About the Client Outcome Survey (COS)

3 Connect for counsellors, telephone counsellors and financial counsellors : Recording the Client Outcome Survey (COS) : About the Client Outcome Survey (COS)

The Client Outcome Survey (COS) questionnaire asks a client to rate their emotional state, the impact of gambling on their life and the intensity of the gambling behaviours. The COS forms part of the client record and has three iterations:

COS 1 – to be completed by the client with their therapeutic or financial counsellor (whoever comes first) at or as near as possible to the first appointment.

COS 2 – a follow up three months after the completed date of the COS 1 to be completed by a telephone counsellor from the Gambler’s Helpline. The COS 2 includes an evaluation section seeking the client’s feedback on their experience of the Gambler’s Help service.

COS 3 – a follow up three months after the completed date of the COS 2, also to be completed by a telephone counsellor from the Gambler’s Helpline.

The COS enables a standard measure of the change in a person’s situation over time with respect to their gambling issues during and after their engagement with the Gambler’s Help program.

When a COS 1 is completed by a therapeutic or financial counsellor, the COS 2 is automatically queued to a pending list at the Gambler’s Helpline. The Gambler’s Helpline monitor the list and call clients for their follow up COS 2 and COS 3.

All clients must have at least a cancelled COS 1 since otherwise their record is reported as missing minimum data set information and flagged for follow up. The table below describes the different scenarios for completing the COS.

The client…	The primary care provider…
…agrees to completing the COS 1-3	…completes a COS 1. The system queues the subsequent COS 2 and 3 to the Gambler’s Helpline.
…agrees to completing the COS 1 but doesn’t want follow up for the COS 2 and 3	…completes the COS 1 and cancels the COS 2. The system does not queue the follow up.
…doesn’t agree to completing the COS	…cancels the COS 1. The system does not queue the follow up.

If a client represents for service less than twelve months after the date of a COS 3 then a new COS is not required. If the client represents more than twelve months after their COS 3 then you should treat it as a new presentation and invite them to complete a new COS 1.