Social Work Skills Workbook PDF

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Summary

Chapter 1 notes of the Social Work Skills Workbook by Barry Cournoyer. Notes include the social work practice framework with theories and character traits of professionalism....

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CLASS #1: COMMUNICATION AND INTERVIEWING IN THE HELPING PROFESSION

Purpose of the workbook: 

To assist students in developing: – A strong sense of professionalism – Proficiency in the social work skills

Skills covered in the workbook: 

Fit the mission, purposes, and scope of the social work profession

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Are compatible with contemporary social work practice

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Represent professional behavior

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Are consistent with social work values, ethics, and obligations

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Are supported by research-based knowledge

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Reflect the essential facilitative qualities associated with effective helping

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Fit with the core competencies identified in the EPAS

Social Work as a profession: 

Many and diverse work settings

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Some skills common to work in all settings with all client populations

Social Work perspective: 

Perspective reflected in terminology used by social workers – Client, person, or consumer rather than patient, subject, or case – Assess rather than diagnose, study, examine or investigate

– Strengths, assets, resources, resiliencies, competencies, and abilities rather than problems, obstacles, deficiencies, or pathologies – Cooperation, collaboration, mutuality, shared decision making, and joint action rather than prescription, direction, or coercion

Social Work values: 

Person-in-environment

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Sensitivity to poverty and oppression

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Integrity, self-knowledge, and discipline

Social Workers: 

Adopt common professional values and adhere to a code of ethics

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View themselves as equal with rather than superior to others

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Work with and on behalf of people

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Think, study, advise and take action

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Promote social and economic justice

Social Work skills: 

Must acquire a variety of skills/competencies and know when to employ each.

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Skills identified by NASW and competencies by CSWE

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The definition of skills used in this course approximates the definition of competencies so the two can be used interchangeably.

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Is research-based.

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Adheres to social work values, ethics, and obligations.

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Uses the essential facilitative qualities.

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Exhibits the characteristics of professionalism.

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Has a legitimate social work purpose within the context of a phase or process of practice.

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The skills addressed in this book serve the tasks associated with: 

Phases of social work practice

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Essential facilitative qualities exhibited by effective professional helpers

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The fundamental characteristics of professionalism

Phases of social work practice: 

Preparing Beginning

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Exploring

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Assessing

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Contracting

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Working and evaluating

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Ending

Essential Qualities: 

Empathy

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Respect

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Authenticity

Characteristics: 

Integrity

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Professional knowledge and self-efficacy

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Self-understanding and self-control

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Social support

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Critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and career-long learning

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Valuing diversity and difference

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Advancing human rights and social justice

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Promoting social well-being

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Ethical decision making

Common factors: 

Research shows that certain common factors present in helping relationships account for many of the beneficial outcomes. – Client factors and situational factors – Helper & Relationship factors – Hope & Expectancy factors – Model/technique and allegiance factors – Evaluative feedback factors

Factors: 

Strengths, assets, resources, challenges, and limitations within the client and the client’s situation

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Client’s stage of change

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Mutual liking and respect

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Clear explanations about what will happen and what is expected of the client

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Worker warmth, genuineness, sincerity, and empathy

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Goal-directed activities

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Involvement of others in the client system

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Hopefulness, optimism, and expectations that the helping encounter will be beneficial

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The theoretical approaches or models, change strategies, and intervention techniques used

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The worker’s allegiance to these models and techniques

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Formalized regular evaluative feedback from the client that provides the worker with information

Relationships: 

Professional relationships differ from others in that they – have a recognized purpose. – are time limited. – are for the client. – involve authority and control. – are controlled.

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The essential facilitative qualities – lower the risk of harm. – increase likelihood of benefit to the client.

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The essential facilitative qualities are: – Empathy – Respect – Authenticity

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The process of joining in the feelings of another person while not overidentifying with him and retaining the ability to let go of the other person’s feelings – Empathic connection increases the probability of developing rapport and a productive working relationship with the client.

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Proximal empathy: interacting with someone, feeling her/his distress and showing concern

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Altruistic empathy: feeling concern about people outside the immediate vicinity – perhaps those living in another country.

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Self-corrective empathy: expressing awareness and showing concern when one’s own actions contribute to others’ discomfort

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Respect is an attitude of noncontrolling, warm, caring, nonpossessive acceptance of other people. – Regard celebrates of diversity.

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Respects clients’ right to make their own decisions. – Does not preclude the worker from making professional assessments or from offering suggestions or advice

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Social workers must be genuine and sincere in their interactions with clients. – Words and deeds must match.

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Genuineness does not give workers license to say whatever they feel. – Expression of the worker’s thoughts and feelings for any purpose other than serving the client is, at best, inefficient and at worst, harmful.

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Professionalism is integral to the values and ethics of social work and includes:

(1) integrity, (2) professional knowledge and self-efficacy, (3) ethical decision making, (4) critical thinking and lifelong learning, (5) self-understanding and self-control, (6) cultural competence and acceptance, and (7) social support....