Dealing with Difficult Clients

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Dealing with Difficult Clients
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Do you have a client who does the following?

• Calls frequently with the same question or
  problem
• Whatever it provided to the client it is never
  enough or right?
• Someone who complains constantly about the
  service they receive from you, your organization
  or the community?

• How do you respond?

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Chronic consumers

• Chronic caller frequent flyers or system abusers
• again and again and again with the same problem
  or request
• MI, dementia, substance abuses loneliness, lack
  social connection need to feel accepted
• Experiences?
• Ask but dont use the help. Dont follow up.
  Dont want to be accountable
• how does this impact staff
• how to deal with this type of individual
• Change can be gradual.
• People dont have the skills one study found that
  it may take here t twelve years to build a
  positive relationship.

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• Respond dont react

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How do I deal with this type of individual?

• Consider the likely outcome if you choose to
  talk, or not to talk, with a chronic consumer
• Some conversations are not going to be resolved.
  If there is a concern about whether they are a
  hard to themselves or others, follow procedures
  and take the steps necessary to ensure their
  safety.
• Be consistent
• Refer to the same agency if you have done so with
  that person before
• If you have said that you will not talk to
  someone again then dont ..What happens if you
  say you wont and then you do?
• Set limits
• Make clear any lists you need to set regarding
  acceptable behavior, submit matter or number or
  length of calls or visits.
• Be patient as it may take a long time for
  progress or any positive outcomes
• Maintain communication within organization and
  with other referral organizations
• maintain confidentilaity
• Document or log what was said, agreed on
• Develop a system to identify chronic clients to
  support others who will serve these individuals
  to include limits that have been set
• Staff debriefing
• Create an environment that recognizes the
  stresses and frustration related to chronic
  callers
• Allow time and opportunity for staff to talk
  about their frustrations
• People may learn from one another more effective
  ways to deal with chronic clients if they talk
  about what works and what does not
• Remain courteous and professional
• Chronic clients test patience
• Be courteous as rudeness enrages chronic clients
  and may increase their calling and demands for
  help

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What will you do differently?
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To work more effectively with chronic clients
more positive I can

• When they (do)(say) I can

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Working with people who scare us - defusing
potentially violent situations

• People act out in ways that may harm us
• Statistically property is much more likely to be
  damaged than people hurt

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Think about when you have been in the situation
where you were afraid you would be hurt

• What were you feeling?
• What were you thinking?
• What do you think the person creating the
  situation was thinking or feeling?
• What do you think caused the problem?
• What worked about how you handled it?
• What did not?
• What did you learn?
• If you were training peers or other human service
  workers what are you top three suggestions?

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What causes people to act out?

• Fear
• Anxiety
• mental illness
• anger
• frustration
• substance abuse
• desperate

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There are four levels to the escalation of
potential violence

• 1Anxious and agitated
• 2. Defensive
• 3. different for everyone it depends on the
  change between the persons usual behavior and
  what happens to them under stress (difficult when
  you dont know the persons usual behavior)
• Physical signs pacing, pick something up and
  putting it down
• Verbal signs voice cracks, talk fast or not at
  all

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What do you do?

• Make contact
• Invite them to sit down or to get comfortable
• Listen to the complaint or problem
• Validate or recognize frustration
• Validate feelings I know it can be frustrating
  when you cant get any answers right away.
• Be supportive
• Apologize if they have had to wait or been given
  the wrong information I am sorry that you had to
  wait. It sound like youve had a lot of things
  happen to you.
• Ask them what is wrong?
• Avoid touching the person - Why?

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What happens if a situation is ignored or not
resolved?

• The earlier the intervention the less risk and
  the less energy is required

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Dealing with someone who is manipulative

• Be supportive
• Address feelings of fear of helplessness How
  frightening this must be for you.
• If its no bid deal, make an exception-once That
• Explain the rationale behind our decision
• Define your roe
• Perhaps your
• Help person help herself
• Try a genuine compliment
• Make an I statement
• Follow up with a confrontation
• Be even more confronting but still not hostile

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How a difficult person becomes a cooperative one

• Be supportive/ Make contact!
• Focus on feelingsUse active listening Repeat
  what you have heard-some important thought or
  phrase
• Im feeling so confused! Respond with
  Confused.tell me what you mean
• From your voice and how you look you appear
  confused.is that so?
• Be carefully in identifying what you think
  someone is feeling people respond in different
  ways
• Demonstrate warm and acceptance and warmth
• How?
• Use your voice, eye contact body language
• Silence
• Allow it to allow the person time to think or
  collect their shthought or emotions
• Avid long silences or you can lose the contact
  the person may become agitated again
• Assure the person that you are still there for
  them
• Remai non-judgmental
• Dont judge
• Dont assume

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Ask dont tell - Asking the right questions is
one of the most powerful tool

• Clarification
• Confrontation