Per the syllabus, due in hard copy before Class 2 starts, write a one-page memorandum (memo) describing and making a recommendation on the following scenario. Sometimes writing short and to the point is harder than when you have unlimited space, but busy supervisors and executives may not have time to read 8 pages – they have time for one page. Use the format found in the Memo template in Course Content – it’s the same template I use in my professional work (although the existing text and numbers is your guide, not part of it – take out the “A, B, C, etc”.) . This assignment is graded and the basic rubric I use is this: following instructions (1 pt), demonstration of cognitive process (how well did you think through the different sides and their impacts – 2 pts), recommendation (1 pt), structure / grammar / etc (1 pt).
Scenario: you are a first-level clinical supervisor in a counseling department of a multi-service agency (your agency also provides case management, job training, etc.). You supervise 10 FTE (full-time) clinicians, who can each provide up to 20 sessions per week (the sessions may go longer than an hour, plus billing, records, training, travel, etc.). These clinicians each make $40,000 and cost the agency exactly $50,000 each total (including FICA taxes, liability insurance, office space, etc.), so your entire department’s budget is $500,000 (don’t worry about your salary for this exercise). You have an unlimited number of clients seeking service, and half of these clients will benefit from the insurance-covered 6 sessions, but the other half would really benefit from 9 sessions, 3 of which would not be covered by insurance. Evidence demonstrates more time on task for this half of your clients would lead to better clinical and life outcomes. You have been given the opportunity to restructure the work and even mission of your department – what mixture of clients of each type do you intake? How do you triage the work? How do you pay for the overages? Are you okay with just serving the “easier” clients? There is no right answer, just informed decisions. Use parts 1-4 of the memo format to describe the challenge, options and their potential impacts, and than make a recommendation. Stay out of first person except when you provide your recommendation, when you can use “my professional recommendation is to do X for the following reasons”.