©2011, cengage learning, brooks/ cole publishing exploring chapter 9 social work skills workbook...

©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ ©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole PublishingCole Publishing

ExploringExploringChapter 9Chapter 9

Social Work Skills WorkbookSocial Work Skills Workbook

Barry CournoyerBarry CournoyerIndiana University School of Social WorkIndiana University School of Social Work

Supplements Developed by Patricia Clark, Northwestern State Supplements Developed by Patricia Clark, Northwestern State University of LouisianaUniversity of Louisiana

IntroductionIntroduction

As the beginning phase ends, the worker As the beginning phase ends, the worker and client engage in a mutual exploration and client engage in a mutual exploration of the person-issue-situation.of the person-issue-situation.

The worker uses exploring skills to The worker uses exploring skills to encourage the client to share information, encourage the client to share information, thoughts, and feelings about himself, the thoughts, and feelings about himself, the problem, the social context, and the problem, the social context, and the environment.environment.


Skills most applicable to the exploration Skills most applicable to the exploration phase are:phase are:– Asking questionsAsking questions– Seeking clarificationSeeking clarification– Reflecting contentReflecting content– Reflecting feelingsReflecting feelings– Reflecting feeling and meaningReflecting feeling and meaning– PartializingPartializing– Going beyond what is saidGoing beyond what is said


Social workers adopt a person-Social workers adopt a person-and-situation perspective and and-situation perspective and attempt to identify client strengths attempt to identify client strengths and assets as well as challenges and assets as well as challenges and obstacles in the client’s and obstacles in the client’s biopsychosocial life spheres and biopsychosocial life spheres and physical environment.physical environment.


Biopsychosocial life spheres:Biopsychosocial life spheres:– Biological dimensionsBiological dimensions include genetic factors, include genetic factors,

health or illness, injury, alcohol and drugs, health or illness, injury, alcohol and drugs, and environmental chemicals such as lead, and environmental chemicals such as lead, pesticides, air and water pollution.pesticides, air and water pollution.

– Psychological dimensions include Psychological dimensions include perceptions, cognitive beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions, cognitive beliefs, attitudes, and expectations.expectations.


– Social dimensions include relationships within Social dimensions include relationships within families, households, organizations, families, households, organizations, neighborhoods, communities, cultures, and neighborhoods, communities, cultures, and societies as well as practices and traditions societies as well as practices and traditions common within this environment.common within this environment.


Physical environmentPhysical environment– Problems and goals within the physical Problems and goals within the physical

environment include housing, air and water environment include housing, air and water quality, noise levels, access to food and quality, noise levels, access to food and clothing, personal privacy, and physical clothing, personal privacy, and physical safety.safety.


Once the beginning phase is over, clients Once the beginning phase is over, clients often wish to discuss their most pressing often wish to discuss their most pressing problems. This involves four area of problems. This involves four area of exploration.exploration.11. Exploring the issue. Exploring the issue involves examining the involves examining the

present status of the problem or issue ofpresent status of the problem or issue of

concern—its intensity, frequency, and concern—its intensity, frequency, and

duration—and the context in which it tends duration—and the context in which it tends to happen. to happen.


22. Exploring the person. Exploring the person involves encouraging involves encouraging

clients to explore aspects of themselves as clients to explore aspects of themselves as individual human beings.individual human beings.

3. 3. Exploring the situationExploring the situation involves examining involves examining current and, when applicable, past current and, when applicable, past

circumstances. circumstances.

4. 4. Exploring the futureExploring the future involves examining the involves examining the issue, person, and situation as they may issue, person, and situation as they may emerge in the future. emerge in the future.


Ensure that treatment focuses on Ensure that treatment focuses on strengths and resources as well as strengths and resources as well as on problems and issues. on problems and issues. – Social workers seek to help clients Social workers seek to help clients

identify and explore strengths in two identify and explore strengths in two dimensions--beliefs and realities. dimensions--beliefs and realities.


By By looking for competencieslooking for competencies clients may clients may discover useful traits and attributes discover useful traits and attributes associated with their sense of efficacy. associated with their sense of efficacy.

By By looking for social supports, looking for social supports, clients are clients are encouraged to identify and reflect on encouraged to identify and reflect on individuals and groups within the social individuals and groups within the social environment that have been or could be environment that have been or could be resources.resources.


Looking for success Looking for success involves specific involves specific recognition of experiences of recognition of experiences of accomplishment and achievement that tend accomplishment and achievement that tend to contribute to feelings of competency and to contribute to feelings of competency and optimism.optimism.

By By looking for life lessons looking for life lessons clients are clients are encouraged to consider what they have encouraged to consider what they have learned and to acknowledge their own learned and to acknowledge their own wisdom.wisdom.


Asking QuestionsAsking Questions

Social workers hope to foster a good Social workers hope to foster a good working relationship where the client is a working relationship where the client is a full participant in the process.full participant in the process.

Asking questions in the right way Asking questions in the right way encourages client participation, whereas encourages client participation, whereas poor questioning technique can cause poor questioning technique can cause clients to become defensive and clients to become defensive and uncooperative.uncooperative.


Two types of questionsTwo types of questions– Closed ended questions are phrased to Closed ended questions are phrased to

elicit short answers.elicit short answers.

– Open ended questions are phrased in a Open ended questions are phrased in a manner than encourages people to manner than encourages people to express themselves expansively and express themselves expansively and extensively.extensively.


Seeking ClarificationSeeking Clarification

Seeking clarification is an attempt to Seeking clarification is an attempt to elicit more information from the client elicit more information from the client so that the meaning of the client’s so that the meaning of the client’s words or gestures become clear.words or gestures become clear.– It is done by asking the client to expand It is done by asking the client to expand

on what he said.on what he said.


Clients do not always clearly express Clients do not always clearly express themselves because:themselves because:– They are uncertain about what they think or They are uncertain about what they think or

feel.feel.– They are reluctant to ask directly for help They are reluctant to ask directly for help

because of a cultural or other reason. because of a cultural or other reason. – They are embarrassed.They are embarrassed.– Words, phrases and gestures commonly used Words, phrases and gestures commonly used

in one culture may be nonexistent in another. in one culture may be nonexistent in another.


Reflecting ContentReflecting Content

Reflecting content is the empathic skill of Reflecting content is the empathic skill of communicating understanding of the communicating understanding of the factual or informational part of a message.factual or informational part of a message.– Restate the client’s words to demonstrate Restate the client’s words to demonstrate

understanding.understanding.


Accurate reflections of content: Accurate reflections of content: – Contribute to the development of a positive Contribute to the development of a positive

working relationship working relationship – Promote a sense of collaborative partnership Promote a sense of collaborative partnership

between client and social workerbetween client and social worker


Reflecting FeelingsReflecting Feelings

Usually consists of a brief response that Usually consists of a brief response that communicates understanding of the communicates understanding of the feelings expressed by a clientfeelings expressed by a client– At first reflect only those feelings that are At first reflect only those feelings that are

verbally expressed.verbally expressed.– After a foundation of accurate reflections is After a foundation of accurate reflections is

established or when the nonverbal, emotional established or when the nonverbal, emotional message is very clear, reflect the unspoken message is very clear, reflect the unspoken feeling.feeling.


Reflecting Meaning and FeelingReflecting Meaning and Feeling

Reflect both the clients’ emotions and Reflect both the clients’ emotions and the facts or beliefs associated with the facts or beliefs associated with themthem


PartializingPartializing

The partializing skill is used to help clients The partializing skill is used to help clients break down several aspects and break down several aspects and dimensions of the person-issue-situation dimensions of the person-issue-situation into more manageable units so they can into more manageable units so they can be addressed more easily.be addressed more easily.


Going BeyondGoing Beyond

Going beyond occurs when empathic Going beyond occurs when empathic understanding is used to extend slightly understanding is used to extend slightly what was expressed.what was expressed.– The worker uses knowledge, experience, and The worker uses knowledge, experience, and

intuition to add to the feelings and meanings intuition to add to the feelings and meanings actually communicated.actually communicated.

– What clients say verbally is combined with What clients say verbally is combined with what they express nonverbally.what they express nonverbally.


Going beyond involves putting into words Going beyond involves putting into words those thoughts and feelings that a person those thoughts and feelings that a person probably thinks or feels but which he has probably thinks or feels but which he has not yet expressed verbally.not yet expressed verbally.


©2011, cengage learning, brooks/ cole publishing exploring chapter 9 social work skills workbook...

Documents

cengage learning

brooks cole publishing2011

brooks cole publishingskills

brooks cole publishingensure

brooks cole publishingonce

exploration phase

social context

client strengths