Leading Practice Guidelines

Clinical Services

Type: Wellbeing

Guideline: Clinical services should be driven by the person and focus on interventions that help the person improve their quality of life through specific interventions and therapies.

Clinical Services delivery models and strategies are based on accepted practice in the field and incorporate current research, evidence-based practice, clinical practice guidelines and /or professional consensus.

Professionals licensed by their respective boards must practice under the confines of their license and provide a current license to their agency annually. All clinicians (contracted or hired) must hold active relevant professional licenses to provide services in the Province of Manitoba.

What does this look like?

The organization delivering clinical services has a clear, documented process for delivery of service in a strengths-based person centred, family supportive manner considering the following:

  • Clinical services are based upon each person’s needs, tolerance for activity, preferences, and abilities;
  • Clinical services are required to be designed to support functional participation and self-advocacy in fulfilling roles with family, friends, and the person’s preferred community;
  • Informed consent is obtained before and at regular intervals throughout service to ensure that the person and their support network remain informed of the purposes, risks and possible outcomes of planned intervention. Consent can be withdrawn at any time;
  • Interventions will be determined by the person, whether his or her preferences are expressed independently, with assistive devices or interpreted by others. Consideration of how the person’s culture and age impact their goals is important;
  • The clinician shall develop strategies to support activities of daily life addressing issues that impact the person’s ability to lead the life they wish;
  • The organization should integrate clinical strategies into daily life as guided by the person, Substitute Decision Maker (SDM), family and support network;
  • Clinicians actively involve the person’s family and/or support network throughout service, according to the person’s and/or family’s wishes. Although the person supported is ultimately at the centre of service provision, clinicians recognize that family and/or other members of the support network play an important role in supporting the goals that are set;
  • Clinicians recognize that there may be differing opinions amongst the person being supported and various members of the support network about which goals should be set and how services should proceed. In such situations, clinicians make every effort to understand those differing perspectives and explore how they may be reconciled. Should conflicting opinions be irreconcilable, clinicians prioritize the perspective of the person being supported, in alignment with their SDM for health, should they have one;
  • Interventions are socially valid, with clear and specific outcomes that can be achieved within the time available. Goals are written in a manner that links the goal to the outcome for the person.

How would you know this is happening? (Evidence)

What you see in systems:

  • Written documentation is available to verify current professional licensing of all clinicians, ongoing continuing education and clinical supervision activities
  • Policies and procedures exist that outline a consistent, values based approach to service delivery.
  • Clinical documentation is respectful, functional and focused on socially valid goals shaped by the person.

What you see in actions:

  • Clinicians work collaboratively and respectfully with people served, their families and support networks.
  • People report positive experiences and outcomes as a result of clinical consultation.

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