Based on your analysis of policies, planning, and available training; your experience with the Home Visit interactive video; and a discussion with your supervisor, develop a general safety plan that includes the following:
- What potential safety risks have you identified in your agency context? community mental health in FL
- How will you prepare when you meet with clients to be safe?
- What will you do if you are in a situation that seems unsafe?
- What will you do if there is an emergency with a client?
- What will you do if a client is agitated or escalated?
- What training or information is available to you about safety and how will you use it?
- How does your plan align with agency and university policies?
- Explain how intentional efforts toward safety can improve your field experience and help you maintain a professional disposition. Use information you have learned about agency and university policies to support your answers.
Home Visit
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Home Visit Program Transcript
Introduction: Warning: The following scenario includes volatile reactions and can be emotionally triggering. The scenario lasts 5-7 minutes. If you need to exit the scenario, please stop at any time. Click the “CONTINUE” button. You’ve arrived at the client’s residence, 5901 Elm St. Click the “CONTINUE” button.
Client’s House: You’re here to inform the client that he is losing his transportation benefits. Take a few moments to orient yourself.
Click the “CONTINUE” button.
[Static shot of the exterior of a house.] First things first: Can you be sure this is the right house?
A. Yes
• Incorrect. You can’t see the house number from here. -OR-
B. No
• Correct! You can’t see the house number from here. Click the “Now look and listen” button.
Home Visit
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[Exterior shot of the house. The camera pans to the right to reveal another home, and then the camera pans to the left past the first house and then to the street.] Do you feel safe going to the door?
A. Yes
• [Close-up of the front door with the house number 5901 to the right.] -OR-
B. No
• There aren’t any serious red flags; let’s continue for now. Click the “Go to the door” button. [Close-up of the front door with the house number 5901 to the right.] Are you at the right house?
A. Yes
• Correct. The house number is to the right of the door. -OR-
B. No
• Take a closer look. The house number is to the right of the door. Click the “CONTINUE” button.
How Will You React:
How will you react if you feel physically threatened by the client?
A. Try to calm them down.
• Incorrect. If you are in danger, your primary responsibility is your own safety. Leave and call 911.
-OR-
B. Leave and call 911.
• Correct. If you are in danger, your primary responsibility is your own safety. OR-
C. I can handle myself in a fight.
• Incorrect. If you are in danger, your primary responsibility is your own safety. Leave and call 911.
Home Visit
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Click the “Look and listen” button. Do you feel safe knocking on the door?
A. Yes, I do… KNOCK-KNOCK
• CLIENT: Yeah? Come in. What do you want? -OR-
B. No
• There aren’t any serious red flags; let’s continue for now. Click the “KNOCK-KNOCK” button. CLIENT: Yeah? Come in. What do you want? How do you proceed?
A. Go in.
• Incorrect. Wait for the client to let you in. -OR-
B. Ask to be let in.
• Correct. Never enter without being let in by the client. Click the “CONTINUE” button.
[The door opens, and the man seems tense.]
CLIENT: What? Come in.
Do you enter?
A. Yes.
• Correct. The client is tense, but it seems safe. -OR-
B. No.
• The client is tense, but it seems safe. Let’s continue for now. Click the “CONTINUE” button.
Home Visit
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Inside the Client’s House: [The camera slowly pans left to right throughout the living room and into the kitchen.] Do you see a clear path to exit in case you need to leave?
A. Yes. -OR-
B. No.
• The door is behind you should you need to leave. Click the “Continue to examine your surroundings” button. [Camera slowly pans from the kitchen and dining room back through the living room.] After examining the surroundings, do you feel safe staying to meet with the client?
A. Yes.
• Keep the potential hazards in mind, but it’s safe to continue. -OR-
B. No.
• Keep the potential hazards in mind, but it’s safe to continue. Click the “CONTINUE” button.
Interacting with the Client: [The man quickly enters the living room from a back hallway.]
CLIENT: What's this even about? Why are you here?
How do you want to respond? A. Identify yourself and explain the situation.
• Nice approach. Be empathetic, but firm. Let’s hand him the notification letter and continue.
-OR-
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B. Give him the notification.
• Yes, but make sure to identify yourself and explain the situation verbally as well.
OR-
C. Leave; he’s already too hostile.
• You need to identify yourself and explain the situation. After that, hand him the notification letter and continue.
Click the “CONTINUE” button. [The man is holding the notification and then throws it onto the table as he paces forward and backward from the camera.]
CLIENT: What do you mean? I don't understand what this is for. I've asked for help from you guys forever. I get nothing. How am I supposed to get to work, huh? What are you going to do? You going to drive me there?
The client is clearly upset. Try to calm him down A. Assure him it’s not a big deal.
• CLIENT: I don’t know what you guys think. Look, man, if you're not going to do anything to help me, then you need to get the hell out of this house, right now. The client is clearly upset. How do you want to respond?
a) Ask to leave. ▪ If you feel you are in danger your primary responsibility is your
own safety. Leave and call 911.
Click “Restart interaction to try again” button.
b) Ask him to calm down. ▪ [Client is angry, shouts, and moves towards the front door].
CLIENT: Don't tell me to calm down! You calm down! ▪ Careful, the client is blocking the door. Try one more time to
diffuse the situation. a) Apologize and ask to sit down and discuss
solutions. o CLIENT: How am I supposed to take care of this
house? Huh? How am I going to get to work? How am I going to pay the bills, feed the kids? You tell me. You figure it out. Huh? Termination of benefits. Real nice. Real nice.
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o Nice work. The client has responded to your request to sit down.
Click the “CONTINUE” button.
b) Threaten to call the cops.
o CLIENT: Do I need to drag you out? o Uh oh. Things took a turn for the worse and
escalated beyond a point where it was safe to remain on site.
Click “Restart interaction to try again” button.
c) Express understanding. Ask to sit down and discuss solutions.
▪ [Client’s irritation level subsides, and he walks towards the dinner table and eventually sits down.] CLIENT: How am I supposed to take care of this house? Huh? How am I going to get to work? How am I going to pay the bills, feed the kids? You tell me. You figure it out. Huh? Termination of benefits. Real nice. Real nice.
▪ Nice work. The client has responded to your request to sit down.
Click the “CONTINUE” button. o CLIENT: Look. I'm sorry. All right? I need your help. I
know I need to figure this out. But I'm going to need your help doing it. OK? What am I supposed to do?
o Nice work. The client has calmed down.
Click the “CONTINUE” button.
-OR-
B. Tell him to calm down.
• [Client is visibly angry and shouts and moves towards the front door]. CLIENT: Don't tell me to calm down. You calm down.
▪ Careful, the client is blocking the door. Try one more time to diffuse the situation. a) Apologize and ask to sit down and discuss solutions.
o CLIENT: How am I supposed to take care of this house? Huh? How am I going to get to work? How am I going to pay the bills, feed the kids? You tell me. You figure it out. Huh? Termination of benefits. Real nice. Real nice.
o Nice work. The client has responded to your request to sit down.
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Click the “CONTINUE” button. ▪ CLIENT: Look. I'm sorry. All right? I need your help. I
know I need to figure this out. But I'm going to need your help doing it. OK? What am I supposed to do?
▪ Nice work. The client has calmed down.
Click the “CONTINUE” button.
b) Threaten to call the cops.
o CLIENT: Do I need to drag you out? o Uh oh. Things took a turn for the worse and escalated
beyond a point where it was safe to remain on site.
Click “Restart interaction to try again” button. OR-
C. Offer to discuss solutions.
• [Client’s irritation level subsides, and he walks towards the dinner table and eventually sits down.] CLIENT: All right. I need your help with this. I don't know what to do. I don't know how I'm going to get to work. This is hard. What am I going to do about all these bills? What am I going to do about this house? How am I going to get to work? You tell me. You tell me how I'm going to fix this.
Nice work. The client has calmed down. Click the "CONTINUE” button.
Conclusion: You’ve completed the exercise. Click the “START OVER” button if you wish to participate in the exercise again.
- Introduction:
- Client’s House:
- How Will You React:
- Inside the Client’s House:
- Interacting with the Client:
- Conclusion: