University of South Carolina

College of Social Work

Field Education Office
Process Recording Template
Student: Rhianna Solida Date of Interview:11/6/2023 Agency/Field Organization: South Carolina
Legal Services

1. Client System (describe the demographics of the client & assumed reason for service): Mid-forties male, facing eviction,
diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar disorder
2. Presenting Issue(s) (reason for interview as presented by client):
Seeking resources for housing, mental health care, and other additional resources
3. Purpose: Interview/Observation (reason for interview as understood by worker): _to understand client's situation and needs
as described by the client.
 Content of Student Student Feelings, Reactions, Competencies Demonstrated Field Instructor Comments (a)
Contact (b) Observation Observations of Self (d) (e) (Please provide feedback to the
(verbatim of Client (c) student on their interview,
written recording observation, and perception skills
of the discussion) as well as information to support
learning about the agency and
services.)
Attorn Okay sir, this is Client was I automatically thought that his Engage with Individuals,
ey our social work crying when I situation must have been really Families, Groups,
intern, and she is entered the bad. Organizations, and
going to be able room Communities
to provide you
with resources
that should be
useful to you.
SW Hi, I’m Rhianna,
it’s very nice to
meet you. I’m
just going to ask
some questions
about your
situation and take
some notes if
that okay with
you.
Client Hi Rhianna.

SW I want to be clear Demonstrate Ethical and

that I am not a Professional Behaviors
service provider,
but I can give you Assess Individual, Families,
some referrals to Groups, Organizations, and
different Communities
resources that
might be able to
help with your
needs. Do you
 want to tell me a
little bit about
what's going?
What kind of
things I can help
with
Client Well, the man It looks like
that I have been he’s trying to
working for is my contain his
landlord and he’s emotions.
shut off my
power and water
and I’m basically
homeless right
now.
Attorn And you’re
ey starting school
for HVAC on
Monday aren’t
you?
Client Yes, I just came He is fiddling I think it’s cool that he is going
from the school I with his hands to learn a new trade even
really want to get and the though he looks older.
back into work. papers that he
I’m not a bum. I has in front of
don’t want you to him.
think that I’m a
bum. I want to do
good.
SW I don’t think I want to be reassuring so he
you’re a bum. I feels open to speaking with me.
think it’s great
that you’re going
to school. Do you
want to tell me a
little bit more
about your
history? Or more
about what’s
 going on now?

Attorn You lost your That was not the direction I was
ey daughter didn’t going to go with this, I wish the
you? attorney would just let me ask
him my questions.
Client Yes I did. A few He started to
years ago. I have choke up.
another daughter
but their mom
won’t let me see
her.
Attorn Does she live in
ey the area?
Client Yes, she lives in
Lexington.
Attorn And you lost your Why is he bombarding him with
ey dog too? Your questions, he’s obviously
huskey? uncomfortable. It’s making me
uncomfortable too. Can he not
pick up on this?
Client Yes, my landlord He seems That makes me so sad. I can’t
took him. I think angry and sad. imagine what it feels like to lose
he killed him. I’ve one of my pets like that.
been calling
around and
talking to my
neighbors and I
even filed a
police report but
no one has seen
him.
SW I am so sorry for
your loss. That
must be hard
especially with
everything else
going on. I know
 how much pets
mean to us.
Attorn (To me) Why Finally, the attorney is going to
ey don’t you ask him let me fill out my intake form.
some of your He does seem a little dismissive
questions, fill out of what I am here to do.
your intake form
or whatever.
SW Yes, I will. Most
of these
questions are just
history stuff, so I
can get a better
picture of what
resources will be
helpful to you. So
-
Attorn Okay, so why Wow, he is really dominating
ey don’t you tell us this conversation. I’m starting to
what resources get really frustrated.
you need right
now.
Client Right now, I need I’m sure his mom would be okay
somewhere to with him sleeping on the couch
stay. I’m sleeping or the floor inside so he’s not
in my mom’s freezing.
garage and it’s
starting to get
cold.
SW Is it possible for I really just want to have a
you to sleep on conversation with this client,
the couch inside maybe I can at least ask a few
the house? Are questions.
you able to use
the restroom and
the kitchen inside
the house?
Client Yes they let me
use the rooms
inside the house
but I will not
sleep inside the
house. I need
privacy.
Attorn Is there anything The client’s He's really bombarding the
ey other than face is client with questions, he’s not
income becoming giving either of us a chance to
preventing you really red. speak. This is getting really
from getting He’s starting frustrating. I can tell the client is
housing? Are you to cry again. getting really upset. I hope they
an alcoholic? Are can’t tell that I am also getting
you on drugs? Do super annoyed.
you have a
previous criminal
record? Have you
ever been to
prison? Are you
on probation or
parole?
Client No, I’m not an The client Engage Diversity and
alcoholic I’ve seems like he Difference in Practice
actually been is getting
sober for six frustrated
years. I smoke also.
weed but only to
deal with my
PTSD because I
don’t have any
medicine for it. I
have been to
prison but I’m not
on parole or
probation. I
haven’t been for
a long time.
SW Have you
previously been
on medication?
Client Yes, but I didn’t
have any more
refills and I didn’t
have insurance
until a few weeks
ago. But, I have it
now so I need
some help finding
a place to go. I
really didn’t like
the person I was
seeing at
Department of
mental health.
SW Okay, so in He seems I’m really proud of this Engage with Individuals,
addition to some really suggestion, I think it could help Families, Groups,
help with interested in him a lot. Organizations, and
housing, would this Communities
you maybe like suggestion by
some help finding his facial
a new mental expression.
health care
provider? Have
you ever thought
about grief
counseling as
well?
Attorn Why don’t you Why is he asking him this again?
ey just tell us what I can’t believe he is not picking
resources you up on how upset the client is. I
need right now? don’t want to do this with this
attorney ever again.
Client I told you I need The client
housing. I want a seems
bed to put head extremely
at night. I think frustrated at
 grief counseling is this point. He
a good idea and is raising his
maybe anger voice and he
management too. slammed his
fist on the
table.
Attorn Why don’t you
ey just go to
Transitions or
Oliver Gospel?
Client I told you that I He obviously
want privacy. I did not like
won’t go to one that
of those places. suggestion.
I’m not a bum His voice is
and you keep still raised and
talking to me like his face is
I’m a bum. really red. I
bet he feels
like the
attorney is not
listening to
him.
SW We know that Maybe I can just reassure him
you’re not a bum. that we are here to listen to him
You are here and we want to help, even
getting help and though the attorney is being so
asking for more forceful about it.
resources which
means you want
to do well. I think
I was told a few
weeks ago about
an organization
that is providing
some resources
to people with
previous
convictions,
 would you like
me to look in to
that?
Client Yes please.

Attorn What about your

ey truck? How are
you going to pay
the payment on
your truck?
Client I don’t know how I wonder if any of the places
I’m going to pay that I have recommended
it. If you could people go for utility assistance
find something will help him pay his truck
that might help payment.
with that that
would be great
too.
SW Yeah, I know of a
few places that
offer emergency
financial
assistance, but
they usually have
long wait lists and
some of them
require you to
call at certain
times.
Attorn Well, do you have The client Why would he say this? I have
ey time today? You looked excited never told that I can give
can go get into a that he would referrals immediately. I don’t
mental health be able to go know these places well enough
place and some somewhere to tell him where to go. I can’t
of these places today to get believe that he would put me in
today. She can some help. this position.
give you all the
information
 before you leave.

SW Well, like I said,

I’ll have to look
into some things
before I can you
the information,
so I don’t send
you to the wrong
places.
Attorn Yeah, you said I’m going to go crazy if he asks
ey you want this question one more time. It
somewhere to is appropriate for me to tell him
stay, but what to back off?
about what you
need RIGHT
NOW.
Client I told you guys The client is
what I need. I getting very
need a place with angry at this
privacy and a point. He is
place to put my looking very
tools, and I need mad towards
you to help me the attorney,
figure this stuff but the
out with the attorney
landlord. doesn’t seem
to notice.
Attorn (to me) Okay,
ey why don’t you
ask him your
questions.
SW Okay could a get At least I can fill out some of my
some contact info sheet.
from you so I can
give you these
resources once I
look into them?
Client *gives contact
info*
Attorn *stepped out to The client Finally, he left. I really want out
ey speak to another seemed to of this situation. I am so
attorney about relax a little uncomfortable.
something* bit once he
left.
SW I know what Reassure him again now that I
you’re going finally have the chance to speak.
through is tough,
but I’m proud of
you for being
able to reach out
for help. That
means that you
want to be good
and take care of
your stuff.
Client Thank you that He is smiling
means a lot to to me for this
hear. first time
during this
interaction.
SW I don’t think I I am cutting it really close, my
have any more meeting starts in a few minutes.
questions for you, I will definitely be bringing this
and I have a interview up in my supervision.
meeting in a few
minutes, is there
anything else you
think I should
know, or any
other resources
that you might
need?
Client Maybe just some He seems I am getting worried that he
help with my more open to thinks that I can give him more
resume and some speaking to than I can. I hope he doesn’t get
 new clothes since me. upset with me.
all my clothes are
in the old house
and they told me
not to go back
there. Where did
he say I should go
today and who
should I talk to?
SW Well, like I said I
will need to look
into these places
before I provide
you with
anything. It was
so great getting
to speak with
you, and I’ll be in
touch soon
Client Thank you, you
too.
Please provide a self-assessment once you have completed in full the above.
*This section does not get shared with your field instructor.

Interpret the interview:

1) Include detail about the tone and climate of the setting, your initial impressions of attitudes and feelings of the client,
what attitudes and feelings you brought to the interview, what significant changes in the client occurred during the
interview in terms of appearance, gestures, posture?
a. The tone and the climate of the setting was very tense. I initially came to the interview a little nervous, but this
is what I have been doing all semester, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen. I
initially was worried for the client because he seemed really upset when I came into the room, and then I was
worried that he was going to lash out because of how upset the attorney was making him. As the interview
went on, he seemed to flip flop through his emotions when the attorney was not being very receptive of his
non-verbal cues. He ended up raising his voice to get the point across to the attorney that he was not happy
with how he was speaking to him.
2) Analyze why you think your interaction with the client unfolded in the manner it did. What is your assessment of your
client’s reaction(s)? Reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your intervention and identify an area you would like to
improve upon for your next session.
a. I think the attorney being present and not being cooperative with the interview that I was trying to conduct had
almost everything to do with the client reacting the way he did. I think I did a good job not showing my
frustration and working with the attorney as much as I could, but I think in the future I will try harder to lead
the conversation if this ever happens again. I will also probably ask to interview a client without that attorney
present is possible.
3) Note at least three questions to bring to your next supervision with your field instructor.
a. Is it appropriate for me to say something to someone who is acting as the attorney did in this situation?
b. What is the correct way for me to gain some kind of lead in the conversation if I notice someone else is not
being conducive to the process?
c. What could I have done better to help ease some of the client’s stress in this situation?