Beckie Hennessy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has years in counseling. In this episode we talk about how a clinical counselor organizes their counseling appointment in a way that helps their clients progress and benefit from the counseling provided. Bishop or Stake Presidents can learn from their systems and hopefully help individuals they are spiritually counseling feel more loved.
Episode Highlights
- What should a bishop expect when working with a professional counselor? (7:05)
- Thoughts on the LDS Addiction Recovery Groups (14:40)
- Elder Dallin H. Oaks – Recovering from the Trap of Pornography
- How should bishops work as a team with the professional counselor? (15:42)
- How can bishops best organize and track their own progress when counseling with members? (19:45)
5 Ways to Stay Organized as a Spiritual Counselor
- Embracing Technology (22:05)
- TheraNest (for professional counselors)
- Google Docs
- Evernote
- OneNote
- Organize with F.H.E. (How to keep notes during your meetings) (33:26)
- Focus – describe in notes the reason why they wanted to meet along with your thoughts about additional areas of focus
- Help – what did you advise them to do, what was your commitment to help them?
- Expectations – what are the specific actions required of the bishop and of the individual
- Be Present or Postponing (40:45)
- What do to and say when your are called with an urgent matter during personal time
- Become familiar with local crisis lines and resources
- Follow Through (53:00)
- Timely follow through expresses care, love and genuine concern
Links:
I’m listening to the technology section of the podcast and cringing… Using technology to keep track of confidential notes without a professional standard or compliance is not a good idea. An app like Evernote or Onenote is like a tree with many roots. Data often ends up in places not anticipated. The data is also not encrypted. I have used these apps for many years and have experienced that even though I have delete and app or username, and then re-install the app the data is synced back to the device. This tells me the data has not been deleted from the server. The other issue is, if I’ve truly repented, and been forgiven, then it should be no longer an issue. However, if the information is located on a personally owned device and service, the data may be stored persistently, even if deleted, i.e. snapchat pics. The difference between a professional counselor and a bishop is, a professional counselor is held to a standard, and if the standard is broken, the professional has errors and omission or similar insurance. The bishop is putting himself at risk by storing this information. No digital information is 100% confidential. Please be careful about recommendations and comparisons between professional counselor and lay counselors. If keeping notes digitally is necessary, the lds.org website has a journaling feature. However, that is also synced to the scriptures app if the same log-in is used. They are not held to the same standard.
Brian, I completely understand your concern. The Church needs a standard and a system to keep notes. It is not available so we are doing our best to keep things as confidential as possible until there is a better solution.
I appreciate your technology knowledge (it far surpasses mine) and am so grateful you shared what you’ve experienced and know, so that lay leaders are more aware of the risks out there. Likewise I appreciate you shining some light on the apparent need for something as a confidential way for Church leaders to keep notes as needed. While professional counselors and lay leaders are not held to the same standard and there are significant risks and liabilities to these leaders when confidences are broken digitally or otherwise, it is fair to say that these leaders are hearing the same kinds of confidential things a counselor does at times. The hope is to start a conversation about what can be done to support or be a resource to these leaders that are visiting with so many different members of their congregations but that value each story told. I would always recommend before any lay leader move forward with keeping any kind of record to have them consult with their leaders and if that leader recommends, consult with the Church’s legal team. You bringing up your adverse reaction to the technology portion of the podcast as well as clarifying the sensitive nature of comparing lay leaders to professional counselors is sound insight.