Forming Service Teams

methods for forming interdisciplinary teams to promote integrated planning, service, and support

Service Group DecisionsMulkey

A. Apex – Have we identified everyone with a stake in the outcomes? Do we have the necessary range of expertise? Are we committed to taking effective action?

B. Base – Can we identify the important needs and related goals? What is the range of challenges that we can foresee? Can we get substantial and meaningful commitments of support?

C. Consequential – Are we prepared to deal with unanticipated problems? Are we resilient in attitude?

Operating Principles

Work is the primary integrating experience in American life.

Interdisciplinary professional teams can function as powerful allies.

“Effort” does not equal “ability”.

“Difficult” does not equal “impossible”.

The Interdisciplinary Approach

The Interdisciplinary Approach is based on collaboration (obtain releases of information).

Team members are expected to be skillful and up to date within their disciplines.

Team members engage systematically in role release.

Role Release1. Provide team members with general

information about basic procedures and practices (psychiatric disorders, etc.).

2. Teach team members to use specific information to make service decisions (therapeutic principles).

3. Train team members to implement specific program procedures (job specific implications).

Possible Team Members Employment Specialists

Teachers Educators

Rehabilitation Counselors Social Workers

Mental Health Therapists Psychologists

Physical TherapistsSpeech/language

Family members Friends

Health providers Nurses

Service Team

Client

Employment Specialist

Parent/Spouse

Rehabilitation Counselor

Therapist

Other

Communication with Team Members

The Employment Specialist assumes responsibility for pursuing an agenda to include planning, implementation, and problem solving.

The team process can be discussed and problems addressed as they arise, assisting in the development of a smoothly operating, integrated approach to service delivery.

Communication with Team Members

Write down questions and concerns as they arise.

Record data on a weekly basis. Engage in group problem solving at team

meetings. Discuss program revisions at team meetings. Review each job seeker’s program monthly at

team meetings.

Clarify a Vision of Success

Support teams must help job seekers clarify a vision of the future (quality world).

Involve the job seeker in discussions including family and friends. The plan must be based on valid information. It is important to form a clear understanding of the client in terms of ideas, values, feels, fears, wants, beliefs, and hopes.

What are the dreams nightmares of this person? What do you and other professionals need to know to prevent these nightmares?

Futures Planning Identify sources of support. How many

people can you identify around the client who provide some important form of support?

Send each one a letter asking them how they see the job seeker's future. They know this person well, and can provide insightful suggestions.

Futures Planning Sit with the client and discuss what the

circle of support suggested. The client clarifies the information.

Get commitments from the support circle to help your client. Close collaboration of friends and family is required. People who care make a large difference.

Identify Quality of Life Outcomes

Brainstorm Quality of Life Outcomes from the client’s profile (self esteem, recreation, security, integration).

Prioritize the Outcomes. Through team consensus, narrow the list to 4-6.

Operationally define the outcomes (what would be an example of integration? …having a friend with no identifiable disability?)

Match the outcomes to possible employment opportunities (along with skill based compatibility).

Identify Challenges Identify challenges to optimal employment

(staff, funding, transportation, interfering behaviors).

Brainstorm solutions (all solutions are considered by the team and creativity is encouraged).

Prioritize solutions for each challenge on the basis of feasibility, low to high.

Write Action Plan Specify the activities, responsible persons, timelines, and

follow-up activities. Write objectives for each challenge.

The Service Team should meet regularly to follow the progress of the plan.

Example Objective:

Need Public Transportation not available in rural area.

Obj. Resolve transportation for short-term placement.

Who: Family Member, Case Manager

Plan a Problem Solving Group

Example: client talks to self at work. Plan the Work Group to include

everyone who will be directly affected by the decision.

Include anyone who needs to have ownership in implementation of the decision.

Define the Problem

Define the problem in observable terms. Make no assumption about the cause or

solution of the problem. Seek a clear consensus on the

question(s) to be answered. State questions in positive terms (how

can we keep the worker on task?)

Generate Alternative Solutions

Maximize the range of dissenting opinions and new ideas.

Reinforce every opinion, no matter how unusual.

Disallow judgment or critical comments on any idea.

Allow only questions requesting clarification during this step.

Choose an Alternative Do not focus on the “right” decision.

Make a decision only if on balance the benefits clearly outweigh the costs and risks.

Consider doing nothing as a valid alternative.

Act or don’t act, but don’t hedge or waffle.

Implement Problem Solution(s)

Who needs to know and be involved in the solution? Family? Employer, Case Manager, etc.

What needs to occur and when?

Who does it?

Are the necessary skills and resources in place?

Evaluate Results Take action and learn from mistakes

View problem solving as an ongoing process, evaluate!

Use Management by Objective.

Recognize the value of laughing at our own mistakes.

Good decisions are made within multiple alternatives. Try again!