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This is the first contact
with the service. The central point is to help the child and
family make and informed choice about what will help. So
Choice
appointments aim to be user focussed. The stance is
collaborative, with the clincian being a facilitator with
expertise, rather than doing a traditional ‘assessment’ to the
family, who are then in a passive role. Of course, enough
information must be obtained to enable an intial shared
formulation to be made, considering risk and diagnostic
frameworks as needed.
Key tasks in
Choice are:
Curiosity
re young person / family view of issues
Honest
Opinion
– using our expertise
Informed
Consent
/ choice re next steps and understanding i.e. informed
Engagement
in their change
Choice appointments can take as long as are needed to reach a
Choice Point- i.e.
where a decision can be made about what is going on and what
will help. In our experience this may be possible in anything
from 45 minutes (especially if the family are well known and the
issue clearly focussed) to 90 minutes. More than one Choice
appointment may be needed- e.g. if a father is not present, or
the teenager. Another Choice may be needed with the referrer or
someone from another agency.
Choice appointments aim to combine:
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