As a social work student, the first time I saw a mental health intake assessment and risk assessment template was during my second placement. In my experience, my degree focused heavily on theory, ethics, and practice frameworks, but provided fewer opportunities to work with the kinds of practical assessment templates I would later encounter in practice.
I loved my Master of Social Work. It taught me the importance of anti-oppressive practice, strengths-based approaches, systems theory, and person-centred care. Most importantly, it gave me the opportunity to pursue meaningful work supporting people in my community.
What my degree couldn’t fully teach me, however, was the practical side of working in the field. Many of those lessons came through experience.
I’d often heard people talk about compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious trauma, but I didn’t truly understand what those terms meant until I experienced them myself.
And that’s really the origin story behind Client Care Collective.
After leaving a role that had become both emotionally and physically exhausting, I realised how constantly activated my nervous system had become. I had spent so much time supporting others that I hadn’t recognised the impact the work was having on me.
Creating these resources became a way of turning those experiences into something positive. My goal is to provide practical, evidence-informed resources that I wish I’d had as both a student and an early career practitioner; resources that support practitioners, students, clients, carers, and people with lived experience to better understand mental health, navigate complex situations with greater confidence, and feel a little less alone in the process.
My first role as a social worker was in the intake space, and it’s what inspired me to create the Mental Health Intake Assessment Template.
I genuinely loved working in intake. It’s a space of curiosity. I’ve always enjoyed asking questions, and intake provides an opportunity to ask gentle, compassionate, and sometimes direct questions that help us understand someone’s story, strengths, needs, and goals.
One of the biggest things I learnt was that an intake doesn’t have to feel like an interrogation. The best conversations happened when people felt heard rather than assessed. Whilst there are important areas that need to be explored, I found that approaching the conversation naturally helped people feel more comfortable sharing their experiences.
That’s the philosophy behind this template.
Rather than creating a long checklist of questions, I wanted to create a practical framework that supports practitioners to gather meaningful information whilst still allowing space for genuine human connection. Every person is different, and no two conversations will ever look exactly the same.
Of course, every organisation will have its own documentation, policies, and assessment requirements. If you’re working within an organisation, I would always encourage you to use your employer’s approved resources and procedures. This template is not designed to replace organisational documentation, but rather to support learning, build confidence, and provide a practical example of the types of information that are often explored during a mental health intake.
I originally designed this resource with social work students and early career practitioners in mind because I remember how daunting my first assessments felt. Having a practical framework would have made those early conversations feel far less overwhelming.
However, I’ve also found that it’s helpful for counsellors, psychologists, support workers, peer workers, nurses, and other mental health professionals who are developing their assessment skills or looking for a structured reference tool.
If you’re about to start placement, preparing for your first role in mental health, or simply looking to build confidence in completing intake assessments, I hope this resource helps make those first conversations feel just a little less intimidating.
Looking back, I don’t think what I needed was more theory, I needed more practical examples. I needed to see what an intake assessment looked like, how conversations could flow naturally, and how to feel more confident walking into those first client interactions. That’s exactly what I hope this template offers to others. If it helps even one student feel more prepared for placement, one early career practitioner feel more confident in their first role, or one experienced professional discover a practical resource they enjoy using, then it has achieved what I set out to create. Thank you for taking the time to read the story behind Client Care Collective, and I hope the resources I create continue to support you throughout your learning and professional journey.
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