Conducting biopsychosocial assessments is a cornerstone of Adult Protective Services work. New or prospective APS staff who want to understand what a home visit and full assessment involves, are often paired with a mentor to learn about the work. Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations (APSWI) wanted to demonstrate a fuller scope of APS practice, so they developed something new.

With the support of two expert service providers, Amy Waszak, LMFT, and Nashay Browning, BA, APSWI created a five-episode training video series called The Biopsychosocial Assessment of Noah Jackson. The series guides staff through what it takes to knock on the door and be invited into a home to conduct an interview after establishing rapport. Subsequent episodes cover discussing allegations such as financial abuse involving a romance scam and concerns about inability to care for oneself. Staff can see what it looks like to walk through a home and open cabinets and refrigerators with client consent to assess for food security. The series also includes screening for decision-making ability and establishing person-directed interventions.

Supervisors have their own resource too. Episode five, Supervisor Case Consultation, helps them enhance one-on-one interactions when staffing cases with direct reports. Training coordinators can choose focused snippets from each episode to highlight a desired skill. They can also share the entire video to provide a more in-depth view of what it means to be an APS professional conducting home visits to assess for a person’s safety and well-being.