Client Progress

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

Our newest evaluation tool that we have created is the Self-Report Unmanageability Scale. This scale measures the level of unmanageability across six areas of functioning:

Physical – ability to care for food, shelter, clothing, and safety needs

Medical – ability to care for medical, dental and psychiatric needs

Employment – ability to obtain and maintain gainful employment

Financial – ability to manage debt and other financial obligations

Relationships – ability to maintain healthy relationships and interactions with others

Legal – ability to uphold the law and fulfill any legal obligations

Clients rate each of these areas at admission and throughout their treatment on the following scale:

1 = I have no problems in this area

2 = I have some issues in this area, but nothing that causes excessive stress

3 = I have many issues and increased stress in this area, but I am able to manage    somehow

4 = I have an unmanageable amount of issues in this area, with an unmanageable amount of stress, but I have a plan to get back on track

5 = I am overwhelmed by issues in this area; I feel completely unmanageable, and I have no idea what to do.

Our current clients rated themselves as having 73% of the areas of their lives rating at 4’s or 5’s when they were admitted to Breakthru House. Today, they rate only 26% of these areas as 4’s or 5’s.

The following graph will show the decrease of unmanageability experienced by our clients in each of these areas.

From this data, we know that: clients experience the most unmanageability in the Employment and Financial areas of their lives when they first come to Breakthru. Their ongoing needs remain highest in the areas of: Finances, Employment and Relationships. We have an extensive job coaching program, although due to the current economy, none of our clients have obtained employment. This may contribute to their continued experience of unmanageability re: their finances. Our program also dictates that clients wait to begin job search until their completion of DAC, so it makes sense that clients would still have unresolved financial issues. It is promising that despite this fact, the drop in unmanageability scores from admission to present-day in the area of Employment is one of the largest! So, at least they are gaining the skills that they feel will bring some manageability back into this area of their lives. Clients are also required to wait until they are on Level 2 until they resume contact with their families, which could play a role in their continued experience of unmanageability in the Relationships area. Still, the fact that Relationships are one of clients’ biggest areas of need when they come into Breakthru, and one of the smallest drops in unmanageability, means that we need to strengthen this area of our program. We are planning to implement an extensive family component to our treatment program by the end of 2011. Above even the drop in scores in the area of Employment, are those in the area of Medical needs. Our clients are linked to and regularly access psychiatric, medical, dental, and vision care.

At Breakthru, we strive to measure and meet our client’s needs, and then to re-measure and improve our programming to ensure that we truly are transforming the lives of women by facilitating physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.