Why Assess for Client Strengths?

 As a case manager/counselor, much of your focus is on assessing and diagnosing the
client's level of dysfunction and abnormal and pathological conditions. 
"Assessment that focuses on deficits provides obstacles to client exercise of personal and
social power and reinforces those social structures that generate and regulate unequal
power relationships that victimize clients" (Cowger, 1994, Abstract)
Just as important, if we are to build toward client self-efficacy and self-sufficiency, is that we
must assess for client strengths that can contribute to their success in treatment. Clients
and counselors alike need to be aware of the clients' potential sources of strength, coping,
and resilience. 
Questions you could ask your client: 

 What strengths do you think you have?

 What are your abilities?
 When have you successfully faced barriers, and what did you do to overcome them?
 What are you good at?
 Tell me about a time when you felt like most things were going well. What were you
doing to make them go well?

Simply talk to the client about his/her life. This occurs in a natural but guided, conversation
designed to help the client think about and identify strengths and abilities. Pick up on the
stories told that reflect the client’s abilities. Summarize or use open-ended questions to
encourage clients to talk about positive rather than negative experiences. For example,
“Earlier you noted something about a job at the corner market. Tell me more about what you
did to find that job and to get hired.”
There are various domains of functioning that should be considered when evaluating client
strengths:

1. Physical/Medical Health (aspects of client’s health that are positive including

access to medical services-insurance, regular exercise program, takes walks daily,
healthy diet, doesn’t smoke, etc…):
2. Family (the definition of family should be from the perspective of the individual (i.e.,
who does the individual consider to be family):
3. Relationships (an individual’s ability to form meaningful relationships with others, an
ability to communicate, and a capacity to nurture others):
4. Social Functioning/ Connectedness (the individual’s current status in getting along
with others in his/her life):
5. Decision Making (the individual’s judgment, reflects the degree to which an
individual can concentrate on issues, think through decisions, anticipate consequences
and follow-through on decisions):
6. Emotional Strengths/Optimism (emotional strengths, such as insight, optimism,
perseverance, putting troubles in perspective, finding purpose in life, and having the
ability to endure.)
7. Talents/ Interests (any talent, creative or artistic skills an individual may have
including art, theater, music, athletics, and so forth):
8. Intellectual/Developmental Abilities (level of intelligence, even with a low level of
intelligence-high functioning):
9. Education/Training (the strengths of the school/vocational training environment and
may or may not reflect any specific educational/work skills possessed by the individual):
10. Living Skills and Self-care ( the degree to which the individual is capable of
independent living such as the ability to acquire housing and transportation, knows how
to perform basic independent living skills such as grooming activities, laundry,
housekeeping duties, shopping for groceries, independently making appointments and
keeping those appointments):
11. Residential Stability (has consistently maintained a residence for a significant
period of time):
12. Job History (describes the individual’s experience with paid employment, how can
those job skills be transferable to other situations):
13. Spiritual/ Religious (the individual’s involvement in spiritual or religious beliefs and
activities, part of a faith community):
14. Community Connection (individual’s level of involvement in the cultural aspects of
life in his/her community):
15. Natural Supports (unpaid individuals/persons other than family members):
16. Resiliency (the individual’s ability to identify and use strengths in managing their
lives. Their resourcefulness, adaptability, and functionality; a person’s ability to apply as
many different resources and skills as necessary to solve a problem or to achieve a
goal):

References:
https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/1150897/pages/3-dot-8-lesson-assessing-client-
strengths
Cowger, C.D. (1994). Assessing client strengths: Clinical assessment for client
empowerment. Social Work, 39 (3): 262-
268. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/39.3.262 (Links to an external
site.). Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/sw/article-
abstract/39/3/262/1927409/Assessing-Client-Strengths-Clinical-Assessment-for?
redirectedFrom=PDF (Links to an external site.)
Rutgers University (n.d.). Strengths assessment form and instructions. Rutgers University.
Retrieved from http://hiv.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Strengths-Assessment-
Form-and-Instructions.pdf (Links to an external site.)
State of Indiana (1999). Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment. ANSA Manual.  Retrieved
from  https://dmha.fssa.in.gov/darmha/Documents/ANSAManual_712011.pdf