Identify Strategies

Introduction

This topic covers how to identify strategies, including the:

skills required to do this, and
checks to make at the end of this stage.

This stage should not take more than 30 minutes to complete per objective.

Important: Do not identify strategies for more than three objectives.

Focus on the following during this stage:

needs matching, that is:
- matching the offender???s needs to a responsive service or programme, and
- providing accurate information about service providers and interventions
pro-social modeling, especially:
- affirming the offender???s willingness or commitment to change, and
- providing advice or guidance on pro-social skills and strategies, and for facing challenges, conflicts, difficulties, etc.
empathy, especially acknowledge the challenge of change and the fear or anxiety that may accompany it, and
motivational interviewing skills, especially barriers to change and consequences of action/inaction.

Steps to take

Follow these steps to identify strategies for meeting objectives.

Step	Action
Begin the meeting
1	Introduce this stage of the process to the offender as follows: explain that the aim of the stage is to generate strategies that the offender can use to address the objectives identified in the previous stage talk about change and the consequences of change with the offender, and discuss strategies that the offender has tried in the past and what happened when they were tried.
2	If the offender is resistant or unmotivated, explore the reasons for resistance and revisit their reasons for making changes. Note: One of the reasons for resistance may be anxiety about the consequences of change.
Identify strategies
3	Invite the offender to identify strategies to achieve their objectives. Offer additional strategies to generate a pool of options.
4	Write the strategies down as they are suggested. Keep at hand information about possible programme providers. Match up providers with strategies and discuss them with the offender.
5	Discuss and explore the strategies and possible consequences of putting them into action. With the offender, decide on an appropriate service provider.
6	If necessary, identify people who will support or resist the offender???s plan to change. Identify further strategies to deal with barriers.
7	Select the most appropriate strategies with the offender.
8	Break down the strategies into: specific tasks responsibility for tasks, and timeframes.
Finish up
9	Set the offender homework using the following wording. Think about the strategies and activities that we have identified. Do one, or some, of the activities that we have identified. Work through the next problem on the list.
10	Consider reviewing the list of priorities against the possible objectives noted in the offender plan in IOMS.

Checklist

Check that the:

solution and strategies that have been identified are within the available resources
offender is willing to undertake the tasks they have agreed to
offender is able to identify barriers to implementing their solutions, and can determine how those barriers might be resolved, and
offender would be open/receptive to a suggestion that they could bring in their partner or significant other to the next meeting.

Previous Next Show Contents

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |