"Resignation Letter" to Clients

[tpink]

I'm currently working as a Case Manager for an agency that provides housing to individuals with psychiatric disabilities and/or substance abuse. I will be starting my psy.d. program this august, making my last day of work within the next month.

While I've already told my boss and HR dept about my resignation, I have yet to tell my clients. My boss suggested that I write an informal letter to them; which I plan on doing.... but I don't know what to say.

Anyone have a similar experience? Should I just keep it simple and straight to the point? In my previous positions working with clients my boss has either told them on my behalf or my caseload was so small I could do it individually. Here, I have about 16 clients, and additional 40 that I interact with on a daily basis, but who I am not directly working with.

Any suggestions would help!

Thanks 🙂🙂

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[docma]

Tell them the truth. You have an opportunity to study for an advanced degree and will be starting in August. Share your enthusiasm. Share your gratitude about what you've learned from them. Share your confidence that good staff will be taking up their cases. Leave them with some of the hope you've brought to the work you've done with them. Be authentic, keep it simple. I've always liked the aphorism "When in doubt, do what is normal". I like it that your boss is asking you to make a personal farewell. Concluding a therapy or clinical relationship is an opportunity to give a client a new experience of how folks do healthy departures and separations.

 

[NoraMarzo]

I like it that your boss is asking you to make a personal farewell. Concluding a therapy or clinical relationship is an opportunity to give a client a new experience of how folks do healthy departures and separations.

I definitely agree that it's a great idea to try to approach each client individually. Oftentimes, the clients we work with haven't had many opportunities to make healthy goodbyes, and letting clients know several weeks in advance that you'll be terminating with them allows for the space to process with you any emotions they have around separation and loss. As one of my supervisors once said: Endings make meanings.

This certainly isn't the same situation at all, but maybe it'll provide good food for thought: My own therapist got pregnant midway through our treatment and went on a 2-month maternity leave. Even though she was coming back, she still created the space in our therapeutic relationship for me to process any and all feelings I had about her departure. Every supervisor might suggest you handle termination differently, from mentioning termination several months prior to the final session, or leaving only a few sessions to process and reflect on the end of the therapeutic relationship.

At the very least, I suggest you not minimize the impact and importance your relationship has served in each of your clients lives. We do important work, us therapists. 🙂

Congrats on embarking on the next step of your career!

 

[tpink]

Thanks!! Both of your suggestions were really helpful. I definitely have a better understanding of how to approach the situation. My main concern,as you've said, was how my clients would respond to my departure. Especially based on their own interpersonal relationships.

Thanks again for the advice!🙂

 

[pingouin]

Somewhere in there, you need to address the question all of your clients will have: "What's going to happen to me?" A few will ask you outright, the rest will wonder but may not verbalize it. I would include that in your letter as best you can- something along the lines of "I will be working with the agency to transition your care to another case manager" should suffice. (Perhaps a little more detail.) Let them know that they are welcome to contact you regarding any concerns or questions they may have about what happens next for them.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

When I am terminating with a client/patient, I make sure to provide adequate time to process the termination. Often times patients will need multiple weeks to process the impact of the termination. For case management, I think giving a couple weeks notice should be fine. I like to give three to five weeks/sessions, though it varies by case. I've given as much as six weeks, though it was a special circumstance.

You'll want to make clear why you are leaving (so they don't think it is their fault), and also cover the most obvious questions they'll have: transition of care, transfer of information/notes, release of information, etc. Closure can be a really big deal to some people, particularly those with histories where they have been unable to have it. I've found the best transitions happen when I pro-actively provide information and schedule time as needed to address particular concerns.

 

[aagman01]

Do you see your clients weekly? Why don't you just talk about why you are leaving and prepare your clients for the transition. I am not sure of the process at the place you work, but a letter seems a bit formal.

When I am terminating with a client/patient, I make sure to provide adequate time to process the termination. Often times patients will need multiple weeks to process the impact of the termination. For case management, I think giving a couple weeks notice should be fine. I like to give three to five weeks/sessions, though it varies by case. I've given as much as six weeks, though it was a special circumstance.

You'll want to make clear why you are leaving (so they don't think it is their fault), and also cover the most obvious questions they'll have: transition of care, transfer of information/notes, release of information, etc. Closure can be a really big deal to some people, particularly those with histories where they have been unable to have it. I've found the best transitions happen when I pro-actively provide information and schedule time as needed to address particular concerns.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Do you see your clients weekly? Why don't you just talk about why you are leaving and prepare your clients for the transition. I am not sure of the process at the place you work, but a letter seems a bit formal.

I didn't mean to imply that I use letters, but I was more generally commenting on termination. I'd see them in person/session and do it then.

 

[docma]

Since case managers don't necessarily see each client weekly or all that regularly, a letter to each to make sure all have the information does make sense. A therapist doesn't need to do a letter--but I have supervised cases where the therapist found it helpful to write a letter summing up observations/progress/insights, etc, knowing that the client could keep it and re-read it. Clients have been very appreciative of having this "transitional object". There are some great examples of how to use this technique in the Narrative Therapy literature.