Dear Supervisors,

This is our second weekly update of what is happening on BLaST on-line.

We will typically let you know what is happening in the coming week, but would also like to say that the participants are a superb group – very articulate, thoughtful, and able to challenge and support each other in their learning. It is a pleasure to work with such a group!

The focus of this unit (and week) is the initial client interview. An important component is the CD that we sent all participants. The segment we used during our live link-up today gave insight (and prompted discussion about) a client’s thoughts approaching us for services; other segments will demonstrate two of the skills emphasized this week – active listening and funneling. It is important that your supervisee have technology to view these clips, and a number of them experienced difficulties with the first one today.

The discussions – on-line and over the phone today – on barriers to establishing an effective attorney-client relationship were striking for their honesty and wisdom. Participants identified many barriers – some related to the client, such as mental illness, lack of transportation, language barriers; some related to the institutions in which we work, such as cumbersome intake systems and limited time; some were about advocates – impatience with clients who are passive, or rambling, etcetera. Our focus was not just on naming these impediments – though this is helpful, but to strategizing together ways to overcome or minimize them. There were many very tangible ideas, from ways to structure an interview to community agencies that can be helpful.

The week builds on these understandings, and culminates in both a simulated interview and a gathering of resources that will be useful to advocates in their practice. In an article written by and for legal services advocates, we propose four stages of the initial client interview:

• preparation, which includes researching the likely claims, and focusing on the logistics of the interview as well as any special client needs
• opening, in which the advocate begins developing an environment of trust and elicits the client’s story
• narrowing, where the advocate identifies the scope of this issues he or she will address and what s/he needs to know about them, systematically gathering this information and information on other topics likely to be of special importance to the client, and
• closing – where the advocate summarizes the discussion and identifies next steps.

Each phase has clear goals and considerations, and skills that are particularly applicable. The skills that we practice this week are preparing for an interview, active listening, funneling, and using these techniques in a simulated interview with two trainers offering a constructive critique. There are worksheets available for the first three skills, and guidelines for a critique. You will find them on the website under these activities.

Have you been able to view and use the website established for supervisors? We receive feedback from your supervisees, and are interested in hearing from you, too – about the website, its content, these letters, and anything else related to blast or courses you would like to see.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact either of the lead trainers...