A version of this article was first published on October 9, 2012
Several years ago, I participated in a treatment team meeting that serves as a cautionary tale for those involved in human services. These meetings, formally known as Child and Family Team Meetings in the respective state, were intended to facilitate a collaborative discussion on client progress involving the client, their families, and relevant professionals.
The meeting I was involved in exemplified the pitfalls of poorly executed human services appointments. The client, a juvenile probationer for multiple crimes, had been on probation for several years. His mother, who had also been involved in criminal court, attended the meeting. Both parties had a history of drug use, and the client’s father was incarcerated for drug trafficking and serving a lengthy sentence. The juvenile probation officer, the county’s community service coordinator, and myself were present.
The client had recently been detained for failing to comply with probation and was subsequently charged with underage drinking in adult court. My role was to provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy sessions based on effective problem-solving techniques over an eight-week group process. Additionally, the substance abuse counselor from another agency was present.
Several pressing issues were discussed during the meeting. The client’s recent detention and subsequent criminal charge dominated the agenda. The client’s inability to complete required community service was another significant concern. His failure to attend substance abuse treatment sessions and subsequent positive drug screens were also discussed. As evident from these challenges, the meeting covered a wide range of complex issues.
Surprisingly, the mother appeared indifferent to the recent events, while the client expressed a sense of urgency to rectify his behavior. He emphasized the need to clean up his act and become a responsible adult, citing the responsibility of caring for his three-month-old baby and his girlfriend. Notably, the client had just turned 16 years old.
The meeting continued for nearly an hour. The substance abuse counselor expressed concern about missed appointments and positive drug screens. The court counselor was displeased with having to send the client to detention and incurring a new criminal charge. The community service coordinator inquired about the client’s incomplete community service. I was the sole representative of the program the client was on the cusp of completing.
As the newcomer to the table, I took a supportive stance and observed while also attempting to highlight positive aspects of the client’s life situation.
During the process, it became evident that most of the individuals at the table became engrossed in the symptoms and neglected to consider the individual before them. Failed drug tests, non-compliance, new charges, and disruptive behavior were among the concerns raised. The conversation deeply troubled me that day.
While the aforementioned negative actions warrant attention and resolution, shouldn’t we prioritize communication with the client and engage in a meaningful discussion about the underlying reasons for their actions? Instead of merely lecturing the client and imposing punitive measures that may not be effective, we should strive for a more empathetic and understanding approach. I left the meeting with a sense of unease, recognizing another instance of professionals engaging in ineffective interpersonal and counseling skills, deviating from the principles we advocate, and failing to provide clients with the nurturing environment that Carl Rogers envisioned over five decades ago. Has our field progressed beyond this level of stagnation?
Therefore, the moral of my story is that despite over 45 years of combined human services experience, ineffectual communication persisted during that meeting. Establishing a trusting environment with clients is a challenging endeavor that demands patience and, at times, may never be fully achieved. However, we must persevere and maintain focus. We must recognize our roles and responsibilities, and we must empower clients to find solutions to their problems rather than resorting to threats or ignoring their circumstances.
This meeting served as a stark reminder that the most powerful words a client ever expresses are often unspoken. While teaching human services skills in the classroom or professional setting is relatively straightforward, implementing these skills effectively with clients and adhering to the principle of “do no harm” presents a significantly greater challenge.