Review this week’s Learning Resources on process recordings. Access the Field Experience webpage in the Learning Resources. Review the materials on proce

1

© 2023 Walden University, LLC

TRANSCRIPT: ADVANCED PRACTICE PROCESS RECORDING

Lesson 1: Introduction to Process Recording

As a social worker, you will engage in many dialogues with your clients in an effort to assess their needs and intervene in appropriate ways. Competency means being mindful of what you do and say in these dialogues—and using critical self-reflection to analyze the efficacy of your practice. Process recording allows for this analysis.

What Is a Process Recording? A process recording is a written account capturing a client interaction, as well as the theories, skills, and tools applied during that interaction. It prompts the social work intern to analyze what occurred and what they were thinking and feeling during the exchange. Other ways to think of a process recording:

• A document used by students, Course Instructors, and Field Instructors to record all communications (both verbal and nonverbal and observed) through an interview

• An educational, teaching, diagnostic, and therapeutic tool in the development and refinement of professional skills and identity

• "A snapshot” of your client engagement, application of analysis, and critical thinking

How Does It Serve You?

Through a process recording, you can…

• Improve documentation through the identification and application of professional terminology, language, and voice.

• Monitor and adapt your advanced practice behaviors, resulting in an improved quality of communication and interpersonal engagement.

• Build critical thinking and reflective practice, with critical analysis of communication and its impact on the thoughts, behaviors, and affect of the client.

• Plan, structure, and evaluate a client interaction on a conscious level rather than an intuitive level and apply evidence-based practice to support choices.

• Increase observational skills through the conscious process of critical thinking to identify specific practice models, theories, techniques, and skills during the interaction.

2

© 2023 Walden University, LLC

• Highlight your skills and competencies for others who may need to evaluate them. Field Instructors, Course Instructors, and students work collaboratively to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses in both analysis and application of advanced practice skills.

Four Main Elements of a Process Recording

1. Dialogue 2. Theories, Practice Models, Techniques, and Skills 3. Analysis/Assessment of Dialogue 4. Personal Reaction

You will learn more about each of these elements in the next lesson.

Lesson 2: How to Complete a Process Recording

The Steps Prepare

• What do you need to do to be ready for the client? This could mean reading the chart, consulting with your Field Instructor, and getting paperwork together.

• Also review the Process Recording Template and the rubric to ensure you understand expectations.

Engage

• What are you working on today (see SMART goal)?

• What theory guides you? What practice model will you choose to facilitate your session? What practice model techniques will you use? What skills will you use to invite the client into a discussion or disclosure?

Document

• Fill out your process recording as soon as you can. Document all verbal and nonverbal communication. Practice confidentiality in the removal of any client- specific identifiers.

• Be sure to include details of settings and relevant client details. Assess

• Reflect on and analyze your feelings and responses toward the client and what you perceive as their feelings and responses toward you.

Process Recording Template

3

© 2023 Walden University, LLC

Section 1: Introduction The first section introduces the client and establishes the scope of practice. It provides the agency context, your role, specific reasons the client is seeking care, and the goals driving the session. Please include the following information:

• Agency Information: Include the agency name and a brief description of the services you provide the client. This provides the reviewer with the context of the agency and your role.

• Client Information (maintaining confidentiality, of course): Provide a mini- biopsychosocial summary.

• Session Number: Is this the first visit, the fourth, etc.?

• Date: Document the session date.

• Presenting Issue (reason for referral): Specifically, why is the client seeing you today?

• Relevant Information: What systemic or personal issues could be exacerbating or creating difficulty for your client to be engaged? What has occurred since the last visit (if a recurring client)?

• Goal of Session: o Client goal: What is the client’s goal for today’s session? The client tells

you what they want to work on this session, and you rephrase this into a SMART goal.

o Your goal: What are your goals for yourself this session? This should be one or more of the following: assessment, engagement, intervention, planning, evaluation, or termination.

Section 2: Body of the Document Column 1: Dialogue The Dialogue column should be a verbatim transcript of what occurred between you and the client in the session. Dialogue documentation essentially looks like a script for a play, with specific lines of discussion between you and the client.

• Include an accurate recounting of the dialogue on both sides (both your words spoken and the client’s words).

• Be complete and comprehensive.

• Group the dialogue into discrete sections to facilitate analysis. A new section should begin when the topic of discussion changes.

Column 2: Theories, Practice Models, Techniques, and Skills For every section of dialogue with the client, what theory drove your interaction? What skills and tools did you use based on the identified theory? You must identify all three.

4

© 2023 Walden University, LLC

• Advanced Practice Theories

Cognitive Behavioral Client-Centered

Crisis Psychoanalytic Gestalt

Mindfulness Narrative Solution-Focused

Trauma-Informed Psychodynamic

• Practice Models Each theory has practice models.

THEORY PRACTICE MODEL

Psychodynamic Psychoanalysis (Therapy)

Rational Choice Theory Solution Focused Therapy

Behavioral Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Crisis Intervention Therapy

Integrative Rational Emotive Therapy

• Techniques Techniques are specifically connected to practice models. Please take a moment to look up some of the practice models above and research the techniques associated with them. For example: A technique in psychoanalysis is the identification of defense mechanisms. Cognitive therapy identifies cognitive distortions.

• Skills Skills are the social work abilities you use to facilitate discussion, assess engagement, or establish rapport. Basic skills can be used to build rapport, encourage engagement, and create necessary conditions for which positive change can take place. Review the Advanced Practice Skills Checklist in the Week 3 resources of the course, as well as the Microskills Hierarchy below. Microskills Hierarchy: A Pyramid for Building Cultural Intentionality

5

© 2023 Walden University, LLC

Credit line: Systematic Interviewing Microskills and Neuroscience: Developing Bridges Between the Fields of Communication and Counseling Psychology by Ivey, A., and Daniels, T. in International Journal of Listening, Vol 30/Issue 3. Copyright 2016 by International Listening Association. Reprinted by permission of International Listening Association via the Copyright Clearance Center.

• Understanding the Role of Theory

Imagine that an older man presents at your agency seeking mental health care after a car accident. In your assessment, you learn that his wife died a year ago, and that he is exhibiting signs and symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress. He explains that he is “in his head” a lot, experiencing snowball thinking. Which theory best helps guide your intervention? A few different theories might apply:

o Theories of grief and loss: In order to process grief, people follow a series of stages or tasks.

o Trauma-informed theory: Current functioning is impacted by traumatic events or experiences in life.

o Cognitive theory: Behavior can be explained by examining one’s thought processes.

Column 3: Analysis/Assessment of Dialogue The prompts in this column are meant to facilitate your analysis of the dialogue and the client’s verbal and nonverbal responses to your engagement style:

Determining personal style

Skill integration

Directives, psychoeducation, stress management, decisional counseling

Empathic self-disclosure and feedback Reflection of meaning and interpretation/reframing Empathic confrontation

Focusing

How to conduct a five-stage counseling session using only listening skills

Observing and reflecting feelings

Encouraging, paraphrasing, and summarizing

Questions

Attending, empathy, and observation skills Culturally and indvidually appropriate visuals (eye contact, vocal qualities, verbal tracking

skills, and body language)

Multicultural competence, ethics, neuroscience, and positive psychology/resilience

6

© 2023 Walden University, LLC

• What was going on? 

• What were the client’s reactions to your feedback? How did the client respond verbally (i.e., quality of voice, tone, did they respond better to closed or open- ended questions?)

• How did the client respond nonverbally?

• How did you know they were listening? Were they distracted? Did they welcome your feedback?

These writing prompts are to be addressed in every section of dialogue. Column 4: Personal Reaction The prompts in this column are meant to elicit insight and critical thinking regarding your engagement with the client:

• What were you thinking?

• How do you feel the session went? 

• What could you have done better? 

• What will you do differently/the same next time? This is an opportunity for you to reflect on what you were thinking and feeling. Consider ethics, values, bias, and culture and how these variables affected your choices and intervention. These writing prompts are to be addressed in every section of dialogue. Example Section

Dialogue Theories, Practice Models,

Techniques, and Skills

Analysis/Assessment of Dialogue

Personal Reaction

Me: Hi Phoebe! How’s the rest of your day been?! (we had seen her earlier that morning for a crisis) Phoebe: Better! Noah: *walking into the office* Hi. Me: What’s going on Noah, How’s your day been? Noah: Well, *looks down* it was not so

Theory: Behavior Theory Practice Model: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Techniques: Engaging with clients in a timely manner, Meeting the clients where they are at, Assessing the clients for mood Skills: Establishing rapport, active listening, setting boundaries

This was an introduction and transition into the social work session setting. I like to ask how the students’ days are going, which allows me to assess participation, behavior, etc. within the session more appropriately. We had seen Phoebe first thing that morning but worked out a challenge she was having in a special area class.

I was feeling very comfortable and excited to begin this activity with the group. This group typically responds well to me and looks forward to coming to the sessions.

7

© 2023 Walden University, LLC

good, I don’t really want to talk about it.

Access the template and more examples on the MSW Field Experience webpage under “Process Recordings.” The rubric on which you will be evaluated appears in the classroom.

Lesson 3: Summary

Overall, the advanced practice process recording should demonstrate that you used a social work perspective to apply your knowledge and skills in an appropriate manner.

Closing Tips

1. Process recordings are comprehensive; they require time and effort to complete. 2. Each element of the process recording helps you to reflect and critically review

your engagement with the client and the client’s response to your engagement. 3. Fill out the document completely (with no blanks). 4. Behavior (nonverbal) must be indicated within the dialogue. 5. Review for professional language and terminology, spelling, grammar, and

punctuation. 6. Share with your Field Instructor for feedback and perspective.