3.4 Lesson: Assessing Client Strengths

Why Assess for Client Strengths?

As a case manager/counselor, much of your focus is on assessing and diagnosing the client's level of dysfunction and abnormal and pathological conditions.

"Assessment that focuses on deficits provides obstacles to client exercise of personal and social power and reinforces those social structures that generate and regulate unequal power relationships that victimize clients" (Cowger, 1994, Abstract)

Just as important, if we are to build toward client self-efficacy and self-sufficiency, is that we must assess for client strengths that can contribute to their success in treatment. Clients and counselors alike need to be aware of the clients' potential sources of strength, coping, and resilience.

Questions you could ask your client:

What strengths do you think you have?
What are your abilities?
When have you successfully faced barriers, and what did you do to overcome them?
What are you good at?
Tell me about a time when you felt like most things were going well. What were you doing to make them go well?

Simply talk to the client about his/her life. This occurs in a natural but guided, conversation designed to help the client think about and identify strengths and abilities. Pick up on the stories told that reflect the client’s abilities. Summarize or use open-ended questions to encourage clients to talk about positive rather than negative experiences. For example, “Earlier you noted something about a job at the corner market. Tell me more about what you did to find that job and to get hired.”

There are various domains of functioning that should be considered when evaluating client strengths. Below is a list of suggested domains that can be utilized in a strengths assessment Download strengths assessment

Physical/Medical Health (aspects of client’s health that are positive including access to medical services-insurance, regular exercise program, takes walks daily, healthy diet, doesn’t smoke, etc…):
Family (the definition of family should be from the perspective of the individual (i.e., who does the individual consider to be family):
Relationships (an individual’s ability to form meaningful relationships with others, an ability to communicate, and a capacity to nurture others):
Social Functioning/ Connectedness (the individual’s current status in getting along with others in his/her life):
Decision Making (the individual’s judgment, reflects the degree to which an individual can concentrate on issues, think through decisions, anticipate consequences and follow-through on decisions):
Emotional Strengths/Optimism (emotional strengths, such as insight, optimism, perseverance, putting troubles in perspective, finding purpose in life, and having the ability to endure.)
Talents/ Interests (any talent, creative or artistic skills an individual may have including art, theater, music, athletics, and so forth):
Intellectual/Developmental Abilities (level of intelligence, even with a low level of intelligence-high functioning):
Education/Training (the strengths of the school/vocational training environment and may or may not reflect any specific educational/work skills possessed by the individual):
Living Skills and Self-care ( the degree to which the individual is capable of independent living such as the ability to acquire housing and transportation, knows how to perform basic independent living skills such as grooming activities, laundry, housekeeping duties, shopping for groceries, independently making appointments and keeping those appointments):
Residential Stability (has consistently maintained a residence for a significant period of time):
Job History (describes the individual’s experience with paid employment, how can those job skills be transferable to other situations):
Spiritual/ Religious (the individual’s involvement in spiritual or religious beliefs and activities, part of a faith community):
Community Connection (individual’s level of involvement in the cultural aspects of life in his/her community):
Natural Supports (unpaid individuals/persons other than family members):
Resiliency (the individual’s ability to identify and use strengths in managing their lives. Their resourcefulness, adaptability, and functionality; a person’s ability to apply as many different resources and skills as necessary to solve a problem or to achieve a goal):

Important: When writing about a client's strength, make sure it is written as a strength. For example (State of Indiana,1999) :

There is no evidence of physical or medical problems
No evidence of family problems is identified.
No evidence of problems at work is indicated. The individual is gainfully employed.
The individual has good relations with others.
The individual has and enjoys positive recreational activities on an ongoing basis.
There is no evidence of intellectual or developmental impairment.
This client is fully capable of independent living. There is no evidence of any deficits that could impede maintaining individual’s own home.
The individual has stable housing for the foreseeable future.
The client has no known legal difficulties.
There is no evidence of self-care impairments. This is characterized by the ability to independently complete all activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, dressing, cooking, and managing personal finances.
There is no evidence of any problems with decision-making.
The individual has no transportation needs.

References:

Cowger, C.D. (1994). Assessing client strengths: Clinical assessment for client empowerment. Social Work, 39 (3): 262-268. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/39.3.262 Links to an external site.. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/sw/article-abstract/39/3/262/1927409/Assessing-Client-Strengths-Clinical-Assessment-for?redirectedFrom=PDF Links to an external site.

Rutgers University (n.d.). Strengths assessment form and instructions. Rutgers University. Retrieved from http://hiv.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Strengths-Assessment-Form-and-Instructions.pdf Links to an external site.

State of Indiana (1999). Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment. ANSA Manual. Retrieved from https://dmha.fssa.in.gov/darmha/Documents/ANSAManual_712011.pdf