Establishing Individualized Goals in a Supported Education Intervention: Program Influences on Goal-Setting and Attainment

Abstract

Objectives: Support for goal-setting and attainment is a frequent component of social work interventions aimed at fostering client growth. This study investigated goal-setting and attainment in the Michigan Supported Education Research Project, an intervention that provides support for adults with psychiatric disabilities to engage in postsecondary education. Method: An experimental design with three conditions was used and data was collected at five time points. The sample included 397 adults. Results: Results indicate increased complexity of goal statements over time. Goals became more specific for those in the treatment conditions and for those who were high participants. Multivariate models found that selecting school as the most important goal was a significant factor in predicting later enrollment. Conclusions: Interventions can influence the goals that are set by individuals. Because of its importance to social work practice, researchers and practitioners should pay more explicit attention to goal-setting.