Single Session Work Important Points

  
i. Research shows that a large number of clients in very different service settings attend only once.

ii. The majority of clients who decide to attend once report   getting largely what they want from that one encounter.

iii. SSW is an approach formulated to optimise the possibilities inherent in a single session. The SSW process usually involves one longer-than-normal, face-to-face session, with a pre-session questionnaire combined with a follow-up phone contact. The process can also incorporate formal pre- and post-evaluation.

iv. Feedback from SSW clients suggests that the vast majority are satisfied with the service, and up to 50% decide they do not require further intervention.

v. SSW can be implemented in a variety of ways to suit an organisation's context. Some agencies incorporate an assessment function into the SSW process.

vi. SSW is a service provision framework, not a counselling model. While aspects of a solution-focused approach fit well with SSW, it does not prescribe any particular theoretical framework. SSW invites workers to utilise their existing theoretical and practice-based skills within an SSW framework.

vii. SSW is a responsive, client-directed process. It also encourages client feedback about the quality of the service received.

viii. SSW is an effective way to manage demand and maximise the efficient allocation of resources.

ix. SSW promotes longer-term work for clients who need and want it.

x. The clinical practice of SSW needs to be supported by organisational structures.