Effective goal planning
Each goal must be addressed by a set of task and action steps. These steps are listed along with who is responsible, and how and when the step will be accomplished. The art of designing an ICSP includes the development of actions steps that are small enough and a plan of support large enough, so that disappointments and failures are minimized.
Some of the reasons that clients do not achieve their goals are the same reasons that other adults do not achieve goals that they set such as the:
- Goal was too general or vague.
- Goal is too ambitious.
- Action steps were not manageable.
- Client got ill.
- Client is too poor financially.
- Client does not have transportation to implement some steps.
- A spouse or significant other does not support the goal.
- Not enough time.
- Insufficient information.
- Resources are not available.
- Too many goals.
- Client works on other goals – goals change.
- Necessary client skills are lacking.
Goals that are not the client’s are often not achieved. As a case manager, avoid setting goals for client, avoid using pre-packaged goal statements. Sometimes, an individual’s true goals are not shared until sufficient trust exists in the relationship.