Field Practice 1:Casework and Training

An Online Lecture for Social Work

Board Review

ANNIE GLEE T. SUAREZ, RSW, MSSW

Social Welfare Officer 2
 Social Work as defined in RA 4373
 is a profession that is primarily concerned with organized social service
activity aimed to facilitate and strengthen basic relationships and the
mutual adjustment between individuals and their social environment for
the good of the individual and society.

Global definition of the social work profession (IFSW & IASSW, 2014)
“Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that
promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the
empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human
rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social
work. Underpinned by the theories of social work, social sciences,
humanities and indigenous knowledge, social work engages people and
structures to address life challenges and enhance well-being.”
 Social Work
A profession which is concerned with man’s adjustment in his environment; a person in
relation to a person’s social situation.

Social work seeks to enhance the social functioning of individuals, singly, and in groups,
by activities focused upon their social relationship which constitute the interaction
between man and his environment. These activities can be grouped into three
functions: 1 restoration of impaired capacity 2 provision of individual and social
resources 3 prevention of social dysfunction (US Council on SW Education).

Social Work in its various forms addresses the multiple complex transactions between
people and their environment. (IASSW and IFSW)
 Social functioning
 The interaction between the individual and his situation or environment.
 It is the key concept in social work so its meaning should be very clear.

Different authors use of “person and situation” and “person and environment” makes the use of one or
the other acceptable.

Social environment is a network of overlapping social systems and social situations, including ecological
systems, cultures, and institutions.

Social situation is an impinging segment of the social environment. It is a smaller, more immediate
environment that “has meaning for the individual and that is uniquely perceived and interpreted by him,
in which he has one or more status- roles and identities, is a group member and a role performer.

Social Work aims to enhance the social functioning of individuals, families, groups, organizations and
communities.
 Social functioning
is generally considered to be a subset of social role theory.

Social Role – socially recognized pattern of behaviours and activities expected from an individual
occupying a certain position in society.

It also is a social work practice concept. Boehm (1958) first proposed social functioning as a central
focus for social work practice, viewing it in terms of role performance.

Bartlett (1970) furthered the proposal. She viewed social functioning as having an overarching
concern in all social work fields and methods as well as agency service systems. She pointed out
that most social workers would emphasize two central ideas if asked to describe their profession:
"1) it is a helping profession and, 2) it is concerned with the social functioning of people"
 SOCIAL FUNCTIONING PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY:

 Personal inadequacies or sometimes pathologies which may make it difficult for a

man to cope with the demands of his environment.

 Situational inadequacies and other conditions which are beyond man’s coping
capacities.
Both personal and situational inadequacies.

 PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN RIGHTS and SOCIAL JUSTICE are fundamental to social

work.
 SOCIAL FUNCTIONING: SOCIAL WORK’S FOCUS OF CONCERN

 Wernes Boehm
 Social work seek to enhance the social functioning of individuals, singularly and in groups
by activities focused upon their social relationship which constitute interaction between
individuals and their environment.

 William Schwartz

 Social Work profession mediates the process through which the individual or society reach
out to each other through mutual need for self-fulfilment.
 Symbiotic means relationship between people and their nurturing group.
 the Social Worker’s Field of intervention lies at the point where two forces meet: the
individuals impetus towards health, growth and belonging, and organized efforts of
society to integrate its parts into a productive and dynamic whole.
 William Gordon
 PERSON IN HIS LIFE SITUATION

 COMPLEX – a simultaneous dual focus on man and his environment. This focus has been
concentrated at same time on the side of the organism as interpreted by psychological theory and
at other times on the side of environment as interpreted by sociological and economic theory.

Harriet Barlett

 Social functioning is the relation between the coping activity of people and the demand from the
environment.

Louise C. Johnson

 Social workers become involved when individuals are having difficulty in a relationship with other
people: in growing so as to maximize their potential and in meeting the demands of the
environment. He described this situation as “people coping” and “environmental demand”.
 THREE WAYS OF SOCIAL WORKERS TO IMPROVE SOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF INDIVIDUAL

 Change strategies directed towards the individual if personal inadequacies or sometimes

pathologies make it difficult for the individual to cope with the demands of his situation or
environment.

 Change strategies directed toward the environment if it is the latter that is beset with
inadequacies or if the situation is such as to be beyond the coping capacities of the individual.

 Change strategies directed towards both the individuals and the environment.
 THE FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL WORK

 PREVENTIVE FUNCTION – early discovery, control and elimination of those conditions or

situations which may have harmful effect on social functioning.

 REHABILITATIVE FUNCTION - tries to put back the person to a normal healthy state of
social functioning. Curative aspect – seeks to remove factors which have caused the
breakdown in the person’s social function.

 DEVELOPMENTAL FUNCTION - both to help the individual make maximum use of his own
potentials and capacities as well as to further the effectiveness of available social or
community resources.
 The Primary Methods of Social Work
SOCIAL CASE WORK, (SOCIAL GROUP WORK, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING)

 Helen Harris Pearlman – originator of Problem-Solving Framework in Social Work

 In her book “Social Casework: A Problem Solving Process” she describes the social work process as a
progressive transaction between the professional helper and the client, consisting of a series of problem
solving operations which can be summarized as follows:

 STUDY (facts that constitute and bear upon the problem must be ascertained and grasped)

 DIAGNOSIS (facts must be thought about, examine relationship and searched for significance)

 TREATMENT (some choices or decision must be made as an end result of the consideration of the particular
facts with the intention of resolving the problem)
 IN GENERAL, THE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS DEMANDS THAT A WORKER BE SUCCESSIVELY
INVOLVED IN THE FOLLOWING SEQUENTIAL STEPS:

1. Recognition or definition of the problem, and engagement with the client system
2. Data collection
3. Assessment of the situation
4. Goal setting and planning of an action
5. Intervention or the carrying out of an action
6. Evaluation
7. Termination
 SAMPLE CASE: A 15-year old Rape Victim, Perpetrator is the Biological father who is the family’s
breadwinner

1. Situation/ Definition of the Problem:

Client is a 15-year old Incest Rape victim by her father. She is the youngest among four children in the
family. She is currently studying as a third year high school student at a local government school in
their place. She expresses guilt and shame for what happened to her. Her father, who was their
family’s breadwinner was apprehended and is currently in jail because of her confession. The family
now suffers financial problem because her father, who is the family’s breadwinner is unable to
provide for their family. Her three (3) siblings are mad at her. Her mother’s income from being a
laundrywoman is insufficient for the needs of the family.

2. Data Collection
 Sources of Information: Client
Family members (siblings, mother and other household members)
Relatives,Neighbours, Classmates, Teachers (Collateral informants)
 Data Gathering:

1. Facts about the Case – Details about the incident (When, Where, How, What)
* Interview with the client, family members, significant others and collateral informants

2. Background of the Child - Four (4) Rs: Roles, Rules, Relationships, Rituals

3. Background of the family: Home and economic condition, History of abuse (if any), parents’
relationships to each other and to children, ways of discipline of parents to their children

4. The family and social environment of the child-victim, the family’s relationships, treatment
towards each other and their relationship to neighbours and other people and authorities.

5. The child’s performance at school, friends and her social interaction, etc.
 3. Assessment of the situation

 Client has psychosocial & psychological needs – guilt & shame/ hatred of siblings towards client
 Family income has reduced because father, as breadwinner was imprisoned
 Client’s need of counselling, assistance for a temporary shelter, educational assistance
 Family members (siblings and mother) needs supportive counselling regarding the situation

4. Goal setting
 Client will overcome feelings of guilt and shame, siblings will understand client’s predicament
 Client will continue her schooling, able to get a scholarship or educational assistance.
 Client will be willing to undergo counselling and or treatment plans.
 Mother and other family members to undergo counselling and will have a sustainable income
generating activities; like additional job or source of income to sustain the needs of the family
 Better understanding of the family of the situation and discover their potentials and capacities to
address their situation.
 5. Intervention or Carrying out the Plan

 Counselling for the client (indicate how many sessions, responsible persons). LGU social worker or
court social worker may perform the counselling sessions as directed by the court after social
worker’s recommendation to the court. If beyond agency’s mandate depending on the degree of
the need for counselling, referral to a psychologist might be necessary.

 Counselling sessions for the family members (mother, siblings & relatives) to better understand the
situation and address the pressing problems.

 Referral of child victim to educational assistance to help her continue her studies (referral to LGU
program for scholarships for indigent/victims, Witness protection program of the DOJ).

 Skills training for unemployed family members whose age is appropriate to obtain jobs or
employment.

 Livelihood assistance for the mother (LGU livelihood assistance program), skills training might be
necessary for sustainability of the livelihood.
 6. Evaluation (Monitoring)

 Did the goals targeted reached?

 Did the client-victim overcome her feelings of guilt and shame?
 Did the family members (mother and siblings, relatives) able to understand the consequences of
the father’s criminal act and finally accepted the child-victims decision to come out to open?
 Did the family members finally gave emotional and moral support to the child?
 Did the mother, other children (family members) able to cope with the situation- emotionally,
financially, morally and socially? Have they overcome the social stigma brought about the incident?

 Does the mother gain other employment or sustainable income generating activities?
 Did the other family members able to help the mother to improve family’s financial situation and
have gained additional training or skills to sustain their new sources of income?
 Did the mother and other family members learned how to place safe guards her children?
 7. Termination

 When goals are reached, interventions are done and implemented.

 Evaluation is successful.
 If the Rape case is on-going, continue support for the minor child-victim during court hearings and
report to social worker after hearing to update him/her.
 THE HELPING RELATIONSHIP

 The worker-client relationship is such a crucial factor that it can spell difference between successful
or unsuccessful problem-solving. All of the worker’s professional relationships should involve self-
discipline and self-awareness.

 Emmanuel Tropp (Developmental) – developed an important set of statement that sum up the
essential characteristics of the worker’s presentation of self to each of his/her clients:

 Compassion Support
 Mutuality Expectation
 Humility Limitation
 Respect Confrontation
 Openness Planning
 Empathy Enabling
 Involvement Spontaneity and control
 Role and Person Science and Art
 SELF-AWARENESS
 may be called for in situation where worker’s values clash with the client values. Many of
these values usually been so internalized that the worker is often not conscious that she is
judging other people’s behaviour along these values.

PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

 Essentially a cognitive process, a rational procedure involving series of steps to be
followed sequentially.

SOCIAL WORK HELPING PROCESS

 Is not just a cognitive process since it involves a relationship between two (2) parties
(Client-Worker system). Professional values and ethical principles guide this relationship
particularly in relation to the handling of feelings, attitudes that inevitably enter the
picture.
 STEPS IN SOCIAL WORK HELPING PROCESS

Beginning Phase Middle Phase Ending Phase

4. IMPLEMENTATION
1. ASSESSMENT
3. INTERVENTION 5. EVALUATION
2. PLANNING
6. TERMINATION
 HELPING RELATIONSHIP HAS THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:
1. SELF-DISCIPLINE AND AWARENESS
 Naomi Brill believes that an effective worker must:
 Be aware that she is a walking values
 Use all means to become conscious to those values
 Strive to evaluate herself and her own values by looking at the origin
 Strive to change those values that need to be changed

2. AUTHORITY/PROFESSIONAL AUTHORITY/POWER
 Position or functions in the agency; and professional knowledge and experience

3. COMMITMENT AND OBLIGATION

 Accountability and responsibility to Clients and others
 Naomi I. Brill

* Recognizing the worker’s value system defines her behaviour and relationships
with other people, believes that the effective worker must:

 Be aware that she is a walking system of values

 Be conscious of what these biases are
 Strive to evaluate herself and her values objectively and rationally
 Strive to change those values that, on the basis of her evaluation, need changing
 AUTHORITY (and the power that accompanies it) - there are two (2) sources of a worker’s
authority – (1) her position and corresponding functions in the agency, and (2) her
possession of knowledge and experience.

 GODSTEIN points out that in SW relationships, when one seeks something from another
person “that cannot be obtained elsewhere – the relationship cannot be equalized.”

 COMMITMENT AND OBLIGATION – to bind or pledge one’s self to relationship; to obligate

one’s self is to perform the moral responsibility that goes with a pledge or a promise made

 HELPING CONTRACT is frequently used in reference to the expectations and terms of the
commitments and obligations of both client and worker, which are often clearly spelled
out.
 STEPS IN THE SOCIAL WORK HELPING PROCESS
1. Assessment
(Max Siporin – assessment is a process and product of understanding on which action is based. )
 The process involves the collection of necessary information and analysis and interpretation in
order to reach an understanding of the client, the problem, and the social context in which it exist.

ASSESSMENT
 Also termed as diagnosis and social study involves the collection of necessary information and its
analysis and interpretation
 The ultimate purpose is to provide understanding necessary for appropriate planning.
 The major tasks involved during this stage are data gathering, and problem definition based on the
agreement between the client and the worker as to the problem-for-work. These tasks culminate
in the worker’s writing of an Assessment Statement or a Problem Definition.
 Types of Sources
(Data Gathering Sources)
 Primary source – the client

 Secondary source – significant others (collateral informants)

ex. family members, neighbours, co-workers, friends etc.

 Existing source – records and reports (police reports, intake sheets, documents
obtained from government agencies, birth cert., marriage cert., police & NBI
clearances etc.)
 Worker’s own observation (Verbal and non-verbal cues of clients/ interviewee)
 PRINCIPLE IN DATA GATHERING
1. The client should be the main source of information although, when appropriate and
available sources should be used.
2. Data to be gathered should directly relate to the identified problems.
3. The client should be informed about the source being used for data collection. In certain
cases, his permission is needed.
4. Consent should be sought before certain kinds of information are obtained.
5. Data collection is a continuous process, but it is the collection, organization and synthesis
of such data that is especially critical to the definition of the problem and setting of goals.
6. The type of client and the general nature of the problem can guide the worker on the
type of data that should be collected and how much.
 The Intake Process and the Presenting Problem
 Intake – process by which a potential client achieves the status of a client.
On the client’s part, this involves the presentation of the self and the problem or
need as he/she is experiencing.
On the worker’s part, this involves some assessment of the client and the problem
and whether or not the agency is in a position to help.
 A good intake interview should provide the client with adequate understanding of
the agency and its policy and program in relation to the need or problem, as well
as the responsibilities and obligations from both client and worker.
Intake may be accomplished in one session with a client.
 Presenting problem- problem that is a threat to the client’s or other’s welfare, and
usually stated or presented as it is being perceived or experienced.

 In working with a small group, a worker does individual or group intake interviews.

 Individual Intake Form: community identifying information, presenting problem

and circumstances relating to this, background data and other pertinent
information obtained during the initial contact with the community.
 DEFINING THE PROBLEM

Compton and Galaway

 The way you define the problem will define the data collected and will dictate what are seen as
appropriate answers.

 Problem for work- place of beginning together which means problem or part of the problem:

Defining the problem – the problem for work means:

 The problem or part of the problem that the client system is most important or a good beginning
place.
 The problem or part of the problem that in the worker’s judgement is most critical.
 The problem or part of the problem that in the worker’ judgement can most readily yield to help.
 The problem or part of the problem that falls within the action parameter of the helping system.
***the Client’s Presenting Problem, if it is the problem or part of the problem the client
system feels is most important, it may serve as the “Problem for Work”

*** if the client system presents multiple problems, the worker may use PARTIALIZATION
- the process of separating from, so many problems identified by the Client and the
Worker, the problem that need to be addressed first, and will be the focused of the helping
relationship.

PRIORITIZING- the added aspect of a problem taking precedence over other problems
because of its Importance.
 WRITING AN ASSESSMENT STATEMENT

Components of an assessment statement (by Maria O’niel Mcmahon):

 Opening casual statement- this requires the worker to clearly indicate who’s has
the problem, and why the problem exists at the time.

 Change potential statement- a statement- a problem’s change potential is

dependent on three interdependent factors: problem, person and environment.

 Judgment- about the seriousness or urgency of the problem.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ASSESSMENT

 On-going
 Focuses on understanding the client in situation and providing a base of planning and action.
 A mutual process between client and worker
 There is movement within the assessment process
 Both horizontal and vertical explorations are important
 Assessment identifies needs in life situations, defines problems, and explains their meaning and
patterns
 Assessment is individualized
 Judgment is important in assessment because many decisions have to be made.
 No assessment is ever complete
PLANNING
 The link between assessment and intervention
 Planning process translates the content of assessment into a goal statement that describes the
desired results and is also concerned with identifying the means to reach the goals.
Two (2) majors task during the planning stage:
 Formulating goals that directly relate to the client’s need or problem
 Defining the specific actions/interventions that are necessary to achieve the goals.

GOALS

 The desired or expected outcomes of an endeavour.

 The term interim goals, intermediate goals objectives- refers to specific, short-term goals which
facilitate the achievement of the long term or overall goals.
 Characteristics of goals- SMART
PLANS

 Means to achieve goals

 Consist of the specific actions/steps to be undertaken in order to reach the goals.
 Jointly made by the worker and the client, helping Plan, Action Plan, or
intervention Plan
 Systematic review of the client strengths when preparing of intervention plan is
one way to avoid offering an intervention plan without considering alternatives
with the client.
UNITS OF ATTENTION

Intervention or Action/Helping Plan calls for an identification of other persons who, in addition to the
client, have to be given attention because they are involved in the situation, and work with them is
essential to goal attainment.

Systems that are the focus of the change activity.

 STRATEGY defined as an overall approach to change a situation.

Factors that influence the plan of action:

 1. The community in which it is being carried out

 2. The agency sanctioning the plan
 3. The social problem that the plan is response to
 4. The social worker involved in the plan
 5. The client
 The assessment and planning steps in the problem solving process culminates in the worker’s
writing of a social case study that contains the synthesis of the information that has been obtained
from the client and his situation, and assessment statement/ definition of the problem of work and
the helping intervention goals and plans.

THE HELPING CONTRACT

 After having worked together in assessment and action planning, what should follow is an
agreement between the worker and the client on what needs to be done and who should do it.
This is called a “contract” in our setting and having verbal agreement is common practice.

INTERVENTION
 This phase in the helping process is concerned with the action that would solve the client’s
problem.
 Involves the rendering of all the specific and interrelated services appropriated to the given
problem and situation in the light of the assessment and planning
 Includes all the goal related activities that the worker will undertake following the agreement
forged with the client based on the problem to be worked on and the plan of action to be pursued.

Compton and Galaway have very apt words for two phases of the helping process:

 Deciding what to do (assessment and planning) and

 Doing the decided (intervention)

 ECO-MAP is an assessment, planning and intervention tool. A simple paper and pencil simulation
that present the individual or family and the major systems in the life space, as well as the nature of
the individual’s or family’s relationships with these various systems.
 INTERVENTIVE ROLES IN DIRECT PRACTICE

Interventive role refer to the composite of activities or tasks that the worker is expected to
undertake in order to accomplish the goals agreed upon with the client.

 Resource Provider- engages the worker in the direct provision of material aid and other concrete
resource that will be useful in eliminating or reducing situational deficiencies.

 Social Broker- involves the process of negotiating the service jungle for client, whether singly or
groups. The worker links or connects the client to needed service in the community.
 It requires a broad knowledge or community resources and operating procedures of agencies.
 Referral is considered a basic activity in this interventive role.
 Networking- worker’s efforts at establishing and maintaining relationship with other community
entities which have resources that can support and
 supplement her own agency’s resources
 Mediator- person who acts as an intermediary or conciliator between two persons or sides.

 Advocate- the worker has to take a partisan interest in the client and his cause. The objective is to
influence, in the client’s interest, another party, usually possessing same power or authority over
the client.

 Enabler- involves the social worker in interventive activities that will facilitate the clients’ strengths
and resources within themselves to solve problems they are experiencing

 Counsellor/Therapist- the goals of the worker is the restoration, maintenance of the client’s
capacity to adapt or adjust to his/her current reality.
 INTERVENTIVE ROLES BEYOND DIRECT PRACTICE

 Mobilizer of Community Elite- involves the worker in activities aimed at informing

and interpreting to certain sectors of the community, welfare programs and
services as well as need and problems, with the objectives or enlisting their
support and/or involvement in them.

 Documenter/Social Critique- worker documents the need for more adequate

social welfare policies and programs based on her knowledge about the
inadequacies on deficiencies in these existing welfare policies and programs as
well as on her belief as to how there ought to be, in the light of professional values
and goals.

 Policy/Program Change Advocate- worker is involved in efforts to change policies

and programs on behalf of particular sectors of the population based on the values
of profession.
 LIMITATIONS OF WORKER’S ACTIVITES:

 Time- the worker may not be able to give the client unlimited time

 Skill- the worker should perform only those activities that are within her
competence

 Ethics- the worker watch out for activities that might commits her unethical
behaviour.

 Agency Function- the worker must be sure that she understand and interprets
agency function properly.
 EVALUATION

 Collection of data about outcomes of a program relative to goals and objectives set
in advance in the implementation of the program.
 Ongoing evaluation
 Terminal evaluation

 Both qualitative and quantitative

 Summative evaluation concerned with outcomes of effectiveness
 Formative evaluation concerned with looking at the process of the work. It forces
the worker to find out whether the implementation plan is being implemented as
designed
 Intervention plans can be viewed in two (2) levels:
conceptual level and operational level.
 Professional accountability- Social worker and Social Welfare agencies
must answer for their work, not just to client who are the direct users,
but to the public that supports them.

 TERMINATION
End of helping relationship
Two Aspects of Accountability

 Effectiveness- refers to the questions on whether or not the services or

intervention plans are accomplishing their intended goals;

 Efficiency- refers to the cost of services and intervention plans in

money, time and other resources.
 Social Case Study Report
I. Identifying Information:

Name, Age, Gender, Educ. Attainment, Religion Occupation, (Company) Citizenship,

Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Marriage, Place of Marriage etc.

Family Composition: (Usually in Table form)

Name, Age, Relationship, Educational Attainment and Occupation of Family members and other
household members

II. Problem Presented:

Problem presented by client, Identified problems by the worker based on his/her assessment
(Partialization and Prioritizing)
III. Background Information of the Problem:
(State the incident and factors surrounding the problem)

IV. Background Information of the Client:

 Personal Background
- school, daily activities, routine, feelings, emotions, 4 Rs, relationships with friends and relatives,
persons in authority, roles played in the family, rules followed at home,

V. Family Background:

 History of the family (abuse, medical history), Family relationships (Roles, rules, rituals,
relationships), Economic activities

Home and economic condition (breadwinner in the family, other family members who are
providers)
VI. Clearances:
Medical certificate, Police, NBI clearances, other records, reports

VII. Treatment Plan:

VIII. Interventions:

VII. Diagnostic Assessment: (Social Worker’s Assessment of the case)

Summary of identified problem, information gathered about the client, family and significant others,
plans and intervention and findings.

X. Recommendation:
 Social Worker’s Tools and Techniques
(Needed Competencies)
Interviewing
Social Work Definition

 Interview is a face-to-face meeting between two or more persons

 Directed towards a purpose
• To obtain information
• To give instructions
• To help
 Involves both verbal and non-verbal communication
 Requires knowledge and skill.
 Skills for Effective Interview

1. Skill in relating with the interviewee

 guided by the principles of the social work profession

• Acceptance (every person has worth and dignity)

• Uniqueness of each individual
• Confidentiality (what, when, where to ask)
• Self- awareness
• Client self-determination
 Worker to provide guidance, direction, support, clarification
 Keeping in mind that the client has capabilities and potentials
2. Skill in observing the interviewee

• Physical appearance, facial expression gestures, body movements,

etc.
• Behaviour and reaction to others
• How the client responds to the worker: anxious, annoyed,
comfortable, patronizing, enthusiastic, forced
• Worker’s awareness of own prejudices, interests and judgments
while observing
3. Skill in Listening
A good interviewer:
o Listens before s/he talks
o Starts the interview by giving its purpose
o Encourages the client to express his/her feelings

 Effective and active listening means:

o Letting the other person know that you acknowledge what is being said, without
disrupting what they are saying
o Verbal acknowledgments like “go head,” “hmm, I see,” “and then..”
o Non-verbal signals like making eye contact and nodding one’s head
o Reflecting back the client’s feelings
o Giving full (100%) attention

4. Skill in asking questions

o The manner of asking questions can make the difference between getting correct or wrong
information, and a responsive or hostile reply.

o Genuine interest and concern about helping easily translates to a manner and tone of asking
questions that the client will positively respond to.

o Use questioning techniques appropriate to your purpose. Basic lines of questioning include
open-ended, closed, narrow and leading questions.
5. Skill in answering personal questions

o Realize that you, too, are entitled to your own privacy.

o Don’t feel obliged to answer every question your client asks.
o Balance professional and personal relationship.

6. Skill in interpreting the client’s response

o Giving meaning to the client’s words, expressions or behaviour must be as objective and
accurate as possible.

o Be conscious of your own projections and judgments.

o Contextualize.
 TIPS IN CONDUCTING INTERVIEW
 Create a Calm, Open Environment
o Start with yourself by setting an attitude of acceptance.
o Project a strong, open and welcoming posture through your body
languages.
o Use your tone of voice to create a soothing, and relaxed feel. This can be
especially helpful if the client is displaying anxiety or tension.

 Person-in-Environment Approach

o Understand not just how the individual operates, but how they are
connected to their environment and community.
o Including questions about the client’s family, social support and communities may
help explain the larger scope of some problems and may help the client
understand his/her own experience.

o They may also lead to future interventions, such as connecting the client with
community resources and scheduling sessions with the client’s family.

 Exercise care in the use of interview instruments like intake and survey forms
or questionnaires.

o Explain the instruments to the client.

o Tell the client why you have to take down notes so as not to make them suspicious
or uncomfortable.
o Be sensitive to client’s needs when they have to fill out certain forms themselves.
 Keep in mind what you want to accomplish during the interview and focus or
re-direct the interview based on this.

 Do not rush into direct action without fully understanding the client’s
situation.

o Have accurate and reliable data.

o Carefully assess the client’s situation.
o Define the client’s problem.
o Plan your action.

 Have proper deportment.

o Don’t overdress, but don’t underdress either.
o Have a sense of propriety. Maintain self-respect as well the respect of others.
o Maintain firmness and self-control.
 INTERVENTION (COUNSELING)

COUNSELING

 a professional relationship that empower diverse individuals, families, and groups to

accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals as defined by 20/20
consensus (Kaplan, Tarvydas and Gladding, 2014).

 can serve as the main or part of the function among the helping professionals such as
psychology, guidance, nursing, special education, social work and other helping professions.

 considered vital in direct work with individuals and families in the Philippines wherein
persons in need and/or experiencing difficulty are often multi-problem and have complex
issues or various concerns. Thus, the response from multi-helping professionals is
significant.
 Psychology
⊳ Counselling is closely linked to helping
people that the term is freely use from
Social Informal or Natural Helpers to that
Work Guidance
of Professional Counselors.
Clinical
Counselor
Specialized
Training ⊳ Professional counselors range from
Nursing Generalist to Specialized
Psychiatry
Counsellors who undergo extensive
Counselling Graduate level studies and
Supervised Intensive Clinical
Special training whose main function is to offer
Religion/
Pastoral
Education counselling and therapeutic help.
Other
Helping
Profession

59
 In advance countries, helping professionals from various disciplines can qualify to
become Specialized Clinical Counsellors to do counselling, specifically, in mental
health settings so they can diagnosed as well as treat mental illness.

 Customarily, there is a body responsible for setting the standards as well as licensing
and accreditation of specialized clinical counsellors as well as treat mental
illness.

 In the Philippines, there is NO body yet that promotes advance level of

specialization in professional counselling that is open to various helping
disciplines. Most of the specialized clinical counsellors are in the field of psychology.

 Apart from the Counselor skills, the use and effectiveness of Counseling takes into
consideration the context of helping relationships and service user’s
expectations and needs.
 The competitive turf battles among different professional organizations on the use of
counselling appear to be historical and worldwide as each profession tend to focus on
differences than the common, shared or overlapping counselling skills and knowledge.

 As each professional discipline engages in counselling, the service user should

ultimately benefit from it rather than be puzzled by the expertise each one has to offer.

 Clarity of professional competence and flexibility of each discipline is

central towards working as multi-or inter-disciplinary TEAM to address a
holistic or systemic view of the client-environment relationship that causes social
dysfunction.

 The lead profession of the helping team may be determined by the setting or service
appropriate to the predominant needs of the service.
 RA 4373 (1965) RA 9528 (2004) RA 10029 (2009)
Social Work Guidance and Counselling Philippine Psychology

…profession which is primarily … profession that involves the use Psychology is the scientific study
concerned with organized of an integrated approach to the of human behaviour…
social service activity aimed to development of a well-
Practice of Psychology consists of
facilitate and strengthen basic functioning individual primarily
the delivery of psychological
social relationships and the by helping him/her utilize
services that involve application
his/her potentials to the fullest
mutual adjustment between and plan his/her present and
of psychological principles &
individuals and their social procedures for the purpose of
future in accordance to his/her
environment for the good of describing, understanding,
abilities, interests, and needs.
the individual of society. predicting and influencing the
It includes functions such as behaviour of individuals or
counselling, psychological testing, groups in order to assist in the
learning and study orientation, attainment of optimal human
research placement, referral and growth and functioning.
group processes.

62
 SOCIAL WORK COUNSELING

 A major component of direct service intervention since many social workers are
primarily engage in providing direct service to individuals, families and groups.

 A practitioner must have the same level of social work counselling competence
as it has with other areas such as brokering, lobbying, policy making and planning.

 It is observed that it is only explicitly use at the micro and mezzo level rather than on
the macro level.

 Plays a major role in generalist social work practice and has been always use by
social workers ever since.
 Therapeutic and personal growth enhancing work, which entails exploration, self-discovery
and developing the use of inner resources. The counsellor aims to assist people to
overcome inner or outer obstacles to achieving what they want.

 Client is regarded as being in charge when it comes to making decisions. The

counsellor may offer insight, information, advice or simply a supportive atmosphere and
relationship for exploring problems, but the client is relatively free to accept or disregard
what the counsellor says.

 Counselling plays an important part in social work, and takes two main forms:
Person-oriented and Advisory.
Counselling skills can be applied in a variety of circumstances including indirect
work, but in the counseling role they are consciously applied in combination
as the central techniques for achieving change. There may be no other
problem-solving or service-providing activity the counsellor engages in. Different
kind of skill are required according to the mode of interaction. As in the following:

Person-oriented counselling- tends to rely on such techniques as reflecting,

paraphrasing, non-verbal attending, whereas;

Advisory counselling – explaining, checking for understanding and

summarising are more prominent, though there is considerable overlap.
Social workers have often operated as counsellors, seeking to facilitate change through a
relationship process, which was poorly comprehended by clients, who often wanted
more practical or directive help.

Counseling is compatible with an “authority” relationship, hence a ‘voluntary

consent’ is important. This is often seen both as a crucial part of counseling values and as a
pre-requisite for effective management.

Two types of circumstances wherein counseling is provided:

1.) First, a person maybe directed to receive counseling.

2.) Counseling relationship is negotiated as part of involuntary contacts.
In the first kind of situation, for example, parties involve in a custody court case were
directed by the court to appear before the court social worker for social case
study report and counselling. This constitutes assessment and counselling on the
part of the social worker. The social worker presents the pros and cons and the advantages
and disadvantages for the child if both parties will not try to settle the issue with themselves.
The interview process in this case did constitute counselling.

In the second kind of situation occurs when counselling relationship is negotiated as

part of the involuntary contacts. Most typically, this occurs when an adolescent or
adult is on supervision or probation. Here the social worker needs to make clear that
contact and other conditions of the legal order are obligatory and subject to
sanctions, but that the use of time together is a matter of two-way agreement. Advice or
guidance can always be given, but that is going to take the form of exhortation rather than
counselling unless the person’s involvement includes some degree of consent.
Frequently, the multi-relationship tensions form the focus of counseling, as in
marital and family work. In recent years, there is a visible development of an as
semblance of counseling skills directed at mediation between conflicting parties. This has
been most prominent in conciliation in relation to divorce/ annulment (in the Philippines).

Here, the counsellor adopts a neutral stance and structures the conversation to
focus on areas of potential or actual agreement which can be developed through
negotiation (Parkinson, 1986). Similar techniques can also be applied in mediation with
victims and offenders (Messmer, 1989).
In these often complex relationships, decisions need to be made:

1. Is counselling needed or appropriate?

2. What type of counselling is suitable?

3. Can the social workers carry out the counselling or is it compatible with
her/his other roles and duties?

4. If the social worker offers counselling within a mixed role, in what ways
could the counselling ‘contract’ be adapted to take account on the non-
counselling aspects of the relationship?
Some social workers are too ready to conclude they cannot counsel and so decide not to do it
or refer elsewhere. They may feel they lack the skills, fail to perceive the need, or believe that
counselling is not a valid response to problems with structural or environmental causes. Yet,
counselling for many of the problems with which social workers are engaged (besides
straightforward duty referrals), there will be relationship aspects and usually also issues of loss or
separation (anticipated or actual).

Sometimes the social worker may be the only person to counsel where the problems
involve intra/interpersonal aspects and there is a legal backing (e.g. supervision order) and
there is little motivation for help elsewhere. Avoidance of counselling brings the danger that
a social worker service may feel to consumers as impersonal as any other bureaucracy.
 The Role of Counselling in Social Work and Social Work Education (Jordan, 1987)

 The bulk of social work activities are different in nature from counselling, which is
at one end of a continuum with advocacy at the other.

 Counselling as the ‘mysterious’ element in social work, advocacy as the ‘dramatic’

one. Far more common than either is negotiation – the ‘everyday’ element of
practice. Negotiation is about the redistribution of the burdens and benefits of welfare,
which includes the welfare of individuals in relation to the institutions of society in relation
to each other.

 Whilst counselling is a minor activity, workers need to be well-prepared to do

it, since it involves the sensitive use of self in relation to other individuals who are
often extremely vulnerable.
It is often necessary to counsel people in a way which helps them overcome their reluctance
to negotiate. Such resistance can stem from a number of feelings, including fear of
failure (based on past experiences of disadvantage) or concern not to gain special favours
(Ford, 1988).

Feelings of hurt from previous rebuffs and wishes to punish those with power may also
inhibit people from entering into a discussion which may result in a request compromise.

Counseling should not be seen as in opposition to practical or indirect help.

Both parties in counseling are subject to personal, social and structural constraints which
affect both the problem and the preferred way of seeking a solution.
The worker as a counselor is affected by their own practice assumptions,
professional norms, and agency goals and requirements. These influence the
extent to which counseling is appropriate, either alone or in a mixed role.

Similarly, clients experience constraints at several levels so that counselling processes

should be directed not only at personal factors in the situation ( strengths and
obstacles to change) where these are salient, but ought also to enhance people’s
capacities to alter social and environmental influences acting negatively
upon them.

Individuals, groups or families can be empowered through counselling to achieve

change in more than one way- by their own actions alone, in conjunction
with others who have shared interest or need, or with professional helpers.
It is important to acknowledge
when counseling is
inappropriate. Counseling is
only suited to the “less”
disturbed.”
Nelson-Jones (1982)
Implications for training and management:

Two-stage model which clarifies not only the position of counseling, but of other social
work methods too:

i. Skills- these include counseling techniques, but also many non-counseling techniques,
such as negotiation, advocacy, contributing to meetings and case discussions, building
alliances, establishing groups.

ii. Roles – here students are enabled to apply an assemblage of skills suited to different
roles. Within the counseling role, different tasks and skills are needed for person-
oriented counseling compared with advisory counseling.
 Seven (7) Principles of Social Work
(Felix Biestek)

Casework Principles:

1.) Individualization
2.) Acceptance
3.) Self-determination
4.) Controlled emotional involvement
5.) Confidentiality
6.) Non-judgemental attitude
7.) Purposeful expression of feelings
 Core Conditions useful in counselling:

Basic framework of non-directive and person-centered counseling (Carl Rogers, 1942) as a

guideline to develop basic counselling skills for social workers:

Empathy – Different from sympathy. There is a difference between sympathy and a

sense of feeling of pity for the other person. It is when we try to
understand the other person’s internal world through his/her lens,
keeping aside our own.

Genuineness - Being who you are without pretense or hiding behind the “therapist” or
counsellor’s role. It mean’s being a real person. Accepting one’s own
limitations and strengths as well as having a genuine concern in well-
being of other person leads to this quality.
Unconditional Positive Regard - Accepting the person for who he or she is without
putting conditions on it. Keeping aside our preferences, judgments and biases or one’s own
way of being; this quality can be enhanced with practice by working oneself by being more
and more accepting of diversity and respecting different ways of being.

Self-awareness - Being open as a counselor is a pre-requisite of this profession. Self-

awareness helps to understand one’s limitations, attitudinal or judgmental barriers towards
specific issues or people. When one is aware of about ones attitude and value system, he or
she can be aware in the session whether it is coming in the way of developing a counseling
relationship with the client.
 How to begin the Counseling work/ Setting up the session:

1.) Introducing oneself to the client

 This consist of greeting the client using appropriate cultural norms and introducing oneself to the
client. Sharing name and skill set that one has and what kind of help one can offer to the client. This
helps the client to get a realistic perspective on what to expect and not expect from the counselor and
also helps to develop the focus and direction to the work.

2.) Setting boundaries and making appointments

 This is extremely important even when one is working in the community setting where the social
worker is visiting families and talking to people in their own house. Boundary setting involves
maintaining separation in the mind of the counselor or social worker that he or she is a professional
person. Also maintaining the separation in the mind (not two memberedness) of the issues or
problems of the person or family helps in not getting completely enmeshed with the problem of the
individual or the family and this helps the counselor not feel overwhelmed by the situation.

 Making appointment is also important in any setting. The client should be aware of the whereabouts
 of the meeting place and timing of the next session. This helps in building trust and maintaining
consistency in the work.
3.) Sitting arrangement/ Finding space for the work

 The space where the counseling will take place need to have some privacy. If you are
meeting a person in his or her family and if the other family members are present at that
time, then due to lack of privacy the person may not open up or may repeat the narrative of
the family and may not feel comfortable to share their views, which may be different from
the others.

 When meeting the person outside the home, ensure that the space is relatively quieter and
where there will be minimum distraction. The counsellor and the client could sit on the
floor for the session, if there are no available chairs for both the parties ( as in often the
case in community centers). Whether sitting on the floor or on the chairs, there should be
enough space in between such that the client does not feel intimidated and yet not so much
space that the client would feel too distant from the counsellor.
 Counseling as a discipline espouses Contextualizing
- several schools of thought Counselling
- specialized technology/methodology
for practice in Social Work
- with differing and diverse theoretical
underpinnings

 If social workers refer clients for

counselling service, must need to
know at least a minimal level of
how different therapeutic schools
of thought operate.
 SW Practice Theories Counselling theories,
approaches and models approaches and models

- Psychosocial - Person-centered
- Task- centered
- Gestalt therapy
- Functional
- Rational- emotive
- Remedial
- Developmental - Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Crisis intervention
- Eclectic-combination of
- Eclectic-selective,  psychological theories
 differential and best combination
 of SW practice theories - Etc.
- Etc.
 Social Work Counselling

 Like any other professions using generic counselling must be adept in basic helping skills
such as: observation; effective interview; assessment; use of appropriate tools; intervention;
coordination and communication; training/teaching.

 The social worker must be guided by the local and global definition of social work and functions
within the bounds and limits of the social work law to be an effective social work counsellor.

 Social work counsellors as effective helpers consistently demonstrates the “core conditions or
the facilitative qualities” to develop and maintain rapport with their clients, sometimes
referred to as “the helping relationship,” ‘working relationship,’ ‘therapeutic rapport’ or the
‘therapeutic alliance.’

 This professional working relationship between social work and client distinguishes it from
other relationship as it is characterized to be: (1) to be formed and agreed-upon purpose, (2)
time-bound, (3) for the client, (4) carries authority and (5) a controlled relationship.
 Social Work Counselling

 Social work employs counselling in peculiar ways:

 It works with clients that are often compelled by societal or legal mandates to address a
particular aspect of their lives or some other type of disadvantage.
 The helping relationship includes service delivery; and
*Case management tasks also entails interventions with the client’s social
environment.
 As a professional discipline, social work is best described by its “concept of duality” as
it works simultaneously: 1) the person of the client (individual/family) with its variety
of needs and (2) client’s differing environment.

 She must have a good grasp of the theoretical frameworks as well as knowledge, skills
,attitudes and values overarching social work that will serve as guideposts in
performing her counseling role more effectively and efficiently.
 Work with client’s environment

 Integral to social work counselling is working effectively with the client through a comprehensive
identification, assessment and mobilization of mandated and appropriate provisions in the environment
that will address their concerns as well as capacitate them to access and optimum utilization of their
personal and environmental resources.

 This may include the task of clearly identifying the structures of care at various levels, unifying and
integrating coordination among relevant stakeholders and duty bearers ensuring fair and equitable
support based on identified needs, ensuring an efficient “system” and having a “total wellness”
approaches and strategies, among others.

 Social work counselling includes enabling clients to address their presenting basic needs or problems and
to further empower them to access the available resources and services to become fully functioning and
self-reliant individual and/or family.

 It is incumbent that she is also an effective change agent that educate the clients toward an increased
awareness of their ability for self-help and improvement as well as acquire the necessary skills for
accessing available resources to sustain his/her full functioning and self-reliance.

85
 Integrative Social Work Counselling

Theory,
Principles Social Work
Perspective, Use of own
Values, Intervention Strategies
Framework Ethics Models and self, own
and
Approaches identity,
techniques,
(Knowledge (Philosophical Personal
style (As a tool)
base: As a base: As an art) (As a process)
science)

Social work counselling spectrum

86
The social work counselling skills hinges on theory, perspective and
framework assessment and intervention in addressing client’s needs
and problematic situation. The creative blending of all the elements in the
box redounds to the effective performance of the social worker in general but also
in fully performing their role as social work counsellor.

One of the unique feature of social work counselling lies in the belief that
individuals can only be understood in the context of their
environment. As such particular attention is given to the interaction of people
and their environment.
 Person-in-environment (PIE)
Perspective
Social work counselling utilizing the PIE Perspective entails the following:

o Help client develop insight, skill to problem solve, capacity to deal with emotional pain, or
enhance relationships.

o Support client by providing information, social skills training, or resource.

o Responsibility to promote change or adaptation in social and political systems to respond

more effectively to the needs of the client.

o Build better systems and communities that are structured to provide social support and
helping networks to the client.
 Strengths Perspective
Another important theoretical framework that is very relevant to social work
counselling is the strengths perspective.

o People are recognized as having much strength and have the capacity for continued
learning, growth and change. The focus of the social work counselling here is
the strengths and aspirations of the client.
o Likewise, communities and social environments are seen as being full of
resources that can be tapped and mobilized to address the needs and problems of
clients.
o Social work counsellors go beyond the one-on-one helping by collaborating with people
they work with and engaging their participation in the process of helping. Self-
determination is an underpinning principle in the course of assessment
and intervention while commitment to client’s empowerment is a primary
consideration in client outcome.
 Strengths Perspective

The following are some of the social work counselling activities that use strengths
perspective:

o Help client identify strengths, interests, abilities , hopes and dreams.

o Ask clients what motivate them.

o Lead client to find past and present successes and use these to address the challenges
being faced.

o Identification of assets may include: physical health, social supports, emotional resilience,
spiritual outlook, vocational or financial skills, and intellectual capability or giftedness.
 Empowerment

Empowerment is another theoretical frame very relevant to social work counselling. It

is a process whereby a social worker engages in a set of activities with the client that aim to
reduce if not eliminate his powerlessness by identifying direct and indirect power blocks that
contribute to the client’s problems as well as developing and implementing specific strategies
to reduce the impact of such.

It has four (4) goals for the client:

1.) Client will see himself as the agent of change;

2.) Client will be able to use the knowledge and skills of others to further their interests;
3.) Client able to work in partnership with professionals; and
4.) Client is open to developing problem-solving skills to address his/her situation.
Some of the social worker’s counselling activities utilizing empowerment
perspective are to Help:

- Clients to first receive available help/aid to enable him to become self-reliant.

- Clients have a vision of hope.

- Clients move from transitory enabling conditions to more sustained/ permanent

empowered conditions.
 Social Justice must be ingrained in all
aspects of Social Work Counselling

o The social work counsellor must ensure that the clients have equal opportunity to
access needed information, services and resources to meet their basic human
needs while enabling them to meaningfully participate in decision making.

o Social worker’s role includes advocating for living conditions conducive to the fulfilment of
basic human needs that are compatible with the principles of social justice and human
rights, such as: prevention and elimination of domination, exploitation and
discrimination against any person, group or class on the basis of race,
ethnicity, origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief,
religion, mental or physical disability.
 Social work counselling must first adhere to this basic and fundamental bias of
social work that hinged on social justice perspective:
 Help the client identify and clearly define their needs vis-à-vis the available mandated
social services;

 Help the clients to become aware of their rights, and privileges, the available mandated
structures, facilities and resources.

 An effective social work counselor must first and foremost be guided by the local and
global definition of social work and work within the bounds and limits of
the social work law. Equally important are the attitude and style of the worker,
as well as interpersonal skills, and qualities of warmth, respect, ability to
empathize, authenticity, use of self, communication skills. With these
prerequisite, the social work counselor is bound to continually strive for excellence if the
goal is to effect individual and social change.
 The Challenge to Social Work Counsellors

• As a helping professional, social work counsellor are faced with the challenge of making
a difference in the lives of the individuals and societies as they deal with people
from all walks of life in varying situations.

• The range of work settings of social workers is also wide and varied such as:
child protection, hospital, residential care, school, community, local government, etc.

• Counselling is the most visible and frequently performed role in direct

service practice with any type of clientele system. Thus, social workers must be
confident and competent in the core counselling knowledge and key skills
that are common to social work practice in all settings, all population groups and all
psychosocial problems.
The significance of couselling in social work has been construed and often undervalued
of late. We believe that counselling is an important element of social work, both in
its own right and in conjunction with the provision of routine services or crisis intervention

It is vital that social workers should have the training and confidence to counsel in a variety
of situations, often mixed roles which may include authority elements.

Sources: Barclay Report (1982) Malcolm Hill,

Flora Meadows, Jill Ford,
Social Welfare and Social Work, 3rd Edition by Thelma Lee-Mendoza
 END

Thank you very much! Good luck on your Board Exam!

Nail it future social workers!!!