COUNSELING SOFT SKILLS ARE DIFFERENT FROM HARD SKILLS, AND JUST AS IMPORTANT
June 25, 2019
Welcome!
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SMP
• Senior Medicare Patrol
SHIP
• State Health Insurance Assistance Program
MIPPA
• Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act
ACL = Administration for Community Living
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What we’ll learn today…4
. Define Soft vs. Hard skills
. Importance of Soft skills
. Key Soft skills
YOU can make a Difference6
“You have tremendous power to affect the behavior of the people with and for whom you work. It is your personal approach that creates the climate and your daily mood that creates the weather patterns where you work.” - Haim Ginott
HARD vs. SOFT skills7
Hard skills:• Technical skills needed to
carry out a specific job. • Tangible/measurable
skills • Skills that can be
demonstrated.
Example: Medicare content knowledge and computer skills.
Soft skills:• Personal and
interpersonal abilities. • Nontechnical skills that
allow us to manage ourselves and interact with others in a positive manner.
Example: communication, leadership, time management, etc.
Why are “soft” skills important?8
“You can make more friends in two months bybecoming interested in other people than youcan in two years by trying to get other peopleinterested in you.” -Dale Carnegie
Soft Skills Make a Difference9
Soft Skills positively impact Outcomes
Residential Vs Short Term Shelter Care
Residential Restraint rates
Clients report better outcomes
Genuine Interest in
Others
Self-Reflection
Ability to Listen on
Multiple Levels
Accessibility & Authenticity
Flexibility
Sense of Humor
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Key soft skills
Genuine Interest in Others11
• Make your greeting stand out• Use their name• Listen with interest• Ask question• Show respect• Encourage People
Self-Reflection12
It is the ability to think about and reflect on one’s own mental processes
1. Family story2. Emotions3. Defenses4. Beliefs/values5. Self-awareness6. Culture
Self-reflection is probably the single most important skill taught to our PhD students – Gregg Henriques PhD
Ability to Listen on Multiple Levels13
Judgement
Authenticity14
Pay attention.
Be present.Take time.
Flexibility15
The ability to transition from one perspective to another based on each client is a skill that should be developed early on.
Sense of Humor16
Humor creates rapport.
Caution: Never use humor at the expense of the client.
Developing Soft Skills17
Time and Commitment
Open to the process
Video tape your work
Trainings and workshops
Quality supervision
Webinar Resources in the Libraries18
SMPs
• Step 1: Login at www.smpresource.org(click the blue SMP Login padlock).
• Step 2: View the "Recent" list or conduct a search.• Tip: Search for
keyword “counsel.”
SHIPs
• Step 1: Login at www.shiptacenter.org(click the orange SHIP Login padlock).
• Step 2: Go to the Resource Library and view “Recent”• Tip: Search for
keyword “soft skills” click on Exact Match.
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MIPPAs: Resources will be emailed to the MIPPA listserv.
Related Resources in SHIP Library19
Counseling Soft Skills are Different from Hard Skills, and Just as Important (newsletter article)
SHIP Counseling Soft Skills: Communication is More than Sending and Receiving Messages (newsletter article)
Enhancing Communication Skills: Resources from the Field of I&R (newsletter article)
Counseling Communication Skills: Tips for SHIP Counselors (tip sheet)
Evaluating Counselors Communications Skills: Checklist for Mentos and Trainers
It’s What They Say AND How They Say It: Counseling Communication Skills – 2016 SMP/SHIP Conference Session
Connecting with Beneficiaries: Communication Techniques for Medicare Counselors Webinar
Counseling Resources in the SMP Resource Library
SMP Counselor Training Manual
• Also available to SMPs, SHIPs, and MIPPAs through this direct link: https://www.smpresource.org/Handler.ashx?Item_ID=17EA5C85-AB58-4822-A742-B39B6123F300
SMP Counselor Training Curriculum (in TRAX: Training Tracker)
It's What They Say AND How They Say It: Counseling Communication Skills (2016 SMP/SHIP conference presentation)
Tip: Search the library for keyword “counsel” to find additional counseling and counselor resources shared by SMPs, ACL, and the Center.
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Questions?21
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Thank you for participating!
Today’s webinar materials are available for download within WebEx, and the recording will be in the resource libraries tomorrow.
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The production of this webinar was supported in part by grant numbers 90SATC0001 and 90MPRC0001 from the Administration for Community Living (ACL).