S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Tanya MulambaDepartment of Child Services

Father Engagement Annual ConferenceJune 2013

Common Goals

I will lose weight I will procrastinate less I will exercise I will spend more time with my family I will finally finish that book I started I will further my education I will shop less I will save more money

Common Mistakes

Goals Are Often….. Too big Not written Not specific Too many Not what I want

Goal Writing Basics

3-4 goals at a time Goals should be client lead Process and Outcome goals

• What I plan to do • What I hope to achieve

Goal language – to understand, to know, to improve, to decrease, etc.

Strengths based - personal, present tense & positive

So What Are S.M.A.R.T. Goals?

Specific THINGS TO CONSIDER EXAMPLE

Who, what, when and why?

Ask yourself what do you hope to accomplish?

What needs to happen? Describe in detail exactly

what I plan to do.

Mike will visit his children

Vs

Mike will visit his children every Tuesday at the

designated meeting place

MeasurableTHINGS TO CONSIDER EXAMPLES

How will I know if I have achieved my goal?

What will be different about me or my situation when I achieve my goal?

What will have increased or decreased?

How will I measure achievement?

Can this be quantitatively measured?

Mike will improve his relationship with his

children

Vs

Mike will improve his relationship with his

children by talking and interacting with them

during weekly supervised visits

Attainable THINGS TO CONSIDER

Do I have the skills to be successful?

Do I have the right attitude?

Can I really accomplish this goal?

What obstacles do I need to overcome?

Is this goal too high or too low?

Is this something I can maintain without “professional” supports?

Relevant

Things to consider

Why am I doing this? Is this really what I want? What is my purpose? Is this goal congruent with my personal

values? What is my motivation? Will achieving this goal enhance my life? Am I being pressured to do this?

Timely & Time BoundTHINGS TO CONSIDER EXAMPLE

How long will it take me to accomplish this goal?

How long is too long/short? Am I bound by time

frames set by accrediting or referral sources?

How long will it take to complete “prerequisite” task?

How much time can I devote to pursuing this goal?

Mike will complete the FE curriculum

Vs

Mike will attend weekly group sessions on

Tuesdays for 12 weeks to complete the FE curriculum

by December

Examples of S.M.A.R.T. Goals

John will become more involved in his daughter’s life.Vs

John will become more involved in the life of his daughter by picking her up from school and helping her with homework on Monday & Wednesday

during the entire school year.

Tim will become more involved in the DCS process/case.Vs

Tim will become more involved in the DCS process by communicating with the FCM no less than twice a month to receive updates on the case. This will

occur for the life of the DCS case.

Randy will better understand his legal responsibilities in regards to his children.

VsAfter every meeting with his public defender Randy will be able to explain his

legal responsibilities in regards to his children to the FE direct worker. This will occur for the duration of FE services.

I’m focused on my goal…now what? What steps do I need to

take to reach my goal? Consider the barriers

(tangible & intangible) that are preventing me from reaching my goal.

Are there “prerequisite” tasks that I need to achieve before I can reach my goal?

Are there tasks that I can complete “concurrently” as I work on my goal?

Activity: What’s Wrong? Jack will visit with his children and

learn new parenting skills to complete the FE curriculum.

When Michael is released from jail in 3 months he will regain custody of his children.

Paul will not miss appointments scheduled with the FCM.

Monthly Reports Information included on the monthly

report should relate directly to the goals the dad is working on

Monthly reports should be very detailed and include process and outcome information

Monthly report should be individualized for each client

Questions