Webcoaching - an alternative and complementary form of meeting

individuals with Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Emma Nilsson & Stefan Lodestad

Introduction Misa• A private company• Misa provides work-oriented daycare

activities for people with disabilities• Gives support to >1000 clients • Operates in 5 cities in Sweden, mainly in

Stockholm

Reasons to participate• Psychological well-being• Need for structure in meetings• Difficulties with social interaction• Difficulty remembering what was

said• Prefer written information• Long and expensive travel distances

Webcoaching• Time: January 2012 - June 2012• Title: Webcoaching as a tool for

communication • Participants: Employment specialists

and clients from units in Stockholm focusing on support to persons with Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Performance• Clients chosen due to expected need

for alternative communication• Measurements performed in

questionnaires and a workshop• Chat sessions were booked with

concern to individual needs and schedules

Case examples• Case 1: Working full time, 1½ h from

Misa office – no time for meetings. Chat sessions held before work hours.

• Case 2: Absence from meetings for 6 months due to anxiety and panic disorder. Chat sessions a good start to communicate.

Case examples• Case 3: Becomes very stressed from

too much social interaction – takes too much energy and thereby doesn’t remember the information. Every other meeting as chat sessions decreases the anxiety.

Questions/hypotheses• Do clients experience the possibility to

use webcoaching as a development of the quality, concerning job support?

• Do clients experience the possibility to use webcoaching as a development of the quality, concerning screening and introduction?

Questions/hypotheses• Do employment specialists

experience the possibility to use webcoaching as a useful tool in their daily work?

Positive experiences• A way to increase attendance• A concrete and explicit form of

meeting• Good complement to other forms of

communication

Lessons learned• Not recommended as the only method

for meetings, use it as complement • Clients always in a development

process - not constant mood and situation in life. Evaluate and customize benefits frequently

• Not suitable for everyone or in every situation

Next step• Employment specialists are

continuing to use webcoaching at work

• Plans for a new project – using webcoaching as support while client gets an employment and ”regular support” ends (Swedish system)

Thank you

Emma Nilsson: emma.nilsson@misa.se

Stefan Lodestad: stefan.lodestad@misa.se