Troubleshooter

Why hire a Troubleshooter?

Does the following sound familiar? You’re giving everything your best, but no matter how hard you try, you feel as if your every effort is in vain. As soon as one problem appears to be solved, up pops another one. An extra pair of hands is what you need, or six more hours in a day… that would just make all the difference… But that’s not going to happen, and there’s no magic wand you could wave that would solve all your problems. This is where the troubleshooter comes in.

Balans & Impuls Intensief seeks to unite words and action in a single, purpose-driven troubleshooter. A troubleshooter is a social worker who is fully aware of social circumstances and has wide professional and social experience. He or she is a careful listener and will find a made-to-measure solution for his clients. A troubleshooter tackles the sources of stress and provides order and structure on a private or professional level.

The troubleshooter is a new player in this field. His task has been developed on the basis of clients’ needs for practical, decisive help in dealing with difficult situations at home or at work. You might say he plays the combined role of coach and trainer, domestic help, specialized family worker and social-psychological medic.

A troubleshooter concentrates on multi-problem situations that have a negative impact of such severity that professional capacity is seriously affected. Examples are psychiatric and financial problems, neglect, pedagogical and relational problems.

A troubleshooter operates in close cooperation with the psychologists within the Balans & Impuls team, and aims to improve his client’s general well-being. This approach is unique in The Netherlands. Experience shows that it is particularly effective in multi-problem situations.

Objective

Troubleshooting uses a hands-on approach to tackle the source of the stress and setbacks that seriously hamper satisfactory functioning in day-to-day life. The objective is to bring control, rest and structure into the client’s situation. This concerns relational, pedagogical, domestic and financial problems, as well as communication problems with government agencies or employers.

Some examples of a troubleshooter’s field of action:
• Bringing order and structure to the domestic affairs of the client and of his family;
• Bringing order and structure to the financial and administrative affairs of the client and his family;
• Taking care of good mutual relations and communication between the client, his partner and his children;
• Offering pedagogical support by means of exemplary behavior and the implementation of order and rules;
• Reinforcing the client’s social network and support;
• Coordinating relations and communication between the various social workers that may be involved with the client’s family.

A troubleshooter is actively seeking to bring structure and order into the client’s life, more particularly to improve his mutual relations and communication on a practical level. Emphasis lies on ‘tackling problems together’. He will provide strong leadership but, as the ability of the client and his partner to solve their problems increases, his role will gradually become less directive.

Intake

As soon as we have received confirmation of our offer, the client will be invited for intake. This consists of an interview of about 1.5 hours and responding to questionnaires. Within 10 days, the troubleshooter will set up a plan of action based on this information. In agreement with the client, written feedback relevant to his professional situation may be given to the employer.

Counseling

The intake will serve as a basis for a plan of action. This will set clear goals and formulate a desired outcome, as well as assess what is to be expected from the client as well as the troubleshooter. Depending on the situation, the frequency and duration of counseling may vary. In agreement with the client, priorities will be set in every consultation, thus deciding its shape and direction. A troubleshooter may intervene ad hoc in critical situations or if required by the severity of the problems. However, once the crisis is alleviated, the troubleshooter will get to work towards solutions in a more structured and systematic fashion.

Suggestions/consultation

Prior to bringing in a troubleshooter, aims and desired results will be coordinated. Depending on the length, intensity and the number of people involved, one or more ‘round-table’ discussions may be set up so as to keep all the relevant participants informed, and to analyze, evaluate and, if necessary, adapt the chosen direction. In the final stages of the course a further evaluation of the coaching strategy will be held.

Contact

For more information, please call 0031-70-392 22 61 or send an e-mail to secretariaat@balans-en-impuls.nl

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