Social Work Skills

1. Social Work Skills First Meetings Reflection of Feelings Paraphrasing Questioning Clarification Partializing Summarizing Silence Prompts Sharing Information Confrontation Attending Behaviors

2. 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

3. Interview Settings

4. Preparing Skills -Preparatory Reviewing -Preparatory Exploring -Preparatory Consulting -Preparatory Arranging -Preparatory Empathy -Preparatory Self-Exploration -Centering Preparing

5. Physical Proximity • In what ways does physical proximity impact the client/SW communication ?

6. 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” Prompts

7. Skills in the Work Phase • Contracting begins with: • Clarifying Purpose • Clarifying Role • Reaching for Client Feedback

8. First Meetings • Identify yourself • Invite client to introduce themselves • Discuss time frame • Explain the Limits of Confidentiality • Discuss purpose/roles • Opening Lines

9. Contracting/Developing a Working Agreement • Notice that the conversation appears relatively informal • Does the SW clarify the issues for work?

10. 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

11. 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 Conveying Empathy

12. 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

13. 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?”

14. 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…..”

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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?

21. 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? NonVerbal Communication

22. 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

23. What do you notice about the SW’s physical posturing? What is the client communicating with his physical behaviors? Attending Behaviors: Physical & Psychological

24. 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

25. Information Sharing and Rehearsing Action Steps • Providing advice/ recommendations • Empowering clients to act on their own behalf • Rehearsing the steps

26. 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”?

27. 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

28. Encouraging Specific Behaviors • Influencing the client to do things differently • Balancing client self-determination against paternalism

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. Affirming Client Strengths

33. 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

34. 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 Termination and Endings