Most services we access in our society require you to complete written or digital documents, often accompanied by questions that a staff member asks.

While much of this process has been automated to reduce the time commitment for both the service provider and service user, there are still ways to humanize the experience so people feel comfortable.

Rather than viewing it as a formality, we can treat it as an opportunity to build rapport and develop or improve our relationship with the service user.

***In MI, the OARS skills provide us with the tools to guide an interaction in a conversational manner. This applies to conducting an intake, too. We can incorporate open-ended questions and summaries to gather and verify information more organically.