Using Weekly Assessments to Increase Client Engagement — Clinical Director Case Study
Background
There is a strong correlation between client engagement and treatment success. A clinical director at a multi-location SUD treatment provider shared best practices for increasing client engagement using their Trac9 weekly assessments in several ways:
Treatment Planning
- Used as a guide on meeting treatment goals and has been really helpful in the areas of stress, anxiety, cravings and depression
- Helps them test the bubble that Residential Treatment puts them in
- Able to talk in a safe space after seeing their drug of choice and being triggered
- Allows them to be “tested” and not in danger. Allows to have that feeling and not having to wait until they leave Residential Treatment
In Therapy
- Data/Graphs help clients see feelings in concrete and tangible way and gives clients comparisons from week to week
- Gives a beginning talking point for therapist
- Catches things client and therapist may miss
- Helps them explore their feelings and behaviors in a different way
- Allows counselors to address issues that the client may not verbalize, but it shows up in graphs For example, a client may deny any anxiety but then look at their graph and see that it has sky rocketed from last week.
It’s another piece of the routine and structure we are trying to teach clients
- Doing something in a routine, weekly for yourself and your recovery
- Makes a point to put recovery first
- Some clients are wanting the accountability of doing assessments after discharge
With clients at risk of leaving AMA
- Clients state they aren’t getting anything from the program, but their scores have improved every week that they have been in treatment
- Clients state they are fine and don’t need treatment yet their scores all indicate otherwise.
Utilization Review
- Using to extend LOS with insurance companies
