Final Interview Assignment | Online Assignment

Appendix B: Final Interview
PART I – Final Interview Video Recording, Transcript and Analysis

1. You will be the interviewer. You will partner with another student who will role-play a client with an issue and/or concern.

2. Review Informed Consent Form with your client and obtain client signature and date giving permission from your client to allow you to video record your conversation for learning purposes. After interview is over, have client complete Client Feedback Form.

3. Record a 10-minute interview demonstrating your ability to effectively use the following skills:
a. attending behavior
b. encouraging
c. positive asset search
d. paraphrasing
e. summarizing
f. reflection of feeling
g. open and closed questions
Your interview must also demonstrate your ability to use at least three of the following skills:
a. confrontation
b. focusing
c. reflection of meaning
d. influencing
Your interview must also demonstrate an accepting and compassionate attitude or “way of being” that portrays:
a. empathic understanding
b. unconditional positive regard
c. genuineness

4. Provide a transcription that includes all dialogue, verbatim, and analysis of your transcript. Use specified format for transcription and analysis (See Appendix D).

5. In the analysis, select part or parts of the interview that address each of the skills above at least once. Label each comment you make according to the skills listed above and also make process comment(s) on your use of each skill and observation of client response. Be sure to indicate focus every time there is a change of focus (e.g., client focus to significant other focus). Make connections and comment on how skills you used may have helped you demonstrate empathic understanding, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness. Be sure to also pay close attention to and comment on attending behaviors (i.e., facial expression, bodily movements, eye contact, vocal tone, verbal tracking) of both you and your client. Based on the client response, indicate if your use of skill was effective, whether or not client responded in the intentioned manner and whether or not you would use the skill again. If you decide you would have used another skill in place of the one you used, state specific skill and exactly what you would have said in quotations and explain how and why you think your alternative response might have been more effective or helpful to your client.

Grades will be based on grading rubric attached and the following:
a. Your use of all microskills;
b. Your ability to incorporate the skills in a smooth manner;
c. Your accurate completion of the interview transcript;
d. Your accurate identification of microskills you used;
e. Your ability to recognize when alternative microskills should have been used, or used more appropriately; and
f. Your process comments regarding your use of microskills, observations made regarding attending behaviors, and ability to recognize and tie skills used to demonstrate an accepting and compassionate attitude or “way of being”.

Appendix B: Final Interview Continuation

PART II – Reflection Paper

1. After completing final video transcript and analysis, go back and review your baseline interview video, transcript and analysis, and reaction paper. Then write a reflection paper about how your personal style of communicating has changed (or not changed) since then. Comment on areas of growth for you in terms of using microskills in a helpful way. Describe your areas of strength that help you interview effectively. Explain what you learned about yourself and your style of communicating that you did not know before you started this class. Talk about how well you thought you developed rapport and demonstrated empathy and the extent you felt you were helpful to your client during your final interview. Think about and comment on the client feedback provided after the interview. Explain how meaningful the feedback was and compare and contrast similarities and differences in relation to your own perceptions of how the final interview went and its general helpfulness to your client. Discuss steps you took and/or changes in your approach (i.e., cultural intentionality) that you made during the final interview to communicate more effectively with your client. Finally, discuss how you plan to apply and maintain the microskills you learned to your personal or professional life. Paper should be minimum of two pages (double-spaced) in length.

2. Upload your final interview video recording to Media Space, following instructions for baseline interview and being sure to check the correct privacy setting, and upload the link, your transcript and analysis, and reflection paper to your D2L Dropbox.

Appendix C: Sample Transcription and Analysis

Sample Transcript & Analysis:

Transcript: Interviewer/Client
Microskill
Process Comments
31. Interviewer: What, exactly, do you mean when you say “noticed?”

Open Question, Client Focus This was an effective use of an open question. I wasn’t sure what client meant by “noticed”. This question was important because was relevant to client issue of experiencing low self-esteem. My question seemed to open the dialogue and encouraged client to answer more in depth about was the meaning of “noticed”. Based on the client response on the next line, I know using this skill was effective, in that I received the intended response because client did engage in further exploration.
32. Client: Uh…that’s…uh, kind of hard to explain. I just feel so unimportant. It’s just…I don’t know…I just want people to…I want to matter. Client is searching for words and is starting to share more about what is really going on. Client looks down and continues to talk in a soft manner.
33. Interviewer: Sounds like you’d like to feel important.
Reflection of Feeling Good initial response. I was engaged leaning forward in my seat, had good eye contact, and my vocal tone matched clients. However, judging by the client response on the next line, maybe my reflection of feeling could have been stronger and could have encapsulated more of what client was feeling. I could have also shifted focus and used mutual focus statement to let client know he is not alone and that I care. To further strengthen my reflection, I could have said, “This is a really difficult time for you and I sense your pain. You feel alone right now and wish you had someone who cared about you. I am here and we can work together to figure things out. ” This alternative response could have conveyed more empathic understanding and may have further supported client to experience and understand feelings to a greater degree.
34. Client: Yeah, exactly…important.
Client exhibits some enthusiasm, makes eye contact, and repeats key word “important” that seems to hit home.

35. Interviewer: What would it mean for you to feel “important”?
Open Question Nice timing on use of open question leading to meaning. I wanted to help client explore in more detail a life that was meaningful as articulated by the client. This may help identify goals and might help facilitate client change. My use of this skill appears effective because I received my intentioned response. Based on the client hesitations and responses given on the next line, it appears as though the client is working hard here to develop meaningful goals or outcomes.
36. Client: You ask some tough questions. Let’s see…important…like I said before, it means I matter to people…they care about me, and want me around.
Client maintains eye contact and is working to find the right words.
37. Interviewer: Are you planning on going somewhere?
Closed Question Not a well timed or effective use of closed question. I am not tracking well or listening closely here. My tone seemed to indicate I was not interested. Question was not relevant to main client issue. Also, this question was off topic and may have come across as insensitive. To be more effective, I could have responded with a summarization and check-out to transition topic to positive asset search. An example summarization could have been, “So, what we have talked about so far is that you feel like no one cares about you or knows that you exist. On the other hand, you want to feel important, matter to people, and be cared about. Do I have this right?” My summarization captured the essence of client issue of feeling alone along with future goals. I could then transition to positive asset search to help client identify strengths and unused assets to capitalize on stated client goals.
38. Client: No.
Client looks away, is soft spoken, and now appears somewhat down.