Assignment: Client Referral Letter

At some point, your work with the client will end. Sometimes, it can be that the client no longer needs assistance. Other times, issues might still exist, but your help is no longer necessary. Using a previous example, you might have assisted the client who was homeless, had a drug addition, needed basic needs such as food and clothing, and was seeking a job. Your agency might have assisted in finding the client clothes and food and the client no longer needed assistance from your particular agency, even though the client might still be receiving assistance from a job placement center and a drug treatment center. Or, the client may have become aggressive toward you, so you had to discontinue the helping relationship.

Using your scenario developed with your interviewee, pretend that you have completed the helping relationship with your interviewee and that you are referring him/her to another agency, based on what you have learned from your interviews with the client. Think about the next steps the client would need to take to reach his or her goals, when making the referral.

To Prepare

• Review the data that you collected during your recorded interviews on a fictitious client.
• Review the Referral Form in the Learning Resources.

For this Assignment

Write a 1-page letter, using the template in the Learning Resources, to the referring agency that summarizes the following information:

• Date of Referral
• Demographics of Client: (whatever is appropriate to the situation) name, date of birth, gender, ethnicity/race, contact information
• Reason for Referral
• Brief summary of circumstances leading up to present reason for referral
• A brief description of what you would like from the agency to which you are sending the referral (i.e., evaluate and recommend, take over services, etc.)
• Next steps for contact (specify if client is supposed to follow up, if you will follow up, or if you will wait for referral agency to follow up with you, or follow up with client, and include the date by when you would like to hear back from the agency
• Your name, role (as related to client), and contact information
• Sign and date the request (electronically)

On a separate page, in 500–1,000 words:

• Analyze how your quality interviewing and case management skills as a human and social services professional can be used for creating social change. Provide examples.