Abstract
Beginning social workers and students training to become social workers have a great many skills and techniques to master before they can be effective with actual clients. While the majority of these skills and techniques are taught on some level through everyday coursework, students can also benefit from practicing them rather than simply reading and writing about their importance. Through writing a script for an interview with a fictitious client, conducting that interview, and viewing a recording of it, social work students have an opportunity not only to practice the skills they will be used eventually in the workforce but to take note of specific areas of difficulty they might be unaware of that might become evident when they view themselves in the position of a social worker working with a client. I feel that the assignments that dealt with the creation of the role-play and now evaluating my own role-play as well as that of another student were very helpful in allowing me to understand the importance of certain skills used regularly by actual social workers.
Evaluation of Skills: Client System Role-Play Reflection and Analysis Paper
The ability to conduct effective interviews is crucial to the successful application of social work. Social workers need to be trained and skilled in the many issues that can affect an interview, such as racial or ethnic concerns or differences between the client and social worker, dealing with client resistance towards the social worker, the importance of recognizing and effectively dealing with transference and counter-transference, and the ethical responsibilities inherent in the client/social worker relationship. It is the responsibility of the social worker to be certain that she is competent in working with any particular racial, social, or ethnic group that she is likely to come into contact with in the area where she is employed. If a social worker is presented with a client whose cultural background, she is unfamiliar with, then she should attempt to learn about this culture before her first interview with the client.
Strengths in My Interview
I believe that in the video of my interview role-play I expressed caring and understanding towards the “client.” Showing clients that you care about them and their needs is an important trait in a social worker, especially in early interviews or sessions (Kirst-Ashman & Hull Jr., 2018). I also believe that when engaging with the “client,” I showed my knowledge of how to ethically work with clients. I did not notice any obvious ethical errors that I might have committed in the video. Understanding the ethical obligations of social workers towards their clients is also a very important aspect of connecting with clients in the field of social work (National Association of Social Workers, 2017; Reamer, 2002). Finally, I believe that the video showed my ability to focus not only on the client’s weaknesses or current difficulties but to encourage the client to examine what strengths might apply to the current situation. Being made aware of their strengths can help clients to take charge of their situations and view their problems in new ways, which could help them to conceptualize better potential solutions to any issues they are currently going through (Graybeal, 2001).
Weaknesses in My Interview
One area I noticed that I had difficulty with was in knowing exactly when and how it was appropriate to self-disclose to the “client.” While self-disclosure can be a valuable tool in social work and help to solidify the client/social worker connection, there are appropriate times and ways in which to utilize this skill (Knight, 2012). A social worker who uses self-disclosure inappropriately might not only fail to form a strong connection to clients back actually damage them (Knight, 2012). My video did not show a strong knowledge-base on my part as to how to use this particular skill appropriately.
Areas of Social Work I Feel I Need to Work on in the Future
Based on the previous section of this assignment, I would say that I need to learn more about how to appropriately use the tool of self-disclosure. I want to learn more about what personal information is appropriate to disclose during a social work session and what information is not, as well as how this information should be introduced to attain the best results with a client. Also, while I believe that I displayed cultural sensitivity in my role-play video, I recognize that I do not yet know how best to work with clients of every possible ethnicity or culture that I might encounter in my future career. Cultural differences are very important in the area of client/social worker understanding, and social workers need to be aware of the importance of knowing how to work effectively with clients of different cultures (Hook, Farrell, Davis, DeBlaere, Van Tongeren, & Utsey, 2016).
Insights I Gained into the Field of Social Work
The most important insight I gained into the field of social work by completing Unit Eight’s assignment was that it is not always possible to fully plan or script an interview with a client. The social worker can plan how she wants sessions or interviews to proceed, but she cannot plan for every single eventuality. For instance, a social worker may know the basics of what information she needs to discuss with a client and prepare initial questions to introduce the topics that she feels are important. However, the content of any follow-up questions will depend largely on how a client responds to the initial questions. If a social worker is insistent on controlling every aspect of a session or interview, clients will most likely not feel free to speak directly and honestly and might also feel that the social worker is not concerned with their feelings. This could irreparably damage any potential relationship between a client and a social worker (Kirst-Ashman & Hull Jr., 2018).
Specific Skills Demonstrated in the Interview
In viewing my video role-play, I believe that I exhibited such specific skills as being culturally competent, making ethical decisions, and treating the “client” with understanding, dignity, and respect. I listened to the “client’s” point-of-view and did not force my own opinions into the “client’s” understanding of the situations being discussed. I was open to how the “client” viewed and interpreted the given issues and problems, therefore encouraging the development of a trusting relationship that would lend itself towards effective treatment in the future. I also believe that I behaved professionally while not making the “client” feel ill-at-ease or that I believed I was better than the “client” due to our roles as “social worker” and “client.” Some clients in actual social work practice might be resistant to a new caseworker at first, especially if they have had negative experiences with counselors or social workers in the past. Clients usually seek out the help of social workers at low points in their lives; it can be relatively easy for them to feel that they are at a disadvantage in the relationship (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, Jr., 2018). It is the social worker’s responsibility to help clients to feel that she respects them and understands that they are more aware of their own needs than she is. If clients feel that their social workers are disrespectful or feel that they are superior to them, they are not likely to return to that social worker again and therefore might not be able to get the help that they need at this stage of their lives (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, Jr., 2018).
Role-Play Interview I Selected to Assess—Strengths and Weaknesses
The role-play interview I selected to view and assess was the one conducted by Paige Kanady. I enjoyed the role-play very much and felt that Paige Kanady exhibited several skills that we have been studying in this course. I felt that she was understanding, showed the “client” respect, and was willing to listen to the “client’s” viewpoint on what the issues were and how they might be best handled. Paige Kanady also showed cultural competency during the interview and treated the client in an ethical manner. One area where I felt that Paige Kanady might need a little improvement was the same area where I noticed that I experienced difficulties—the appropriate use of self-disclosure with a client. I believe that the role-play session could have been enhanced had there been a little more “social worker” self-disclosure that was relevant to the “client’s” issues.
Conclusion
Scripting and making a video of a client/social worker role-play allowed me to put myself in the role of an actual social worker. I found doing so to be very enjoyable is a little bit nerve-wracking. I had difficulties in areas where I did not expect to have difficulties but did better than I expected of myself in other areas. This was a valuable learning experience.
References
Graybeal, C. (2001). Strengths-based social work assessment: Transforming the dominant
paradigm. Families in Society, 82(3), 233–242.
Hook, J. N., Farrell, J. E., Davis, D. E., DeBlaere, C., Van Tongeren, D. R., & Utsey, S. O. (2016). Cultural humility and racial microaggressions in counseling. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(3), 269–277.
Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2018). Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Knight, C. (2012). Social workers’ attitudes towards and engagement in self-disclosure. Clinical Social Work Journal, 40(3), 297–306.
National Association of Social Workers. (2017). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of- Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.aspx
Reamer, F. G. (2002). Eye on ethics: Making difficult decisions. Social Work Today. Retrieved from http://www.socialworktoday.com/news/eoe_101402.shtml
