as “the process of helping individuals, families,
groups and communities increase their personal, interpersonal, socioeconomic, and political strength and influence towards improving
their circumstances.”

Empowerment seeks to identify, use, build and reinforce the abilities and
strengths of the clients, in contrast to the pathological perspective, which focuses on their deficiencies.

Empowerment emphasises people’s abilities, interests, aspirations, resources, beliefs and accomplishments to help themselves. It is positive
intervention if it is voluntary.