WEBVTT

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Hello, I'm Anna.
I'm a social worker and also a YouTuber,

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and I'm so, so excited
for today's video series

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where we will be going over
the social work helping process.

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This is also following the social work
Generalist Intervention Model,

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which you might also hear it talked about,

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but really it's the steps,
the basic framework

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that every social worker uses
in their form of intervention.

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This is applicable on a micro level,
on a meso level, and on a macro level,

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and we'll talk about
not only what each step is,

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but also how to do it well,

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what it includes,
and how to do it ethically.

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If you haven't seen me before,
hi, like I said, I'm Anna

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and I have a lot of videos covering
lots of different topics of social work

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and then also give a look into
my authentic life as a social worker.

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I graduated with my MSW
about a year ago

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and have had a postgrad journey since then

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that I would love for you
to subscribe and join along for.

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In today's video, we will be talking specifically about

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the engagement and assessment
steps of the helping process.

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The second video in this series
will cover planning and intervention

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and the final video in this series
will cover evaluation and termination,

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which gave a spoiler into
the steps of the helping process.

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But that's okay,
you're gonna learn them anyways.

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Without too much further introduction,
let's get into the helping process.

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Like I said, these steps are going to be

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a basic framework
that social workers follow.

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Obviously, each social worker's way
that they do each step of this process

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and the little caveats and tools
they use in between

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will look different depending on
what area of the field you work within

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and also what your scope of practice is,

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whether it's one on one,
whether it's with groups, with communities,

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with states, with countries,
whatever you're doing.

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But no matter
where you work in social work,

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the code of ethics is always applicable.

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And so, I think it's really important to
begin with the principles of social work

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so we can see how those apply

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as we go into
the steps of the helping process.

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The principles
of the social work profession

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are that social workers' primary goal

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is to help people in need
and address social problems.

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Both of those two, help people in need
and address social problems.

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Social workers challenge social injustice,

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social workers respect the inherent
worth and dignity of the person.

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Social workers recognize the
central importance of human relationships.

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Social workers behave
in a trustworthy manner.

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And social workers practice
within their area of competence

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and develop and enhance
their professional expertise.

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That applies to every social worker.

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The helping process contains six steps–

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sometimes seven, we'll kind of
talk a little bit about that one–

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engagement, assessment, planning,
intervention, evaluation, termination,

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and then the seventh one is follow up.

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No matter what social worker you are,

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no matter which
area of the field you work in,

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you are always, always
going to begin with engagement.

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When does engagement happen?

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As soon as you meet the client.

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It is the very first impression

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and it can also last
way beyond the first session

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as you continue to establish
a therapeutic rapport

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and build trust with the client.

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Whenever I say the client,
all throughout these videos,

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I can mean an individual,
I can mean a family,

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I can mean a group,
I can mean a community.

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So with establishing rapport,

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it can be one to one
with an individual in front of you,

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or it can be with a community as a whole,

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establishing rapport with a neighborhood
or with a school, with a city.

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What is engagement?

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'Building rapport'
is a super common phrase in social work,

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but it really just means establishing
a trusting working relationship

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between yourself and the client.

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Do they know you? Do they trust you?
Do they understand who you are?

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Ultimately, rapport is built over time,
but starting off

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focusing in on establishing that rapport
is so super crucial

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because it sets the foundation
of how your working relationship

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will develop over time
as you work with your client.

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Engagement is the first impression
that the client will have of you.

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Are you focused on them
and ready to assist them?

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Or are you frazzled and distracted
and acting as if

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they're just another thing in your day
that you have to do.

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As I've already mentioned,

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and as I'm sure I'll continue to mention
throughout these videos,

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the steps and what they include
will vary based on what you're doing.

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However, some aspects of engagement
that are pretty much always included,

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number one is an introduction,

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letting the client know who you are,
what you do, what your role is,

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and also letting the client
introduce themselves, listening to them.

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What's their name? Why are they there?

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Engagement will include explaining
confidentiality and confidentiality limits.

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This is super important because
before you do anything with a client,

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they need to know where the
information that they disclose will go,

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who it will go to,
when it is protected, and when it is not

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because then they can be informed
as they talk with you.

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Reading from the social work
Code of Ethics, this is 1.01,

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"But social workers primary responsibility
is to promote the well being of clients.

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In general, clients interests are primary.

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However, social workers'
responsibility to the larger society

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or specific legal obligations

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may, on limited occasions,
supersede the loyalty owed clients

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and clients should be so advised.

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Examples include when a social worker

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is required by law to report
that a client has abused a child

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or has threatened to harm themselves
or others."

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So sometimes in a therapeutic room,

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that could look like,
"Everything you say here is confidential,

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meaning that I'm not going to
go and tell other people about it,

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but the limits to that will be

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if you let me know that
you are planning to hurt yourself

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or if there are allegations of abuse.

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Which in those cases, I'm legally obligated
to make sure that everyone is safe."

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It doesn't have to be that exact line,
maybe that exact line isn't perfect,

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but something like that so they know,

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"Okay, if I tell the social worker
that I am a harm to myself,

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that social worker then has an obligation
to do something about it."

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Lets them know what's gonna happen

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based on what they disclose
or what they don't disclose.

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So introduction,
confidentiality and limits to it.

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You'll also discuss the agency's services
and what your role is within that.

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Maybe this agency offers
assistance in connecting clients

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to resources to obtain
housing, food, employment,

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and what I'm here to do is assess if
what we offer fits what your needs are.

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I totally made that up,
but something like that

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where it explains what we offer
and who you are so they know,

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"Okay, this is the situation,
this is what we're doing."

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Engagement will also include
setting boundaries.

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Again, this will look different
depending on where you're at.

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Sometimes boundaries
will be explicitly stated.

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Maybe if you are in a therapy setting
in a private practice

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and you explicitly state,

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"I am not able to be reached
outside of business hours,

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but if you do have a crisis in which you
need help outside of business hours,

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here is a resource or line you can call."
Something like that.

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If there are boundaries
that need to be set,

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sometimes they can be explicitly stated.

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Or if a client misunderstands what

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the services are
that you're offering them like,

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"Oh, perfect, I can't wait for
you to pick me up each week

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and we can go get groceries together
and you'll pay for them,"

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you need to explicitly state,

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"Actually, the services
that we provide are [blank]

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and I'm so excited to be able to
connect you with resources."

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Kind of clearing up what the role is,
that's setting boundaries.

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Another part of engagement is
talking through expectations for treatment.

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Say that you are in a therapy setting

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and you have a client coming in
for the first time and they say,

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"I just can't wait for you to fix me.

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I can't wait to be happy every single day.

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Probably by next week, right?
I'll never feel sad again."

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But talking through a realistic trajectory
of what may happen in therapy,

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what to expect,
not promising any outcomes

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because we can never
guarantee any outcomes, saying,

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"I would love to work with you to identify
what the stressors are in your life

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and what steps
you can take to lessen them."

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Something like that.

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Engagement will also include
obtaining informed consent.

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This is very important because after
you discuss expectations for treatment,

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what your role is,
what the boundaries are.

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Clients get to decide if

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your services are something
they want to go through with.

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You don't get to
force your services onto a client.

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Self determination is key.

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Obviously, there are some settings where

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informed consent
will look a little bit different.

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For example, if things are
court mandated, court ordered,

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but in those cases where you can
promote self determination in a client,

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you should still do so.

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But as far as
obtaining informed consent goes,

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we can go back to our code of ethics
because it talks about it explicitly,

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1.03, "Social workers should use
clear and understandable language

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to inform clients of
the purpose of services,

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risks related to the services,

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limits to the services,

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relevant costs, reasonable alternatives,

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clients right to refuse
or withdraw consent,

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and the time frame covered by the consent.

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Social workers should provide clients
with an opportunity to ask questions."

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This doesn't mean just do
a real quick spiel that you have memorized

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so super fast the client
doesn't actually understand it

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and you're like, "Okay, cool? Cool."
And then you're done.

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That's not really what consent is.

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The client needs to have the fullest
understanding that they can possible

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of what the process will look like

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because there shouldn't be surprises
that come up along the way.

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For example, you get five sessions in
and then you're like,

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"Actually, you owe $1,500
and I didn't tell you about that till now."

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Hopefully, no social worker is doing that.

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But that's a drastic example of

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a lack of information given upfront
that the client can consent to

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and say, "Okay, I understand
the risks of what I'm getting into."

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For example, the fact that therapy
might not always be comfortable.

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Okay, I understand that and I'm
still willing to go through with it.

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I understand the pay scale,
I understand when payment is due,

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I understand the expectations of me,
I understand your role,

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and this is something that
I'm willing to do.

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And notice that it says
clear and understandable language.

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If there is a language barrier
between you and your client,

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they can't give informed consent if you

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haven't presented information to them
in a way that they can understand.

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Then it also goes on to say,

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"In instances when clients
are receiving services involuntarily–"

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like what we mentioned,
maybe it's court ordered,

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maybe it's an involuntary hospitalization.

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"–social workers should
provide information

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about the nature
and the extent of services

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and about the extent of client's
right to refuse service."

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Quick overview of what we discussed.

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Engagement includes introductions,

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explaining confidentiality
and the limits to it,

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discussing agency services
and the social worker's role,

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setting boundaries,
talking through expectations of services,

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and obtaining informed consent.

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Some tips to do engagement well.

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I think number one is just remember
that it's a human to human interaction.

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Treat your client how you would want
your loved one to be treated

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if they walked into your agency.

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If you have an imaginary uncle who's out there

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and was gonna walk through
the front doors of your agency,

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be kind, be welcoming,
don't be judgmental.

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It's a human to human interaction.

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I think lots of times social workers
can put pressure on themselves, are like,

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"Okay, it's time to be
the superhero social worker."

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It's okay to laugh, to chat a little bit,

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to do a little bit of small talk,
really establish that rapport.

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Whether you need to talk about the weather

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or if there's a sports game
that just happened,

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being able to build a working relationship

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will ultimately lead to a beneficial
social worker-client relationship.

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A buzz phrase in social work
is to meet the client where they are at.

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And that just means
however the client is arriving to you,

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maybe they're not super ready or
not super comfortable to enter services,

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meeting them there instead of assuming

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that they're so gung ho
about something they're not.

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If they have reservations,
meeting them there,

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it's okay if a client doesn't
immediately warm up to you.

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Just because you do social work every day
doesn't mean that a client

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is used to participating in
social work services every day.

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If there is resistance there,
you can acknowledge that.

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Like, "I know it's hard to get up
and show up here,

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but I'm so glad you did

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and I'm looking forward to seeing
what we can do together."

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Part of this too is to be aware of

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any cultural differences
that might be present

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or any power imbalances
that might be present.

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Maybe a client has only ever had

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negative experiences
with previous social workers.

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You can't get personally offended

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if they come in reserved
and not really wanting to talk to you.

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Meeting them where they're at
is understanding, like,

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"Okay, they haven't had
great experiences in the past.

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I'm gonna do what I can to make sure that
this experience doesn't match those."

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But understand that
they're coming in reserved,

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they're coming in hesitant
and that's okay.

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One size does not fit all for engagement.

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Every person is different, so you're
going to engage every person differently.

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I think that can seem pretty obvious
when you're just sitting here saying it,

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but it's important to remember

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as you are a social worker
engaging with clients.

00:10:19.020 --> 00:10:20.920
Using your soft skills that you've learned

00:10:20.920 --> 00:10:23.512
through the engagement process
is so important.

00:10:23.512 --> 00:10:26.860
Find empathy for your client,
maintain eye contact when appropriate.

00:10:26.860 --> 00:10:29.300
Show your client that you're
focused on them, you're listening to them.

00:10:29.300 --> 00:10:30.700
It means actively listening.

00:10:30.700 --> 00:10:32.540
Pay attention to your posture.

00:10:32.540 --> 00:10:34.100
Are you just sitting and typing

00:10:34.100 --> 00:10:35.540
and looking away from them
while they're talking to you?

00:10:35.540 --> 00:10:37.510
They're not going to feel as engaged.

00:10:37.510 --> 00:10:39.440
As if you turn to face them,

00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:41.000
have an open posture,

00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:43.000
maybe nod along as they're talking.

00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:44.160
You don't have to overdo it,

00:10:44.160 --> 00:10:46.440
but just show signs that you are
actively listening to them.

00:10:46.440 --> 00:10:49.280
Focus on and be receptive
to the client's thoughts and feelings.

00:10:49.280 --> 00:10:51.784
Social work is client centered
and so that includes

00:10:51.784 --> 00:10:54.680
you being client centered
whenever a client comes in.

00:10:54.680 --> 00:10:56.920
A lot of those soft skills
you'll use anytime,

00:10:56.920 --> 00:10:58.800
especially when you're
doing micro social work,

00:10:58.800 --> 00:11:00.480
when you're working
one on one with a person.

00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:02.120
It can begin to look
a little bit different

00:11:02.120 --> 00:11:04.251
once you move into
meso and macro social work,

00:11:04.251 --> 00:11:06.320
which if you don't know
the differences between those levels,

00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:09.680
I do have a video that talks all about
micro versus meso versus macro,

00:11:09.680 --> 00:11:11.325
but say you're doing meso social work,

00:11:11.325 --> 00:11:12.818
all the soft skills that I just mentioned

00:11:12.818 --> 00:11:14.650
are still so important
when you're meeting with people,

00:11:14.650 --> 00:11:17.050
but if you're trying to establish rapport
with the community,

00:11:17.050 --> 00:11:19.250
maybe attending community events,
being present,

00:11:19.250 --> 00:11:22.890
getting to know who the stakeholders are
in the community, who holds power,

00:11:22.890 --> 00:11:25.290
who has influence in the community,
getting to know them,

00:11:25.290 --> 00:11:28.211
meeting different people with
various different roles in the community,

00:11:28.211 --> 00:11:30.210
or if you're working more macro focused,

00:11:30.210 --> 00:11:32.290
meeting people who are
personally affected by

00:11:32.290 --> 00:11:35.410
the macro social issue
or macro problem that you're working with,

00:11:35.410 --> 00:11:37.785
meeting with people
who hold the power to change,

00:11:37.785 --> 00:11:41.310
and meeting with the people who care
and who identified the social problem

00:11:41.310 --> 00:11:43.600
and brought you in
to do something about it.

00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:45.840
All in all, engagement is the foundation.

00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:47.920
It's what the rest of
your helping process,

00:11:47.920 --> 00:11:50.646
the rest of your work with a client
will be based off of

00:11:50.646 --> 00:11:53.332
and giving it the proper
time and energy that it deserves

00:11:53.332 --> 00:11:54.840
is super, super important.

00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:57.760
But once you do all of the steps
that we mentioned in engagement,

00:11:57.760 --> 00:12:00.715
the second step of the helping process
is moving into assessment.

00:12:00.715 --> 00:12:04.670
Assessment only happens
after you have obtained informed consent.

00:12:04.670 --> 00:12:07.110
You've let them know
the limits of confidentiality.

00:12:07.110 --> 00:12:09.070
They know your role,
they know what you're doing,

00:12:09.070 --> 00:12:10.590
they know what services you can offer,

00:12:10.590 --> 00:12:11.710
then it's time to assess.

00:12:11.710 --> 00:12:14.670
In short, assessment is determining
what the presenting problem is.

00:12:14.670 --> 00:12:16.910
Again, this can be micro, meso, or macro.

00:12:16.910 --> 00:12:19.150
A problem must be known
in order to be solved.

00:12:19.150 --> 00:12:22.744
If you go in blind, close your eyes
and shooting darts at the bull's eye,

00:12:22.744 --> 00:12:24.382
don't do that.
No.

00:12:24.382 --> 00:12:28.258
Additionally, assessment determines
what the client is seeking treatment for.

00:12:28.258 --> 00:12:29.880
Your assessment isn't to see, okay,

00:12:29.880 --> 00:12:33.014
I'm going to look at this client's life
and determine what I think are problems

00:12:33.014 --> 00:12:35.250
and determine what I think
they need to work on.

00:12:35.250 --> 00:12:37.321
No, you're figuring out
why did the client show up?

00:12:37.321 --> 00:12:39.560
What's going on?
What do they want help with?

00:12:39.560 --> 00:12:41.120
Also, why are they here now?

00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:43.360
What changed in
the presenting problem where,

00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:45.040
today's the day
where they showed up to you?

00:12:45.040 --> 00:12:48.200
What has gone on leading up to them
taking the steps to take action now?

00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:49.560
Depending on your agency,

00:12:49.560 --> 00:12:52.196
there may be specific tools,
specific questionnaires,

00:12:52.196 --> 00:12:55.045
specific templates
that you use for your assessment.

00:12:55.045 --> 00:12:57.370
Depending on
what kind of information you need,

00:12:57.370 --> 00:13:00.587
if you're in a school with children,
you're going to need different information

00:13:00.587 --> 00:13:03.770
than if you're working with veterans
assisting them to get home loans.

00:13:03.770 --> 00:13:06.130
Part of the way that social work
as a discipline

00:13:06.130 --> 00:13:09.510
is different from some other
educational backgrounds in assessments

00:13:09.510 --> 00:13:12.551
is that it takes account for multiple
different parts of the client's life

00:13:12.551 --> 00:13:15.570
and how they all play together
to affect a presenting problem.

00:13:15.570 --> 00:13:17.610
For example, in social work background,

00:13:17.610 --> 00:13:20.530
a mental health struggle
is not just biologically based.

00:13:20.530 --> 00:13:23.050
It may also be
exasperated by social pressures,

00:13:23.050 --> 00:13:25.597
systemic oppression,
maladaptive cognitions.

00:13:25.597 --> 00:13:26.995
There's more that goes into it.

00:13:26.995 --> 00:13:30.890
You need to collect information
before you begin any kind of intervention,

00:13:30.890 --> 00:13:33.843
or else, how do you know that
your intervention is a fit for the client

00:13:33.843 --> 00:13:36.010
and a fit for the presenting problem
that they came in with?

00:13:36.010 --> 00:13:38.640
Like I said, the exact information
that you're looking for

00:13:38.640 --> 00:13:40.210
will vary based on where you are,

00:13:40.210 --> 00:13:42.450
what you're doing, who you are,
what your role is.

00:13:42.450 --> 00:13:44.676
But some elements that
will be included in the assessment

00:13:44.676 --> 00:13:47.610
that you'll be asking people about
may include biological elements,

00:13:47.610 --> 00:13:50.290
psychological elements,
sociological elements.

00:13:50.290 --> 00:13:53.518
I don't know if you noticed,
but biopsychosocial.

00:13:53.518 --> 00:13:55.390
Probably heard of
those types of assessments before.

00:13:55.390 --> 00:13:59.270
In assessment, this is a great time for
you to use a strengths based perspective,

00:13:59.270 --> 00:14:01.870
which I also have a video on
if you'd like to learn more about it.

00:14:01.870 --> 00:14:05.030
But you're not looking at
what problems are in this client's life.

00:14:05.030 --> 00:14:07.670
You're also looking at
what strengths does a client come in with,

00:14:07.670 --> 00:14:09.790
what resources are available
for them to use.

00:14:09.790 --> 00:14:12.470
Along with that,
you'll identify any gaps in services

00:14:12.470 --> 00:14:15.168
or any barriers to services
that a client might be facing.

00:14:15.168 --> 00:14:17.110
You'll be looking at
how does your client system

00:14:17.110 --> 00:14:18.910
interact with other systems around them,

00:14:18.910 --> 00:14:23.208
whether your client system is an
individual, family, a group, a community.

00:14:23.208 --> 00:14:26.710
Also, sometimes in assessment,
you will obtain collateral information.

00:14:26.710 --> 00:14:29.750
This means information from people
outside of your client system

00:14:29.750 --> 00:14:32.830
that may be necessary to get
a holistic picture of an assessment.

00:14:32.830 --> 00:14:34.070
Now, with collateral information,

00:14:34.070 --> 00:14:36.499
ensure that you have
proper consent from your client

00:14:36.499 --> 00:14:38.630
in order to talk about them
to anyone else,

00:14:38.630 --> 00:14:39.925
whether it's another professional,

00:14:39.925 --> 00:14:41.910
whether it's a family member,
a school teacher,

00:14:41.910 --> 00:14:44.238
make sure that
the proper releases are given

00:14:44.238 --> 00:14:45.710
for you to talk about your client.

00:14:45.710 --> 00:14:48.350
That will be a question that whenever
you start working somewhere new,

00:14:48.350 --> 00:14:50.975
you'll need to make sure you have clear,
"Okay, who can we talk to

00:14:50.975 --> 00:14:53.530
and what is the process to
go about releasing information

00:14:53.530 --> 00:14:56.850
or obtaining information from someone
outside of the client with their consent.

00:14:56.850 --> 00:14:58.070
When working with children,

00:14:58.070 --> 00:15:01.245
you do not need a release
to speak to their legal guardians

00:15:01.245 --> 00:15:03.030
and their legal guardians
are generally the ones

00:15:03.030 --> 00:15:04.761
that provide consent
for you to talk to anyone else.

00:15:04.761 --> 00:15:07.230
However, once you begin
actually working with a child,

00:15:07.230 --> 00:15:10.190
it is important that you also
respect their confidentiality.

00:15:10.190 --> 00:15:13.110
This means not being a revolving door
straight back to the parents that,

00:15:13.110 --> 00:15:14.670
"Well, they're having a problem
with this, this and this,

00:15:14.670 --> 00:15:15.790
these are their exact thoughts.

00:15:15.790 --> 00:15:17.184
They feel this way about you."

00:15:17.184 --> 00:15:20.720
Obviously, you keep legal guardians involved and updated on progress

00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:22.760
to the extent that it's
beneficial to the child

00:15:22.760 --> 00:15:24.800
and to the client
and that it is required of you,

00:15:24.800 --> 00:15:28.040
but children can have confidentiality
even while they're children.

00:15:28.040 --> 00:15:31.116
Collateral information can also be
obtained from past documents

00:15:31.116 --> 00:15:33.200
if a client
has been with your agency before.

00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:35.000
Maybe someone else three years ago

00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:37.080
did an assessment
similar to the one you're doing.

00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:40.040
You can look at that and obviously
information has changed since then,

00:15:40.040 --> 00:15:42.640
but some may be the same, so you can
review that information with the client,

00:15:42.640 --> 00:15:44.850
but maybe you don't have to
start from exactly square one.

00:15:44.850 --> 00:15:48.020
Examples of presenting problems
if you are in micro social work,

00:15:48.020 --> 00:15:50.100
maybe someone is coming in
struggling with substance abuse

00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:51.420
and that's what they would like help with.

00:15:51.420 --> 00:15:53.060
Maybe someone has a missing resource,

00:15:53.060 --> 00:15:55.540
whether that's food, housing,
employment, healthcare,

00:15:55.540 --> 00:15:57.780
maybe someone is coming in
with a mental health struggle,

00:15:57.780 --> 00:16:00.820
maybe that's depression, maybe
that's anxiety, maybe that's psychosis.

00:16:00.820 --> 00:16:02.700
Those are examples of, on a micro level,

00:16:02.700 --> 00:16:04.860
what an individual
may be coming in with to you.

00:16:04.860 --> 00:16:07.257
On a meso level,
a presenting problem could be

00:16:07.257 --> 00:16:09.154
an elementary school
with low attendance rates

00:16:09.154 --> 00:16:11.380
and they're wanting you to
intervene to help that out.

00:16:11.380 --> 00:16:13.460
A high school with low graduation rates,

00:16:13.460 --> 00:16:16.820
a geriatric care facility with a high rate
of depression among its residents.

00:16:16.820 --> 00:16:18.820
Those are more meso, community based.

00:16:18.820 --> 00:16:21.518
It's not a group, but it's not country.

00:16:21.518 --> 00:16:23.300
Or, zooming out to macro social work,

00:16:23.300 --> 00:16:25.660
a city with a really high rate
of unhoused people,

00:16:25.660 --> 00:16:27.658
a state with
a high proportion of residents

00:16:27.658 --> 00:16:31.100
who are just living paycheck to paycheck
or experiencing financial insecurity,

00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:34.340
a social work board with
disproportionate pass rates by race.

00:16:34.340 --> 00:16:36.580
These are examples of more macro problems

00:16:36.580 --> 00:16:38.940
that social workers
may attempt to intervene with.

00:16:38.940 --> 00:16:40.540
Some tips to assess well.

00:16:40.540 --> 00:16:44.208
Spending sufficient time and effort
in the engagement stage

00:16:44.208 --> 00:16:47.140
will likely lead to a more honest
and complete assessment.

00:16:47.140 --> 00:16:49.020
If someone just came in,
they don't know you,

00:16:49.020 --> 00:16:51.100
they don't trust you,
they don't know what you're doing,

00:16:51.100 --> 00:16:52.380
they don't know what your goal is.

00:16:52.380 --> 00:16:56.280
They're probably not going to be as
honest and open as if they do trust you,

00:16:56.280 --> 00:16:58.720
do understand who you are,
do understand what your goal is.

00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:01.280
Being receptive to clients'
answers to your questions,

00:17:01.280 --> 00:17:03.160
no matter what they are, is important.

00:17:03.160 --> 00:17:05.880
Part of this is understanding
how your body language comes across.

00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:08.600
Part of it is ensuring
your responses aren't judgmental.

00:17:08.600 --> 00:17:10.062
You are not there to judge a client.

00:17:10.062 --> 00:17:13.480
You're there assessing needs so that
you can help them break down those needs.

00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:15.680
Part of assessing is being
comfortable with silence.

00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:19.666
Some topics discussed in assessment
may be tough for a client to open up about

00:17:19.666 --> 00:17:20.960
and tough for a client to speak about.

00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:22.680
Holding space for that is important.

00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:24.840
Just because this is
an everyday part of your life,

00:17:24.840 --> 00:17:26.740
discussing
whichever topics you're discussing,

00:17:26.740 --> 00:17:28.960
does not mean that it's
an everyday part of your client's life

00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:30.705
and does not mean
that they are comfortable with it.

00:17:30.705 --> 00:17:32.450
They may be very willing to talk about it,

00:17:32.450 --> 00:17:35.010
but sometimes
there's discomfort that comes up

00:17:35.010 --> 00:17:37.380
and being comfortable with just
letting them take a second

00:17:37.380 --> 00:17:39.690
holding space for them,
letting them speak on their own terms.

00:17:39.690 --> 00:17:43.431
Going back to our handy dandy
code of ethics, this is 1.07

00:17:43.431 --> 00:17:45.970
"Social workers should respect
clients' right to privacy.

00:17:45.970 --> 00:17:49.347
Social workers should not solicit
private information from or about clients

00:17:49.347 --> 00:17:51.530
except for
compelling professional reasons.

00:17:51.530 --> 00:17:54.810
Once private information is shared,
standards of confidentiality apply.

00:17:54.810 --> 00:17:58.104
Social workers may disclose
confidential information when appropriate

00:17:58.104 --> 00:18:00.049
with valid consent from a client

00:18:00.049 --> 00:18:02.890
or a person legally authorized
to consent on behalf of a client.

00:18:02.890 --> 00:18:04.849
Social workers should protect
the confidentiality

00:18:04.849 --> 00:18:07.607
of all information obtained
in the course of professional service

00:18:07.607 --> 00:18:09.620
except for
compelling professional reasons.

00:18:09.620 --> 00:18:13.037
General expectation that social workers
will keep information confidential

00:18:13.037 --> 00:18:15.193
does not apply
when disclosure is necessary

00:18:15.193 --> 00:18:18.980
to prevent serious, foreseeable
and imminent harm to a client or others.

00:18:18.980 --> 00:18:21.470
In all instances,
social workers should disclose

00:18:21.470 --> 00:18:23.794
the least amount of
confidential information necessary

00:18:23.794 --> 00:18:25.310
to achieve the desired purpose.

00:18:25.310 --> 00:18:27.255
Only information that is directly relevant

00:18:27.255 --> 00:18:29.190
to the purpose for which
the disclosure is made

00:18:29.190 --> 00:18:30.270
should be revealed."

00:18:30.270 --> 00:18:32.676
We've discussed the first two
steps of the helping process:

00:18:32.676 --> 00:18:34.070
engagement and assessment,

00:18:34.070 --> 00:18:35.350
and I think it's important
to circle back

00:18:35.350 --> 00:18:37.737
to those principles
of the social work profession

00:18:37.737 --> 00:18:40.191
to see how they can connect
in the first two steps.

00:18:40.191 --> 00:18:42.200
These are kind of
reflection questions for you.

00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:44.360
What does it look like
to help people in need

00:18:44.360 --> 00:18:47.220
and address social problems
through engagement and assessment?

00:18:47.220 --> 00:18:48.120
How can you do that?

00:18:48.120 --> 00:18:51.760
How can social injustice be challenged
through engagement and assessment?

00:18:51.760 --> 00:18:54.760
How can you respect the inherent
dignity and worth of the person

00:18:54.760 --> 00:18:56.400
through engagement and assessment?

00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:59.256
How can you centralize
the importance of human relationships

00:18:59.256 --> 00:19:00.790
through engagement and assessment?

00:19:00.790 --> 00:19:04.360
How can you be trustworthy
through engagement and assessment?

00:19:04.360 --> 00:19:07.881
How can you ensure that you are
practicing within your area of competence

00:19:07.881 --> 00:19:10.043
through both engagement and assessment?

00:19:10.043 --> 00:19:12.810
If you are curious what happens
when you're a social worker,

00:19:12.810 --> 00:19:15.210
after you engage a client
and after you assess,

00:19:15.210 --> 00:19:16.388
then make sure to subscribe

00:19:16.388 --> 00:19:18.890
so that you'll be around 
and see whenever part two is posted,

00:19:18.890 --> 00:19:21.290
where we will get into both
planning and intervention,

00:19:21.290 --> 00:19:24.890
and then part three, where we will
get into evaluation and termination.

00:19:24.890 --> 00:19:26.198
I hope this is helpful to you

00:19:26.198 --> 00:19:28.450
no matter where you're at
in your social work journey,

00:19:28.450 --> 00:19:31.490
and I hope that there are many
little reasons to smile in your day today.

00:19:31.490 --> 00:19:32.900
I'll see you next time.

00:19:32.900 --> 00:19:37.780
[music...]