This document outlines the requirements for process recording in social work, detailing essential components such as client identification, interview purpose, verbatim dialogue, and assessment of client interactions. It emphasizes the importance of reflecting on the student's feelings, skills utilized, and future plans in relation to the client. A template is provided for completing the recording, ensuring confidentiality and thorough documentation.

1. INFORMATION THAT SHOULD GO INTO PROCESS
RECORDING
FOR MICRO WORK
There are various formats for completing a process recording.
The following is an outline that covers the major areas we want
included within a process recording. Please utilize the template
that follows for completing a process recording with an
individual, couple or family client(s).
1. Description/Identifying Information: The social work
student’s name, date of the interview and the date of submission
to the field instructor should always be included. Identify the
client, always remembering to disguise client name to protect
confidentiality. Include the number of times this client has
been seen (i.e., "Fourth contact with Mrs. S."). On a first
contact include name and ages of the client(s) you have written
about. If client is seen in location other then the agency say
where client was seen.
2. Purpose and Goalfor the Interview. Briefly state the purpose
of the interaction and if there are any specific goals to be
achieved, the nature of the presenting issues and/or referral.
3. Verbatim Dialogue (in the table below). A word-for-word
description of what happened, as well as the student can recall,
should be completed. This section does not have to include a
full session of dialogue but should include a portion of
dialogue. The field instructor and student should discuss what
portions should be included in the verbatim dialogue.
4. Assessment of the Patient/Client/Consumer. This requires
the student to describe the clients’ verbal and nonverbal

2. reactions throughout the session. Consider everything that is
occurring such as body language, facial expression, verbal
outburst, etc.
5. The Student's Feelings and Reactions to the Client System
and to the Interview (in the table below). This requires the
student to put into writing unspoken thoughts and reactions s/he
had during the interview e.g. "I was feeling angry at what the
client was saying, not sure why I was reacting this way…”. “ I
wonder what would happen if I said such-and-such.”
6. Identify Skills and/or Theory/ Conceptual Frameworks used
(in the table below). The student should be able to identify what
skills they used in an interaction, and/or what theoretical
framework came to mind as they dialogued e.g. “I used the
strengths perspective “ “I used the skill of partializing”
7. Supervisor/field instructor comments (in the table below)
This requires the field instructor to provide review and critique
of the student’s dialogue with the client system, skill
identification, and interpretation of the client interview.
8. A summary assessment/analysis of the student's impressions.
This is a summary of the student's analytical thinking about the
entire interview and/or any specific interaction the student is
unsure about. Include any client action or non-verbal activity
that the student may want to discuss. (See Guided Questions at
the end of the template for this section A-M)
9. Future plans. The student should identify any unfinished
business and/or any short/long term goals.
Process Recording Template
Student Name: Date of
Contact:
Session number or Contact number:

3. Location of the client interview:
1. Description of Client System (race/ethnicity, age, gender,
employment status, education-level, ability status, military
status, immigration status, marital status, household
composition, religious affiliation):
1. Presenting Problem (Most people can tolerate a certain
degree of hardship or physical/psychological discomfort before
seeking help. What is the
reason/problem/condition/circumstance/situation that motivates
the client system to seek professional help from your field
agency?):
1. Purpose of Session (Why is the client being seen by you at
this time?):
1. Objectives/Goals of this session (What do you intend to do
during this session to help the client system:
1. Centering (What did you do to be present in the moment with
the client system – breathing activities, progressive muscle
relaxation activities, mediating, praying, grounding activities,
self-talk, removing distractions from the environment (e.g.
turning ringer of telephone to vibrate/silence, silencing
notifications from digital devices, turning on a white noise
maker, setting the temperature to a comfortable setting, so
forth).
1. Preparing (What did you do to prepare yourself to deliver
competent practice with the client system during the
interview?):
1. Orienting: (What information do you need to provide to
inform the client system of the agency services, expectation for
client sessions, average number of sessions, length of sessions,
and location of sessions?):
Columns/tables expand outside the table, put your cursor
outside this box and hit enter to add hit enter if you need more
rows; include multiple pages for session write-up
3). Verbatim Dialogue/Content
4). Assessment of Patient/Client

4. 5). Student Feelings/Thoughts/Reactions
6). Identify Practice Skills/Theory/Conceptual Framework Used
and/or thinking about using
Supervisor’s Comments
Type the dialogue based on what you recall the social worker (if
you are shadowing) or what you (if you are leading the
interview) and the client system said into this column
Type the nonverbal or unspoken behaviors that you observe the
client displaying throughout the client interview. This may
include behaviors of fidgeting, wringing hands, downward
glaze, incessant shifting in seat, etc.
Type what you are feeling, thinking, or experiencing throughout
the client interview. This includes the intrapersonal dialogue
(mind chatter) that you may experience while listening or
speaking with the client. Examples of this would be racing
thoughts, daydreaming, intrusive unrelated thoughts “what am I
going to eat for lunch?”, “am I prepared enough to help this
client?” or experiences of strain or stress in your body to name
a few things.
Using the client description handout worksheet and your social
work textbooks, list all of the social skills/techniques/practice
theories you displayed with each comment to the client. Client
interviewing is an intentional and systematic use of skills to
engage, solicit information, and direct clients through the
change process.
Social work intern:
Client:

5. Social work intern:
Client:
Social work intern:
Client:
Social work intern:
Client:
Social work intern:
Client:

6. Social work intern:
Client:
Social work intern:
Client:
Social work intern:
Client:
Social work intern:

7. Client:
Social work intern:
Client:
Social work intern:
Client:
Social work intern:
Client:

8. Add rows as needed to represent the entirety of the client
interview by placing mouse pointer beside the left edge of the
last horizontal line in the row to reveal a encircled plus sign
that adds rows.
6). Summary Assessment/Analysis of the Session
A. Identify the stage of work with client/client system (i.e., pre-
engagement, engagement, assessment, intervention, evaluation).
Why ?
B. What did you learn from the session that adds to your
understanding of the client?
C. What were the challenges presented during the session?
D. What was accomplished during the session?
E. What concepts or theories or interventions did you apply?
And what were the results--what worked and what didn’t given
the socio-cultural context of the client's presenting problem(s)
and underlying issues?
F. Explain how your interpretation of what occurred in the
dialogue relates to the week’s lesson (ie. Week #2 –
Confidentiality, Week #4 – Role of Supervision, Week #6 –
Legal Considerations, Week #8 – Use of Self)

9. G. A summary of the student’s impression:
H. What questions do you have for your field/task instructor(s):
I. Field instructor’s overall impression regarding student’s
display of social work skills, use of social work practice
theories, and areas of improvement to be addressed during
supervision:
7). Future Plans
A. What unfinished business remains at the conclusion of the
client interview?
B. What are the general and specific tasks to be completed for
future work with the client system? Who will complete each
task?
C. If the client system needs additional services, what referrals
will you make?
D. If you will no longer work with this client systeam, what are
the steps you completed for service closure (i.e. termination)?