ADVANCED SERVICEPLAN PRESENTATION

Alexis BenklyHUS4321Fall 2020

We AreGeorgie’s Place

Guided by our founder’s belief of education being the great equalizer, we seek to help low-income parents and families achieve a better and brighter future for themselves and their children by offering vocational counseling and case management services and by utilizing community resources to help them pursue post-secondary education and training. It is our belief that higher education should be available to all who want it, regardless of background and income, and our goal is to help our clients break the cycle of poverty through education and increased career opportunity.

Our Mission

Who Do We Serve?We serve low-income parents who wish to return to school for a vocational,

certification, or traditional degree in order to secure well-paying employment and increase their economic opportunities now and in the future.

Who is Eligible?Anyone who:

Is 18 years of age or older;

Has children/dependents as legally defined fortax purposes (including siblings over whom the

applicant has legal guardianship);

AND

Has an established financial need, demonstrated by: an income no more than 1.5x the federally established poverty guidelines, shown through an applicant’s most

recent federal tax return or 3 months of their most recent pay stubs; OR participation in and utilization of social services programs (including but not limited to: WIC, TANF, Food Stamps programs, Medicaid) shall constitute a demonstrated financial need

MEET HEIDI BOYD

Age: 29Address: 1427 Hope Springs Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33411Phone Number: (561) 888-5959Referral Source: Adult Education Center; Heidi received her GED through the AEC and they referred her to us when she expressed interest in continuing her education.

Case Worker: ABDDate of Contact: 10/18/2020 Date of Summary: 10/19/2020Sources of Information: Applicant, High School and AEC Transcripts, Income documentation.

Informed Consent &Confidentiality Procedure

◦Heidi was given information on the application process, the requirements in order be accepted as a client, her responsibilities if accepted as a client (attending scheduled sessions, classes, providing proof of good academic standing after each semester, etc.), the agency’s responsibilities to her (case management, financial assistance with classes, ensuring of adequate and appropriate services), applicant’s right to decline to participate in services and the possible consequences of declining to participate, applicant’s right to confidentiality, exceptions to confidentiality and instances of mandated reporting, as well as being informed of when applicant may manually waive confidentiality, such as when the agency must communicate with other service providers to coordinate services for the applicant. We also reviewed HIPAA regulations and its implications for how our agency handles her records electronically.

Informed Consent &Confidentiality Procedure

◦Accompanying signed informed consent documentation included in applicant’s file:

– Informed Consent for Outpatient Counseling Services

– Notice of Agency Privacy Policies

– Notice of HIPAA Regulations, Requirements, and Privacy Practices

– Informed Consent for Email and Electronic Communication Policy

– Limits and Exceptions to Confidentiality

Let’s Learn More About Heidi

PersonalStrengths

• Hardworking• Resourceful• Patient• Kind & Friendly• Loves people & is

passionate about helping

• Active in achieving her goals

Environmental Strengths

• Large support system of family and friends

• Supportive spouse who is employed full-time

• Involvement in an online gaming community

• Reliance on her religious faith and involvement in her church

BackgroundRelated toProblem

Heidi had her daughter at 17 and dropped out of high school. She completed her GED at 26 after learning of a school district cafeteria job that required a high school diploma. She says her job helped her realize she wanted to help kids as a career and she began thinking about going back to school. She became unemployed due to the pandemic and believes now might be a good time to pursue her goal.

What’s the Main Problem&

How Can we Help?Presenting ProblemHeidi wishes to return to school to pursue a degree in early childhood education but has limited financial means and little knowledge of how to access related services.

Diagnostic SummaryHeidi needs assistance in finding an appropriate college program and in securing funding (both public and private) in order to off-set the cost of returning to school.

Treatment RecommendationsHeidi would benefit from the following services which we offer:- College Aptitude and Readiness Testing;- Career Advising and Case Management Services, including identification of and placement in an appropriate program;- Financial Aid & Loan Option Advising;- Agency Scholarship Programs;- Referral to outside resources as need, including affordable childcare, transportation, and tutoring services;- Resume Writing and Interviewing Skills workshops

Together, We Developed Goals

• Objective 1: Heidi will schedule an appointment with the in-house testing center by October 30.

• Objective 2: Heidi will make an appointment with a career advisor by November 9.

• Obective 3: Heidi will make an appointment with an admissions advisor at PBSC by November 23.

Goal 1:Heidi will enroll incollege for Spring

Semester 2021.

• Objective 1: Heidi will apply for an in-house scholarship by November 23.• Objective 2: Heidi will complete her FAFSA form by November 23.• Objective 3: Heidi will apply for SNAP benefits by December 1.

Goal 2:Heidi will utilize public and private resources to off-set

the cost of college.

• Objective 1: Heidi will purchase all textbooks and required materials by the first day of class, January 11, 2021.

• Objective 2: Heidi will dedicate 2 hours a day to school work.• Objective 3: Heidi will utilize available tutoring services to prepare for tests

and to answer questions about schoolwork.

Goal 3:Heidi will maintain satisactory academic standing in all of

her classes.

DCF’sSNAP &

TANFPrograms

As an agency, we can only do so much…

Feeding South Florida

Food Bank

Palm Beach State

College

Other resourcesthat may

help Heidi

Faulk Center forCounseling

Boys & Girls Clubs

By using referrals, we can address

Heidi’s multiple needs

Credit Card Manage-

ment Services

Let’s Check in on Heidi’s ProgressOctober 26, 2020

Heidi expressed she may want to pursue guidance counseling, cosmetology, or dental assisting programs.

Heidi expressed many concerns, mainly in regards to finances and her ability to make time for school.

Heidi will make an appointment with the in-house testing center for career aptitude and interest evaluations by October 30 (Goal 1, Obj. 1) & the in-house career advisor by November 9 (Goal 1, Obj. 2).

November 9, 2020

Heidi reported feeling ‘stupid’ and unsure of herself after the aptitude testing and high levels of stress caused by financial concerns.

We discussed the results of the career aptitude evaluation.

Counselor gave Heidi information for the Faulk Center for Counseling in order to address her stress management and mental health needs.

Heidi has an appointment with our agency’s career advisor on November 12 (Goal 1, Obj. 2).

Heidi’s Progress pt. 2November 16, 2020

After meeting with our career advisor, Heidi decided to apply for the dental assisting program at Palm Beach State College.

Heidi expressed continuing financial concerns. We discussed how to complete a FAFSA and an agency scholarship application. Heidi will complete both applications by November 23 (Goal 2, Objs. 1 & 2).

Heidi will schedule a meeting with a Palm Beach State College admissions and registration advisor by November 23 (Goal 1, Obj. 3).

November 23, 2020

Heidi reported attending the Faulk Center support group and finding it very welcoming and helpful.

Counselor provided Heidi with information regarding DCF’s SNAP and TANF programs as well as Feeding South Florida food bank locations and hours in order to reduce her expenses. Heidi will apply for food stamps by November 30 (Goal 2, Obj. 3).

Heidi successfully completed both financial aid applications (Goal 2, Obj. 1).

Heidi’s appointment with the PBSC registration advisor is November 30 (Goal 1, Obj. 3).

Heidi’s Progress pt. 3

December 7, 2020

Heidi was approved for a $1,000 agency scholarship. However, she was not approved for federal financial aid until Fall of 2021.

Heidi met with the PBSC advisor and enrolled in 3 classes which begin January 11, 2021 (Goal 1).

Heidi applied for SNAP benefits online and is waiting to hear back (Goal 2, Obj. 3).

Counselor gave Heidi information for Credit Management Services to develop a budget and set aside money for school (Goal 2). She will schedule an appointment with them by December 13.

January 12, 2021

Heidi had her first day of school yesterday, and she expressed insecurity in performing the tasks required in her classes, as well as concerns over balancing school demands with childcare demands.

Heidi was approved for SNAP and developed a budget with the Credit Management agency (Goal 2).

Heidi will begin to study 2 hrs/day (Goal 3, Obj. 2). Counselor will provide her with the information, location, and hours of the PBSC tutoring service (Goal 3. Obj. 3).

Counselor will provide Heidi with information for local Boys & Girls Clubs to reduce childcare related demands & stress.

So, What Happened?

Discharge Summary

Heidi was successfully discharged from our agency after completing her dental assisting certificate program in December 2021.

Date of Discharge: December 15, 2021

Counselor: ABD

…But, what about her goals?

Progress Towards Goals

Status: CompletedNotes: Heidi attended all meetings and appointments with testing

center and PBSC advising. She successfully enrolled in the dental assisting certificate program for Spring 2021.

Goal 1:Heidi will enroll in classes for

Spring 2021 semester.

Status: CompletedNotes: Heidi applied for FAFSA and in-house scholarships. She received an

initial scholarship from agency for Spring semester and was approved for a Pell Grant for the Fall 2021 semester. She applied for and is receiving SNAP benefits. Heidi met with a financial planner and developed a budget that she is still currently using in order to save money every week.

Goal 2:Heidi will utilize private and

public resources tooff-set cost of school.

Status: CompletedNotes: Heidi completed all 3 semesters (spring, summer, fall) with a GPA of

at least 3.0. She utilized the PBSC tutoring lab periodically. Heidi began a study group with some classmates to prepare for exams. She utilized Boys & Girls Club services for daughter’s after school care so she could dedicate time to studying each day. Heidi received her certificate in dental assisting on December 8, 2021.

Goal 3:Heidi will maintain

satisfactory academicstanding in all of her classes

Our Recommendationsfor Heidi’s Future

– She may utilize agency resume-writing and interviewing skills workshops held once monthly in order to begin preparing to interview for jobs.

– She should continue to attend support groups at Faulk Counseling Center once per month to maintain her mental health.

– She should begin researching job listings in her area in the dental assisting field.

– She may want to create a professional profile on LinkedIn so that employers can access her information and qualifications.

– She may want to research job fairs at Palm Beach State College in order to make contact with potential employers.

We’ll follow up with Heidi once a month until she finds a job.

HEIDI’S PLANS FORTHE FUTURE

“I want to start writing my resume and interviewing for jobs ASAP! I’m really optimistic that I’ll be able to find a job in the next 3 months. I’ve set my own goal of applying to 5 jobs per week until I find a job. I’m definitely going to keep going to the Faulk Center, but probably less often when I start working full-time. It really has helped me though. I know if I need anything in the future, I can always call my counselor

and she’ll help me.”

Legal, Ethical, and Professional ResponsibilitiesThe ethical and professional responsibility I felt most actuely was that of providing reliable and trustworthy resources. As my comfort with finding community agencies and organizations that may benefit clients has grown, the problem isn’t in locating services that may be helpful so much as it is in properly vetting them to ensure that a client I referred there would be treated professionally, respectfully, and efficiently. The resources I included were basic ones for a reason: things like DCF and Boys & Girls Clubs are well-known and offer services that can benefit a wide range of clients. However, for clients who may have more specific needs that require specialty services from smaller agencies, doing thorough research and vetting of the agency is very important to ensure their specific services are a good match for the specific needs of my client.

Lessons & ChallengesThe most important thing I learned through this assignment was how to conceptualize and break down a client’s problems. Within a client’s big goal are a bunch of smaller decisions and actions that can either support or undermine the goal depending on how they are addressed by a case manager. Especially for my client, going back to school without additional financial and mental health supports seemed impossible. By addressing her other needs through referrals, she was able to dedicate more time and energy towards school.

The thing I struggled most with this was being aware of my own personal biases and not allowing these biases to affect my support and commitment to the client. Because of my life experiences I have a set of beliefs about what actions lead to success because they have worked for me. This case is based off of a family member who initally asked me for advice about returning to school a few months ago. She ultimately ended up making a program and school choice that seemed like a mismatch to me, but I had to realize that because of her own life experiences as well, she had her own values and beliefs about the things and learning environments that work best for her. Just being constantly aware of and checking my own personal judgments about a client’s choices is something I have to admit was a struggle for me at times.

Area for Improvement

I really want to work on the way I document progress reports. Although there was a required word count that accounted for some of the length, I need to work on being able to pare notes down to just the relevant aspects and include references to how my interventions and referrals are directly related to the stated goals and objectives. I corrected it for this presentation, but in the original plan my progress notes didn’t draw a distinct line between the specific actions being taken and the stated goals, so if a new case worker were to take over this case they would constantly have to be flipping back and forth between the progress notes and the goals in order to determine how the actions both the client and I took were directly related to the goals and objectives that we had established.