Building Effective Helping Skills The Foundation of Generalist Practice

by Ragg, D. Mark

• ISBN13: 9780205298020
• ISBN10: 0205298028
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-10-06
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

This book provides readers with critical skills for effective social work practice, utilizing frameworks for organizing and understanding the skills.The book focuses on skill clusters and uses a response systems framework for developing specific helping skills. It provides readers with the formulae, tools, and strategies they need to build and improve these skills. It is divided into four main skill areas: developing the professional self, developing the working relationship, developing an accurate understanding, and responding in a manner that promotes goal accomplishment. Each section provides readers with the critical skills needed for effective practice. Case illustrations and case-based exercises help readers to understand and practice the application of the various skills.Designed for those interested in Social Work.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
PART ONE Toward Developing the Professional Self	1	(84)
Increasing Self-Awareness	3	(22)
The Importance of Self-Awareness	3	(4)
Toward Understanding Your Responses	7	(15)
Dealing with Present Pressures	22	(3)
Conscious Self-Control and Ethical Behavior	25	(21)
The Role of Professional Values	25	(3)
The Importance of Professional Ethics	28	(3)
Legally Mandated Assumptions and Duties	31	(3)
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas: The Weighting of Outcomes	34	(6)
A Framework for Self-Control	40	(6)
Acquiring a Knowledge Base	46	(22)
The Professional Knowledge Base	46	(4)
The Response Systems: A Conceptual Framework	50	(4)
Cultural Influences on Response Systems	54	(7)
Using the Framework and Knowledge Base to Assess and Plan	61	(7)
Thinking Skills	68	(17)
Five Styles of Thinking	68	(11)
Assumptions: The Foundation of Worker Mistakes	79	(6)
PART TWO Toward Developing the Helping Relationship	85	(62)
Tuning In to the Client	87	(15)
Preliminary Tuning In	88	(9)
Interactional Tuning In: The Foundation for Empathy	97	(5)
Engaging the Client and Focusing Work	102	(23)
Preliminary Engagement	103	(5)
Interactive Engagement	108	(6)
Problem-Based Engagement	114	(5)
Maintaining Engagement with the Client	119	(6)
Tuning In and Engaging Larger Systems	125	(22)
Tuning In to Individual Diversity in the Larger System	126	(2)
Tuning In to the Commonality among Individuals in the larger System	128	(9)
Engagement with larger Client Systems	137	(2)
Tuning In to Larger Systems: Some Examples	139	(8)
PART THREE Toward Developing an Accurate Understanding	147	(72)
Listening and Observing Skills	149	(22)
Promoting Exploratory Communication	149	(10)
Using Observational Skills in Client Communication	159	(12)
Exploratory Questioning Skills	171	(22)
Questioning Formats to Avoid	171	(5)
Using Questions to Explore Client Situations	176	(1)
Questions to Explore the Situation Parameters	177	(2)
Questions to Explore Client Response Systems	179	(9)
Questions to Explore Larger Client Systems	188	(5)
Reflective Responding Skills	193	(12)
The Outcomes of Reflection	193	(1)
The Elements of Reflection	194	(11)
Transitional Responding to Deepen the Exploration	205	(14)
The Mechanics of Transitional Responding	206	(13)
PART FOUR Toward Focused and Helpful Responding	219	(73)
Change Facilitating and Interventive Questions	221	(20)
Using Change-Focused Questioning	221	(2)
Types of Change-Focused Questioning Strategies	223	(18)
Supporting and Developing a Working Alliance	241	(13)
Enhancing Motivation in the Working Alliance	241	(4)
Nurturing the working Alliance	245	(4)
Focusing the Client Work	249	(5)
Managing Threats to the Working Alliance	254	(17)
Threats to the Working Alliance: A Relational View of Resistance	254	(1)
Protecting and Salvaging the Working Alliance	255	(16)
Maintaining Gains While ending the Helping Relationship	271	(21)
Client Responses to Ending	271	(3)
Past, Present, and Future: The Keys to Healthy Ending	274	(18)
Appendix	292	(19)
References	311	(9)
Index	320