Building Social Support — Clinician dialogue

Invite and obtain permission

Offer: "Would it be useful to explore building social support using an ordinary or fictional example? We can adapt it, observe, or stop." Ask what the person wants from the conversation.

Elicit before teaching

Ask: "How does this show up, if at all, in your own words?" Offer this idea tentatively: Social support can include practical assistance, companionship, and chosen family. Ask what fits and what does not.

Guide the task

Map people and services by the kind of support they can realistically provide. Ask for permission before giving an example. Use this fictional illustration if useful: Casey has a relative for transport and a peer for companionship.

Reflect and check accuracy

Reflect only what was offered: "I heard you describe ___. What did I miss?" Ask: Where is support reliable, and where is another option needed? Avoid assigning motives or interpreting silence as agreement.

Respond to a mismatch

If the person rejects the frame, say: "Thank you for correcting it. What would be more useful?" Return to their language or choose a different approach.

Close with agency

Ask which observation, question, or support request the person wants to keep. Confirm a manageable ending and appropriate follow-up; do not turn a tentative possibility into a homework obligation.

Prompts for this resource

1. Readiness, permission, cultural context, and access needs to check:
2. Where is support reliable, and where is another option needed?
3. What would tell me to adapt, stop, or seek supervision?