Stages of Change

12794Imagine that you are at a neighborhood gathering with a variety of community members. If you were to ask people in the group, “Have you heard of Prochaska and DiClemente’s transtheoretical model?” it is possible that only a few members would indicate that they were familiar with the model. However, if you were to ask community members, “Have you ever heard statements like, You cannot force a person to change,’ or ‘Change comes from within,’ or ‘We need to meet people where they are,’” it is likely that more would agree that they had heard these types of comments before as many of the transtheoretical model’s ideas related to readiness for change have been depicted on television or shared on social media. Prochaska and DiClemente’s model argues that readiness for change is critical to the change process and that this readiness can be understood as something that evolves through a set of stages. Social workers who work with clients with substance use disorders should be aware that clients in early stages of change have different needs from clients in later stages and that support should be tailored to the specific client and the client’s current readiness for change.

In this Assignment, you analyze a set of video scenes to gain familiarity with the distinguishing features of each stage of change and discuss the implications of these characteristics on the substance use disorder treatment process.

Submit a 3- to 4-page analysis of the stages of change evident in the scenes in the Walden University (2023) Stages of Change video.

Briefly describe what the client says and does in each scene that reveals the client’s stage of change. Explain how this evidence distinguishes the client’s stage from other stages of change.
Explain why a social worker should try to determine a client’s stage of change when they first meet a client and how this stage impacts the focus of the work with the client. Use two of the video scenes to illustrate your arguments.
Relapse was not included in Prochaska and DiClemente’s original description of the transtheoretical model but it has been frequently included as a stage in subsequent literature about the model. Why do you think relapse was added and how does its inclusion enhance understanding of client readiness for change?
Use the Learning Resources to support your assignment. Make sure to provide APA citations and a reference list.