The Dynamics of the Social Worker-Client Relationship

Author(s):  
Joseph Walsh

While the effectiveness of direct social work practice always requires one’s competence in providing a variety of intervention modalities, outcomes are also dependent on the social worker’s ability to develop and maintain constructive relationships with clients. This book describes in depth the many ways that such relationships can be developed with clients who display a wide range of presenting problems in many types of social service agencies. Each chapter focuses on a particular challenge that social workers may encounter in that process, including the benefits and limitations of theory selection, boundaries, the use of self, the working alliance, relationship ruptures, special issues presented by children and adolescents, terminations and transfers, clients about whom a social worker experiences highly positive or negative feelings, the uses of touch and humor, working with psychotic clients, and the uses of technology. The book is filled with case studies written by students to illustrate how relationships can be formed and challenges can be resolved. The book is targeted to social work students in their field placements, although it can also be useful for practicing professionals.

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Monteiro

In social work practice, keeping records of encounters with clients is a routinized practice for documenting cases. This paper focuses on the specific task of obtaining the prospective clients’ correct address for filling in a standardized personal report form. My analysis focuses in the way both the client(s) and the social worker cooperatively orient to the practice of writing addresses, showing how this apparently simple task is multimodally implemented within interaction, and how it can generate some complications and expansions. A special focus will be devoted to difficulties encountered by clients to give their address in an adequate way, as well as to the transformation of this activity from an individual to a collective task.


Author(s):  
Sally Holland ◽  
Jonathan Scourfield

Much professional social work practice is carried out with individuals and their families. Social workers aim to attend to the person’s social context rather than only the specific problem being presented, and they work in a manner that is relationship-based. It is also generally accepted that using a strengths-based model approach produces a more productive working relationship. ‘Social work with individuals and families’ considers the origins of social work; the different ways of directly providing practical help or therapeutic intervention to individuals and families; how the social worker as case manager will be responsible for overall planning, co-ordination, and reviewing service provision; and how social work has become more client-centred and citizen-directed.


1976 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Snyder

The description of the P. family — their anxieties, hardships and frustrations will be a familiar story to social workers working with non-English speaking migrant clients, regardless of whether the social worker is employed by ethnic or sectarian agencies or the wider general agencies such as government departments, municipal councils or independent organizations. This attempts to investigate some of the ways in which social workers can attempt to help and support the migrant client from a different ethnic group in his struggle to create a new life in Australia. The P. family's story will be used to illustrate some of the major areas of difficulty faced by a migrant family and a number of social work roles and strategies are suggested which might be employed in seeking to bring about social change. The implications of ethnicity for social work practice in a multi-cultural society form a central focus of concern. Finally, general comments and suggestions will be made about the role and responsibilities of the social worker in the multi-cultural society.


Author(s):  
Ginka Mehandzhiyska

This article presents results from research on preferences of social work students (n=60) towards particular methods and forms when practicing their profession. A conceptual model has been applied, where measurements and analysis lead to identification of two methodological orientations: micro- and macro-orientation. Based on research data conclussions are made about the profile of the students' interests for practicing the social work profession in particular areas and settings. Presented analysis concludes that social work education prepares professionals with profiles relevant to the needs of social work practice.


2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margo J. Heydt ◽  
Nancy E. Sherman

The authors provide definitions and describe teaching methods and strategies related to a renewed understanding and development of the concept of “conscious use of self” a term defining the social worker as the “instrument” purposely used to promote change with client systems. The article clarifies how conscious use of self affects the development of an effective helping relationship, the medium through which change occurs in social work practice. Emphasis is placed on integrating cultural competence within students' understanding of conscious use of self as well as applying the concept at both micro- and macrolevels of intervention.


Radical Hope ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 203-210
Author(s):  
Michal Krumer-Nevo

This is the first chapter of Part Four of the book, which is titled “Solidarity”. Solidarity is an ethical principle that dictates the positioning of the social worker vis-à-vis service users. The chapter tells the story of a woman who was evicted from the apartment that she had occupied for 12 years and the struggle of her social worker to change the eviction order. The chapter addresses the tension between practice based on solidarity and mainstream social work practice in local social services.


1980 ◽  
Vol 61 (9) ◽  
pp. 541-547
Author(s):  
Charles S. Levy

The personal motivations that guide, influence, or are associated with performance must be regarded as functionally irrelevant in evaluating a social worker's performance of social work functions. The relevant question is: Did the social worker do what a worker is expected to do in the fulfillment of professional responsibility?


1978 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 14-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Herbert ◽  
Brenda O’Driscoll

Contemporary behaviour modification (or therapy) seems to offer what is both a useful theoretical and practical approach to the treatment of a very wide range of childhood and adolescent disorders (Gelfand and Hartmann, 1975; Herbert, 1975). We intend in this paper to describe this relatively new method of assessment and treatment of problem behaviour as it applies in family settings, and examine its relevance to social work practice. In doing this we shall consider briefly the nature of the social work task. After a discussion of the theoretical basis of behaviour therapy we shall attempt to demonstrate how the methods themselves can be applied in the social work setting giving examples from our casework in the Child Treatment Research Unit (C.T.R.U.) at the School of Social Work, Leicester University.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 21-24
Author(s):  
Niket Paudel

Person-Centered approach is an adapted work of Carl Rogers, where the focus was mainly on psychotherapy and counselling. Rogers believed, the basic nature of an individual is constructive and trustworthy – given that the individual is freely functioning. Person-Centered approach is the backbone of social work practice alongside trauma-informed approach. Any emotionally and physically daunting events that affects the response of an individual is trauma. Trauma damages the freely functioning state of an individual – emotionally, socially and behaviorally. By introducing an approach that is trauma-informed will help social worker to not only understand the emotions of the individual while working with them but also guide the social work practice in better understanding while working with the individuals.


Author(s):  
Mylo Jennings

Providing services to communities while providing education and training for social work practice in communities is at the core of this paper. These activities are discussed and reviewed in the context of social work in communities. Social work field placements (internships) in communities can provide positive learning experiences for students and excellent services to communities. The Winslow Project, a two-year community-focused placement for two group of first year master of social work (M.S.W.) Students is described and the results of this project are discussed. In order to fulfill a commitment to the community concept, students need a well-defined concept of group and community practice in order to provide the range and quality of services that are required for social work practice in the 21st's century global community paradigm. Providing social work intervention practices in the community is paramount to the further development of social work as a profession. It will also provide support and encouragement for communities to provide these supportive services within the community context. Social work history is rich with the type of models necessary for this to occur.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document