My employer asked that we get our numbers up concerning clients that we provide community support too. I am wondering how/where do I find these clients. I am fairly new at this I just need a little help as to locating these clients and making sure that truly are in need of community support.

Can you give us any more information? Are you looking at past in-patient clients that need support upon discharge? Many clients can use a little something. What kind of support do you have access to? Med assistance, therapy, food banks, etc.

~Mel'

thanks Mel for replying,

I am trying to find clients who may have been in-patient and upon discharge they may need help with things to be independent as possible such as: some one to direct them on how to go about grocery shopping, hygeine, paying bills, meds, keeping appts. , activites, and/or clients who are in the community who may live with family members/group homes who may have the ability to do the above things but need a little 1:1 support. Basically, providing a level of care where rehospitalization is decreased due to close monitoring/building a therapeutic relationship/crisis intervention. Things of that sort.

Will you be providing the community support service, or are you just to identify pts in need of referral to a community support provider? In the area where I live, a facility has to have approval from the "powers that be" to provide this service, and once approved to provide the service, the provider has to complete a 12 page "person centered plan" that details every need, goal, intervention, etc, then the plan has to be approved before the services can be provided. It can take weeks or months for all this to happen and the community support provider spends more time developing and getting the plan approved than providing any services. it's horrible.

Are these clients already gone and you need to actually find out how they are living independently? It seems that there should be some kind of protocol as far as follow-up. Were you given any info?

~Mel'