1. POCKET GUIDE TO SOLUTION FOCUSED SKILLS IN THE FIELD
Sue Lohrbach
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2. If what you are doing works; do more of it!
Guidelines
If what you are doing works; do more of it!
If what you are doing isn’t working; do something different!
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3. Staging for Success: Assumptions About Families
Until proven otherwise, the belief is that all families want to:
Be proud of their children
Have a positive impact on their children
Hear good news about their children and learn what their children are good at
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4. Staging for Success: Assumptions about Families
Give their children a good education and a good chance at success
Have a good relationship with their children
Be hopeful about their children
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5. Staging for Success: Assumptions About Children & Youth
Based on observations and listening, the belief is that all children want to:
Have their families be proud of them
Please their parents and other adults
Be accepted and part of the social group in which they live
Learn new things
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6. Staging for Success: Assumptions About Children & Youth
Be active and involved in activities with others
Be surprised and surprise others
Voice their opinions and choices
Make choices when given the opportunity
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7. Helpful Hint
Building a relationship with family members can be a natural outcome of a positive regard for them!
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8. “Back Pocket Skill Set”
Scaling Questions
Exception Finding Questions
Coping Questions
Miracle Questions
Details & Amplification
Goal Focus
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9. Scaling Questions: Adults
Setting up a scale includes context and clear endpoints.
Example: I know that getting a phone call from me/having me at your door may be the last thing you expected/wanted. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is “there is no way” and 5 is “we can easily move forward” how willing are you to have a conversation?
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10. Scaling Questions: Adults
Follow up questions to the scale focus on progressing toward the goal.
Example: What would it take to move from the 2 to a 3? How will you know/I know that you have moved closer to the 5?
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11. Scaling Questions: Adults
Example: I am interested in us all getting the most accurate information possible from as many views as we can from those who may have information. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is “no way” and 5 is “yes, absolutely” how willing are you to bring your family and service providers together to talk? What would you need to see to bring that 3 to at least a 4?
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12. Children - The Little Prince
Grownups love numbers. When you tell them about a new friend, they never ask you questions about the essential things. They never say to you: What does his voice sound like? Which games does he like? Does he collect butterflies? Instead they ask you: How old is he? How many brothers has he got? How much does his father make? Only in that way do they get the feeling they know him.
- The Little Prince
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13. Laying the Groundwork: Children & Youth
Call upon play and pictures in addition to words and stories
Know developmental milestones
Work with parents and caregivers
Work with child/youth’s adult network
Be ready to translate
Be flexible
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14. Scaling Questions: Children
Gathering the views of children is often better done through drawing pictures.
A scale may be presented in the form of different feeling faces/symbols. The context is set by the child guiding the social worker/drawing themselves.
Example of setting the context: Do you like to draw? Pens, pencils, markers, crayons? I want to understand your feelings/thoughts. Let’s draw a line – it can be straight or curvy. On this end, let’s put a scared/mad face…….on the other end, let’s put a happy/okay face. What feeling faces do you want in between?
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15. Scaling Questions: Children
Where are you right now talking to me? Where would you be about talking to me again? How about talking with me and your family together? (or brother, sister, etc.). How could we get from the sad/mad to the okay/happy?
On this same picture where would you be talking to me/your family about what happened/is happening? How could we get closer to okay/happy?
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16. Scaling Questions: Youth
I want to make sure I have your feelings/thoughts directly from you. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is “loser idea” and 5 is “totally okay”, where are you about talking to me? What would need to happen to bring you closer to the 5?
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17. Youth: Miracle Question, Detail & Amplification
If you were bored and fell asleep and while you snoozed a miracle happened and when you woke up in the middle of our conversation everything was amazing, what would you notice? About yourself? About others? Who would be in the room with us? What else and what else?
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18. Possibilities: Coping, Scaling, Amplification & Exceptions
I have been sharing the information I have about the report; l would like to shift to another way of talking. When was there a time when something like this or worse happened and things went well instead of becoming a problem? What might have made the difference? What else? How did you cope with everything you just described? What keeps you going?
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19. Possibilities: Coping, Scaling, Amplification & Exceptions
What is it about you that got you through such a struggle without giving up hope?
On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is “zip” and 10 is “good to go”, how willing are you to give this a try? What would move you one step closer to a 10?
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20. Safety: Scaling, Amplification & Coping
We have built this safety plan with everyone’s input; I want to check in on a couple of things in case we have to enhance a bit. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is “no way” and 10 is “good to go”, how willing are each of you to do your part? On that same scale, how confident are you that if everyone follows the plan, it will make a positive difference?
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21. Safety: Scaling, Amplification & Coping
What is currently in place for your number to be that high? What could we put in place that might increase your confidence by one number?
Now…..on another scale: On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is “completely stressed” and 10 is “prepared to manage”, where are you currently at with moving forward with the plan? What/who have you called upon in the past that has been helpful in similar situations? What/who else?
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22. Openings – Closings: Scaling & Amplification
When you think about the decision to be made and developing a plan, what information needs to be at the table to help you and your family? What else and what else?
On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is “you are completely convinced the same or worse will happen to the child(ren)” and 10 is “there is enough safety for child protective services to close” where would you put yourself? What do you need to see to get one step closer to the 10? How will you know when you have reached that number?
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23. All steps toward goal attainment must be in forward moving language.
Focus on Goal(s): Also known as Child Safety, Well-Being and Permanency
The broad goals of child safety, well-being and permanency must be put in the context of each individual family and their specific challenges and protective capacities.
All steps toward goal attainment must be in forward moving language.
Solution focused skills lend themselves well to progressive steps forward in language and terms everyone can understand.
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24. “ONE SOLUTION COMES UP EVERY MORNING”(
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