Forming Service Teams

1. Forming Service Teams methods for forming interdisciplinary teams to promote integrated planning, service, and support

2. Service Group DecisionsMulkey • 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? • 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? • Consequential – Are we prepared to deal with unanticipated problems? Are we resilient in attitude?

3. 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”.

4. 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.

5. Role Release • Provide team members with general information about basic procedures and practices (psychiatric disorders, etc.). • Teach team members to use specific information to make service decisions (therapeutic principles). • Train team members to implement specific program procedures (job specific implications).

6. Possible Team Members • Employment Specialists • Teachers Educators • Rehabilitation Counselors Social Workers • Mental Health Therapists Psychologists • Physical Therapists Speech/language • Family members Friends • Health providers Nurses

7. Service Team Client Employment Specialist Parent/Spouse Rehabilitation Counselor Therapist Other

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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?

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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).

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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?)

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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?

21. 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!