Social Work Skills

First MeetingsReflection of FeelingsParaphrasingQuestioningClarification Partializing SummarizingSilencePrompts Sharing Information Confrontation Attending Behaviors

Preparing for Client Meetings

Agency Decor Interviewing spaces should

be welcoming Interviewing spaces should

reflect the cultures of the clients served

Organizing the physical environment

First Impressions are Lasting

Interview Settings

Preparing

Preparing Skills-Preparatory Reviewing

-Preparatory Exploring

-Preparatory Consulting

-Preparatory Arranging

-Preparatory Empathy

-Preparatory Self-Exploration

-Centering

Physical Proximity

In what ways does physical proximity impact the client/SW communication ?

Prompts

Encourages the client to say more

Verbal and nonverbal tactics Not asking directly for more

specific content Gesturing/Minimal

utterances often picking up on the client’s last remarks

Signals the SW’s close following of the story and interest in details

NONVERBAL PROMPTS Leaning forward Maintaining eye contact Nodding of the head Hand Gestures

VERBAL PROMPTS

“And then……?”

“Anything more….?”

“Mm hmm.”

“Uh huh”

Skills in the Work Phase

Contracting begins with:– Clarifying Purpose – Clarifying Role– Reaching for Client

Feedback

First Meetings

Identify yourself Invite client to introduce

themselves Discuss time frame Explain the Limits of

Confidentiality Discuss purpose/roles Opening Lines

Contracting/Developing a Working Agreement

Notice that the conversation appears relatively informal

Does the SW clarify the issues for work?

Reflection of Feelings

An exploration of client’s affective (feeling) responses

Capturing the emotion expressed and reflecting it back

Restating and exploring client emotion

Reflecting both verbal and non verbal messages

Conveying Empathy

Putting Oneself in the Client’s Shoes

Understanding what the client is experiencing

Experiencing what the client is feeling

Conveying Empathy– Postures– Gestures– Sounds/Words– Behaviors

Exploration

Engaging client in a mutual exploration of the person-situation situation

Encouraging the client to share information, thoughts, and feelings about themselves

Results in greater self-exploration on the part of the client

Exploring the past, present, & past status of the issue

Skills for Exploration– Asking questions– Seeking clarification– Reflecting content– Reflecting Feelings &

Meanings– Partializing– Going beyond what is said

Exploration in Action

Observe the manner in which the SW gets Lily to offer more detail about her situation.

Notice how the SW uses the skill of clarification

– “What makes them perfect?”

– “Particular Imperfections?”

Paraphrasing/Reflecting Content

Rephrasing/restating client’s message Communicating an understanding of the

client’s message Allows client to hear the essence of his/her

statement Avoid repeated use of the same lead-in

phrases– Example: “You’re saying that…..”

Questioning

Closed-Ended questions usually answered in a few short words

Open-Ended questions invite exploration from client’s perspective

Avoid “WHY” questions and Double Questions

Clarification

Used when SW is unclear about what client is saying

Encourages client to be clear about what they are truly feeling and expressing

Clarifying a value or incomplete client experiences, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors

Partializing

A problem management skill Breaking down complex

problems into smaller more manageable proportions in order to address one part at a time

Conveys to the client that problems are manageable

Accomplishing small step builds client confidence

Focuses on the work, not on pathology that exists in the client

Summarizing

Identifying ideas, themes, and patterns that have been addressed or learned and reflecting these back to the client

A form of reflection in which the SW sums up what has been discussed and reflects these back to the client in a condensed form

NonVerbal Communication

Up to 65% of communication is nonverbal

Reading between the lines

Putting into words what the client is Communicating but

NOT saying

Assessing the client emotion that is being communicated INDIRECTLY

Observe:– Physical appearance– Body posturing– Gestures & movements– Facial expressions

NonVerbal Communication Sends Important Indirect Messages

Communication without using words

Body language, behavior (failing to take next steps, missing appointments)

How do you determine the meaning behind the indirect communication?

NonVerbal Communication

Observe Lily’s hand gestures Notice the change when she

talks about a favorable experience

What is Charles communicating with his crossed arms?

Your thoughts about the SW’s analysis?

Use of Silences

The art of knowing when to be quiet/ when to break the silence

The timing of being silent as an intentional response

Identifying the meaning behind the silence

Attending Behaviors: Physical & Psychological

What do you notice about the SW’s physical posturing?

What is the client communicating with his physical behaviors?

Sharing Information

Relevant to client’s immediate needs

Not intended to “lead” clients Client should be free to

accept/reject the information Related to the working contract When sharing worker’s opinions,

identify these as your own opinions, feelings, beliefs, values, rather than fact

Information Sharing and Rehearsing Action Steps

Providing advice/

recommendations Empowering clients to

act on their own behalf Rehearsing the steps

Disclosing Personal Information to Clients

Should the SW disclose personal information?

Should the SW share personal feelings and thoughts with clients?

Is revealing oneself “unprofessional”?

Self Disclosure

When used properly, can strengthen worker/client relationship

Boundaries for sharing worker’s feelings Spontaneous and unchecked expression of

worker’s feeling should be avoided Some worker feelings should never be

expressed

Encouraging Specific Behaviors

Influencing the client to do things differently Balancing client self-determination against

paternalism

Confrontation/Reflecting Discrepancies or Inconsistencies

Effective within a trusting relationship

Addresses the illusion of work

Typical for client to be unaware of discrepancies until brought to their attention

Challenging client’s patterns of inconsistent thinking and behaving

What was the benefit of confronting Lily about her intentions vs. actual behavior?

Observe how the SW manages Charles’ defensiveness and challenges

Indirect References/Moving from the General to the Specific

Issues raised indirectly may need to be directly discussed

Reaching for specifics behind general client statements

Making the connection that the client alludes to-- but is unable to express directly

Affirming Client Strengths

Resistance

Communicated verbally & nonverbally

Reading & exploring the resistance

Resistance to being helped Resistance to changing old

habits/holding on to what is comfortable & known

Can be a sign that the work is going well

Resistance to ending the relationship

Termination and Endings

Can be both Client initiated and/or Worker initiated

Reasons for Terminating:

– Work completed– Worker leaving agency– Client moving– Death of client/worker– Lack of progress– Financial reasons