The Value of Goal Planning for Assisting AMRHS Clients

Goal planning notebook

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Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Metro Psychology Support Services assists adults with functional impairments and mental health conditions through the state's Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS) program. Operating throughout six metro counties, Metro Psychology Support Services teaches clients how to manage their mental health symptoms, provides educational resources, and offers counseling from qualified mental health practitioners.

An important component of the counseling provided by the mental health professionals working with adults within the ARMHS program includes creating a goal plan for each participant. A goal plan is created to identify effective strategies that can be implemented to help promote recovery. This plan includes learning techniques for enhancing connections with others, developing skills for independent living, and coping with the symptoms of mental illness.

Each participant’s goal plan is focused on their own needs and desires and is designed to motivate change. Once the plan is established, the participant and practitioner work together over a period extending up to six months. After six months, the goal plan is assessed to determine its effectiveness and the need for making any changes to it. Practitioners and participants work together until no further support is needed and the goals that were set have been reached.

Unique Mental Health Needs of Immigrant Populations

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To support the professional development of its staff and mental health care providers, Metro Psychology Support Services has partnered with Argosy University to enable its employees to access various programs at the university, along with receiving discounted fees. Metro Psychology Support Services is equally devoted to its diverse client base and offers mental health care services in multiple languages. 

Minnesota is home to more than 400,000 immigrants from all corners of the globe. Many of the state's foreign-born residents come from South America or Central America, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and West Africa. First-generation and second-generation immigrants have unique experiences that require specialized and culturally-sensitive mental health treatment. 

For example, as a result of leaving their home country, many families and individuals have been separated from close family and friends, faced traumatic events in their country of origin, or experienced severe culture shock. There are also ongoing barriers to accessing proper mental health care due to language barriers and cultural stigmas. 

To better serve a diverse population of foreign-born residents, mental health care providers work with bilingual mental health practitioners or hire interpreters to ensure non-English speaking clients feel accepted and are able to communicate effectively. 

Additionally, mental health professionals should have at least basic training in cultural sensitivity and be aware of the client’s cultural customs and beliefs that may impact how mental illness is labeled, diagnosed, and treated.