Summary
Contents
Subject index
Introduction to Social Work Practice orients the students to the role of the professional social worker. The first chapter delineates the differences between being a good friend and being a good clinician in terms of social/emotional factors, professionalism, and self-disclosure. The second chapter covers techniques for building a trusting working environment that is conducive to processing sensitive issues along with an overview of key therapeutic communication skills. The remaining five chapters detail an easy-to-remember five-step problem-solving model to guide the clinical process: 1. Assessment, 2. Goal, 3. Objectives, 4. Activation, 5. Termination.
Key features include:
role-play exercises; brief essay and response questions to build and test key communication skills; discussion points; glossary of terms; diagrams and charts that graphically represent the flow of the helping process.
The workbook presumes no prior clinical experience and uses no technical psychological jargon. It teaches fundamental communication skills while emphasizing key social work values, ethics, and issues of multicultural populations and diversity throughout.
Step I—Assessment: Where Is the Client Now?
Step I—Assessment: Where Is the Client Now?

Before you can embark on effectively providing meaningful help, you must first understand the nature of the person whom you endeavor to help. The client and his or her problem(s) exist within a realm of values, beliefs, resources, constraints, social systems, motivators, and priorities that are unique to each client. In order to provide meaningful care that is applicable to the client, you first need to understand the client and the social sphere in which he or she exists from his or her point of view.
This chapter covers the initial phase of the process—assessment—wherein you will be working to orient yourself to the multiple aspects of the client's life. Techniques for professionally ...
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