Delia Manea

C34590

Diak University

17 January 2017

“The core business of social work is still ‘people’ and ‘talk’.” ( Seden, J. 2005).

The process of problem-solving is through communication, micro level is one that helps building

trust, and therefore good collaboration between social worker and services user. Once the contact

is established, social worker will take the client through five different steps; engagement is the first

step, followed by assessments of the problems and strengths; goal setting; intervention, and last is

evaluation and termination.

In “Helping Skills for Social Work Practice.” (Corcoran, J.2011) has mentioned two models of

communication skills used by social workers: motivational interview and solution focus therapy.

Both of these models are based on reflective empathy, open-ended questions. It’s important to

remember that the service user has his limitations and strengths, working with both of them will

increase the chances for problem-solving solution.

Solution focus therapy (SFT) is used at the beginning of process of helping, engagement, and

here is where the social worker is focusing on client strength, which will help towards change

phase. Techniques as: coping questions; normalizing; reframing; relationship questions are used

in engagement.

Motivational interview (MI) is used in the second step, assessment, here is discovered the

advantages and disadvantages of the client problem. Motivational interview gives the

opportunity, by using the open-ended questions, to diplomatically investigate what caused the

problem.

Finding a solution and setting goals is the following step, here is used solution focus therapy

(SFT). Social worker will guide the client towards finding his own strengths, and here is used

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scaling intervention, where instead of having a conversation ‘about’ emotions, the conversation is

‘about’ numbers (from 1 to 5, how sad are you feeling?). Switching the conversation helps the

service user to be more calmer and be able to focus on finding solutions.

Implementation plan is after the goal is set, and is conducted through solution focus therapy

(SFT) . Is important in this stage to have a strong collaboration with the services user, exchanging

information is crucial, looking at perspective of a better future will give hope. Having a

compassionate impact and showing kindness are the best tools for making an impact on client

life.

Evaluation and termination is the last step, and the process is conducted though solution focus

therapy (SFT), here are used scaling questions and termination questions, where rather then

focusing on the past, which it can't be changed, the solution focus therapy is guiding the client

towards hope. During of the therapy, the client is encouraged to find his own solutions and set

his own goals. (Corcoran, J. 2011).

From working with children, young people or adults, communication is most important skill, all

require attention; attention to detail of what is spoken, and to what is related. Both types of

communication skills, motivational interview (MI) and solution focus therapy (SFT), have core

skills as: open questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries. Out of these core skills, reflections

in motivational interview, will help the social worker to see the world through the clients eye,

showing empathy and understanding will keep the communication open for finding solutions.

Working in social services will require to develop skills for communication in different situation, it

will not be same working with a service user with mental illness as working with child with

autism. Social worker will require certain type of communication skills to be able to establish

connection with the non-verbal autistic child. Therefore is social worker’s responsibility to

develop skills to be able to communicate, to give opportunity to the service user to express his

own thoughts and desires. (Seden, J. 2005). Always go prepared for the meeting, find out if is

possible if the service user is from different culture, anything that will be helpful for a fruitful

communication between social worker and service user is important.

Relationships, one person interact with another, is the core of social services, having good

relationship between social services and their service users is possible through good quality

conversation. In order to have good quality conversation, you need to be a good listener.

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REFERENCES

Corcoran, J. (2011). Helping Skills for Social Work Direct Practice. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Seden, J. (2005). Counselling Skills In Social Work Practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Seden, J. (2013) Interviewing and Relationship Skills. In M. Davies (ed.),The Blackwell Companion to Social Work.

Motivational interviewing video

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