It can be helpful to think about change as a set of steps. This helps us recognise where rangatahi are at in their change journeys. We can adapt our work better when we notice what step they may be on. Here is a useful framework to think about change that is based on the work of Hubble, Duncan and Miller (1999) and adapted by kaimahi from Reconnect Services. While it is presented as a series of steps, rangatahi and kaimahi can come back to earlier steps when they need to revisit things, such as spending more time on preparation. The important thing to recognise is that change and maintaining change and outcomes, all take time and rangatahi need to be well supported through these changes. Using the language rangatahi use helps us learn about their theory of change. It keeps them in the centre of our thinking, and it shows them we respect their knowledge and expertise (see Rangatahi are the centre; The helping alliance).
We can think of it like this and at each step we can use RBP practices to help us get the best effects for rangatahi:
We can ask rangatahi what their goals are and what ideas they have about how to achieve them. We can use the words rangatahi use when we talk about their goals. This can include asking what they have already tried to do to address their issues.
By listening to them explain their usual ways of coping and their experiences of positive change we pick up clues we can use to adapt our mahi to them (see Hearing rangatahi; Rangatahi are the centre).
These conversations help clarify their theory of change and the ways they solve problems. Alongside the changes we support with rangatahi, we can also support wider changes by collaborating with other kaimahi to advocate for resources for rangatahi. For example, we can advocate for learning support so they can return to school, for safe accommodation and material support so they can prepare themselves for learning and employment.
These approaches, when combined with advocacy to meet emotional and practical needs that address immediate issues and long-term challenges, strengthen the capacity of rangatahi to grow and change across their lives (Munford & Sanders, 2019).
Listen for and work with their their theory of change
What does this mean for my mahi?
A group of kaimahi from Reconnect Family Services built on the work of Hubble, Duncan & Miller (1999) by talking about what each step looks like for rangatahi, some ideas about conversation starters, and how kaimahi can be with rangatahi at each step.
How do I use these ideas in my mahi?
I worked with a young woman who was referred to me for emotional and practical support. She was pregnant and was going to keep the baby with the support of her aunt (her mum had mental health issues, so it was her aunt who supported her during her teenage years). Her partner wanted to be involved as well but was in prison so most of her support came from her aunt. They both came to see me. Ema had left school once she found out she was pregnant but wanted to return to her learning. She knew that her partner was not a positive influence, and she didn’t want to stay with him, but she wanted him to know their baby. In my supervision I worked with my supervisor on thinking about how I would prepare myself for working with Ema (I needed to find out about pregnancy and parenting support).
The first step in my mahi with Ema, involved taking time getting to know her, hearing her ‘back story’ and what she would like to work on with me. She had been through very difficult times, but she had developed important coping strategies including receiving support and advice from her aunt. She kept focused on her studies because she wanted to be a nurse and this dream kept her going. At the beginning Ema was concerned that given her complex life it was going to be difficult for her to keep her dreams alive. The important focus for me was supporting Ema to believe that she could be both a young parent and also achieve her goals; it might be in a different way, but she could achieve them. Ema found it very helpful to write down her goals and the tasks she needed to complete along the way so she could tick them off. As part of the preparation for the change process, I kept checking in with my supervisor for support and advice. One of the things that was important for Ema was that her aunt (and her mum when she was available) were part of the process. She also wanted to involve her partner, but she also wanted him to know that given her feelings about the relationship and the things he did, she did not want to stay with him.
Ema liked to write down her ideas (she kept a journal) so she devised three change lists that she worked on. One involved all the things she needed to do to have a healthy pregnancy and birth, she joined the young parents group and through our service we helped organise a midwife.
Her second goal was to keep engaged in her education, for this goal she checked out a teenage parents’ programme and decided that she would enrol in that programme because they could support her with both her education and parenting.
The final goal was to work through finishing the relationship with her partner. She couldn’t do that while he was in prison, but she started to work through the steps she would take once he was released. She had a good relationship with his mum, who became part of the support network to enable this to happen because she understood that Ema did not want a relationship but wanted her and her son in her baby’s life.
I supported Ema to weigh up the goals and strategies. In reflecting on the change process with her she said she enjoyed going over her three lists of goals which kept her going. Ema said that when she felt a bit scared about things she went back to the list and the tasks she had ticked off helped her believe that she could keep going. She said it was good to do practical things alongside talking about the emotions because then things did not get too overwhelming as she felt she was achieving things, not just talking about them. We celebrated each goal/task such as her first meeting with the midwife, her positive meeting with her partner’s mum and joining the parenting group. These achievements helped her move to the next task. What I learned from this process is that we need to work at the pace of the rangatahi and to help them believe that their goals can be achieved. We need to be there when things don’t work out and support them to keep going. Change and maintaining change takes time and effort and we need to notice and celebrate change. Recording her successes was an important motivation for Ema and helped her have confidence that she could do the difficult stuff and believe that she could have the future she dreamed about.
Here are some places to look for more information
- DiClemente, C. & Prochaska, J. (1998). Toward a comprehensive, transtheoretical model of change: Stages of change and addictive behaviors. In W. Miller & N. Heather (Eds). Applied Clinical Psychology. Treating Addictive Behaviors. Plenum Press. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4613-2191-0
- Hubble, A., Duncan, B. & Miller, S. (Eds) (1999). The heart and soul of change: What works in therapy. American Psychological Association, USA. https://doi.org/10.1037/11132-000
- Munford, R. & Sanders, J. (2019). Transformative social work practice in community-based organisations’. In R. Munford & K. O’Donoghue (Eds) New theories for social work practice: Ethical practice for working with individuals, families and communities. Jessica Kingsley, London.
We thank the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for funding the research that created this resource (MAUX2006).
This resource was developed by Professor Jackie Sanders. It was refined with input from kaimahi at Reconnect Family Services, Donna MacNicol, Te Aroha Noa Community Services, Justina Webster, Dr Linda Liebenberg, Professor Robyn Munford, Dr Jayne Mercier, Davinia Abbott and the team at Dingwall Trust Launch Programme
Citation: Sanders, J. with Reconnect Family Services, MacNicol, D., Webster, J., Munford, R. Liebenberg, L., Mercier, J., Abbott, D. and the Dingwall Trust Launch Team (2023). Change steps. Relational Resources for Change, https://youthsay.co.nz/rbp-theories/change-steps/
CC BY-NC-ND Licensed using Creative Commons Licensing. Relational Resources for Change Project. You are welcome to use this resource individually, in your teams and in supervision/coaching/critical reflection, you should acknowledge the source using the above citation. You may not change this document, use it to develop your own external training, or for commercial purposes (e.g by charging a fee).
