Fall 2026 SOWK 486w Week 04 - How We Help - Getting Started with Direct Practice

Fall 2026 SOWK 486w Week 04 - How We Help - Getting Started with Direct Practice

Week four is a continuation of laying the groundwork for this course. It provides an overview of the helping process. Hepworth et al. (2023) categorize the helping process into three phases.

• Phase I: Exploration, Engagement, Assessment, and Planning
• Phase II: Implementation and Goal Attainment
• Phase III: Evaluation and Termination

During the session, we will examine an overview of the considerations we should have in each phase. We will also examine how we establish the environment with our clients and what the interview process entails. Finally, we will spend some time discussing some potential ethical dilemmas. The agenda is:

• Phases of the helping process
• Getting started with the helping process, motivation, and rapport
• Interviewing clients
• Values and ethical dilemmas

The Learning Objectives this week include:

• Describe the three phases of the helping process and identify key tasks associated with each phase.
• Practice and evaluate techniques for starting the interview, engaging clients, and initiating assessment.
• Identify behaviors and communication styles that enhance or inhibit client trust and motivation.
• Analyze ethical dilemmas using professional values and guidelines to inform decision-making in complex situations.

Plan for Week 04

Agenda

• Phases of the helping process
• Getting started with the helping process, motivation, and rapport
• Interviewing clients
• Values and ethical dilemmas

Learning Objectives

• Describe the three phases of the helping process and identify key tasks associated with each phase.
• Practice and evaluate techniques for starting the interview, engaging clients, and initiating assessment.
• Identify behaviors and communication styles that enhance or inhibit client trust and motivation.
• Analyze ethical dilemmas using professional values and guidelines to inform decision-making in complex situations.

First Impressions: Who Would You Want to Meet

Making a good impression is essential.

[Small Group Activity] Think of a person you would want to meet in history. Ask them to imagine that they have won a competition to meet and interview that person this afternoon for a local TV station. Talk with a partner about the following:

• What would you do?
• What would you wear?
• How would you feel?

[Whole Class Activity - Discussion] Lead the discussion to get them to recognize they would make an effort with their appearance and their behavior because they wanted to impress the person.

Relate this to making a good impression with clients and colleagues.

• appearance
• body language
• greeting
• answering a query / helping the customer
• housekeeping and tidiness

Activity based on Customer Service Training Helper (n.d.).

[Whole Group Activity] Share a positive first impression that you had of somebody and how it impacted your relationship with them.

Phases of the Helping Process (1 of 3) Overview

There are three phases outlined in the text regarding the helping process. This semester we will be going more in-depth through them as the weeks go on. They are as follows:

Phase I: Exploration, Engagement, Assessment, and Planning Phase II: Implementation and Goal Attainment Phase III: Evaluation and Termination

Phase I: Exploration, Engagement, Assessment, and Planning

1. Exploring clients’ problems by eliciting comprehensive data about the person(s), the problem, and environmental factors, including forces influencing the referral for contact.
2. Establishing rapport and enhancing motivation.
3. Formulating a multidimensional assessment of the problem, identifying systems that play a significant role in the difficulties, and identifying relevant resources that can be tapped or must be developed as strengths. This review should also include screens for trauma, cultural humility.
4. Mutually negotiating goals to be accomplished in remedying or alleviating problems and formulating a contract.
5. Making referrals.

Phase II: Implementation and Goal Attainment

1. Prioritize goals into general and specific tasks.
2. Select and implement interventions influenced by best available evidence.
3. Plan task implementation, enhancing self-efficacy.
4. Maintain focus within sessions.
5. Maintain continuity between sessions.
6. Monitor progress.
7. Identify and address barriers to change.
8. Employ appropriate self-disclosure and assertiveness to facilitate change.

Phase III: Evaluation and Termination

1. Assessing when client goals have been satisfactorily attained.
2. Helping the client develop strategies that maintain change and continue growth following the termination.
3. Successfully terminating the helping relationship.

(Hepworth et al., 2023, p. 34)

Phases of the Helping Process (2 of 3) Critical Analysis

I want us to spend a little time thinking about this process using a critical lens.

[Small Group Activity] Does helping need to be structured in a systemic process like this systemic? What are some of the potential benefits or challenges to having it structured like this?

[Whole Group Activity] Debrief

From the facilitation guide: The distinct phases of the helping process are introduced in this chapter. Using Figure 3-1 (Page 34 of the text), discuss the phases and their constituent activities. While each phase is discussed in greater detail in subsequent chapters, the authors have found that an early emphasis on the systematic nature of helping is important to students’ understanding of overall course content. Also, emphasis on the phases facilitates students’ understanding that implementing the helping process requires a thorough understanding of its components, including the mastery of skills. Students who have been or are working in agencies may find this information redundant. Also, experienced students may voice some skepticism about the systematic nature of helping. In both instances, engage these students and others in a discussion of the process used in their agencies to accomplish objectives of helping as delineated in the text. In addition, you may wish to emphasize the fact that beginning, middle, and ending phases are common elements in all practice models.

(Hepworth et al., 2023)

Phases of the Helping Process (3 of 3) Application and Case Study

I want to introduce some of the skills and give a written example of somebody going through the helping process and what that looks like.

[Individual Activity] Read case study in Teater (2014)

I’m going to have you read this case study. You can skim the start of the article if you like, but I really want you to focus on the case study, starting on page 39.

As you read the case study you might notice that Teater (2014) groupings of phases of the helping process is really similar to the phases of the helping process. She describes them as:

• Preparatory
• Initial: Getting Started
• Ongoing: Working Toward Goals
• Ending: Bringing the Shared Work and the Relationship to a Close

[Small Group Activity] Discuss Case Study

In groups of three or four, I want you to discuss the following:

• What was the social worker’s focus at the beginning of the work together?
• Identify any themes from Hepworth et al. (2023) and the phases of the helping process that you see implemented by Teater’s (2014) case study.

[Whole Group Activity] Debrief Small Group Discussion

Establishing rapport and enhancing motivation - Rapport

Rapport is one of the most critical aspects of the client-clinician relationship and is highly related to positive outcomes. This rapport can also be connected to a client’s motivation and willingness to change.

[Partner Group Activity] Talk to a partner about somebody with whom you have a robust rapport. Talk about how that relationship is, and how you know that you have a good rapport with them.

[Small Group Activity] Turn your partners into groups of four, and discuss how you know that you have a good rapport with that person, what it looks like

[Whole Class Activity] Brainstorm writing on the whiteboard, potential ways of developing rapport with clients.

Strategies and Behaviors that Improve Client Trust (1 of 2)

Leach (2005) describes some strategies and behaviors that improve client trust, communication, and rapport.

Maintain

• Client comfort
• Confidentiality & trust
• Enthusiasm
• A collaborative relationship
• Interest in client concerns
• Objectivity
• Attentiveness
• Eye contact
• An open posture

Avoid

• Passing judgment
• Jargon and technical language
• An authoritarian demeanor
• Interruptions

Strategies and Behaviors that Improve Client Trust (2 of 2)

Leach goes on to talk about how we should be and what we should use.

Be

• Dependable
• Open minded
• Flexible
• Reassuring & supportive
• Confident
• Friendly
• Genuine
• Warm
• Sincere
• Honest
• Empowering
• Engaging and interactive
• Respectful of client wishes and needs
• Sensitive
• Empathetic
• Altruistic

Use

• Open-ended questions
• Rationales for procedures, treatments, and decisions

Office Setup

I’m not going to tell you how to set up your office… I’m not going to say to you, “sit behind a desk!” or “don’t sit behind a desk.”

[Whole Group Activity] Discuss considerations related to office set up.

• What do you believe is important to think about when you evaluate your meeting space?
• What is important to think about when you are evaluating your meeting space in some other location?

We should be thinking about what we do, why we do it, and how we do it. Reevaluating our practice.

Who’s Guiding the Interview

[Activity] Watch the video clip from The Office: Who’s Leading the Interview

[Whole Class Activity] Who was leading the interview

This is not what we want to happen in our session.

What Questions Would You Use to Interview During Phase I

The assessment we conduct through the initial interview (and how we continue to assess as we go on) drives the services we engage in with our clients.

[Small Group Activity] Develop a set of questions that you would ask during phase I. the objective is intended to assist students in separating people from their problems, as well as provide an opportunity for them to focus on the process of gathering information, which is a key element in the initial stage of the helping process.

Questions can be categorized by answering essential questions, such as who the person is, their situation (including strengths, resources, networks, and needs), and the concern or presenting problem.

[Small Group Activity] Practice asking questions to a partner

This process is similar to what you will be doing for your video role-play.

The Initial Interview

This initial interview introduction could be used to present for your role-play video (along with some further questions related to an assessment).

[Whole Class Activity] Demonstrate the initial interview process

• Beginning statement of purpose and role.
• Clearly explain the interview’s purpose to the client
• Describe the worker’s role to the client
• Encouraging the client to share thoughts and feelings about the interview and what’s being said
• Make a statement about the usefulness of the intervention process

[Small Group Activity] Working with partners, practice doing this initial part of the interview.

[Whole Class Activity] Have one or two volunteers come and do the initial part as well.

Interview Structure

Interviews share a general structure and draw on the interviewer’s use of basic skills.

• Rapport with clients supports open communication and is central to effective interviewing.
• Starting with client motivation aids social workers in establishing and sustaining rapport and in maintaining psychological contact with clients.
• Interpreters are often needed when there is a language difference between client and social worker, or when a client is hearing impaired. When clients are learning the English language, effective communication often requires the use of an interpreter, so that the social worker and client bridge both cultural value differences and language differences.

(Hepworth et al., 2023)

Discussing Problematic Situations

When clients indicate that they are ready to discuss their problematic situations, it is appropriate to begin the process of exploring their concerns.

• Before exploring problems, it is important to determine clients’ expectations…
• Cultural Differences: can vary considerably and are influenced by socioeconomic level, cultural background, level of sophistication, and previous experience with helping professionals.
• During the exploration process, the social worker assesses the significance of information revealed as the client discusses problems and interacts with the social worker, group members, or significant others.

(Hepworth et al., 2023)

Focus in Depth

In addition to possessing discrete skills needed to elicit detailed information, social workers must be able to maintain the focus on problems until they have elicited comprehensive information.

• During the process of exploration, social workers must be keenly sensitive to clients’ emotional reactions and to the part that emotional patterns play in their difficulties.
• Because thought patterns, beliefs, and attitudes are powerful determinants of behavior, it is important to explore clients’ opinions and interpretations of those circumstances and events deemed salient to their difficulties.
• Because of the prevalence and magnitude of problems associated with substance abuse, violence, and sexual abuse in society, the possibility that these problems contribute to or represent the primary source of clients’ difficulties should be routinely explored.

(Hepworth et al., 2023)

Process of Goal Negotiation

Goals are mutually negotiated with the client and formalized in a contract.

• Continued use of interviewing skills: During Phase II of the helping process, interviewing skills are used to help clients accomplish their goals.

(Hepworth et al., 2023)

Value Dilemmas and the Cardinal Social Work Values

The scenario exercises in operationalizing cardinal values in Chapter 4 encourage discussion and exploration of personal–professional value conflicts. I had you discuss your connections to these social work values last week.

Consider:

Write about and reflect on value dilemmas in your practicum journals to identify and reflect on value dilemmas as they arise in the field or in other class work.

[Whole Group Activity] What are the implications of not upholding the profession’s values?

(Hepworth et al., 2023)

From the facilitator guide book: When students raise questions or express viewpoints that are incompatible with professional social work values, it is helpful to engage other class members to examine the conflict and the implications of not upholding the profession’s values. This helps develop the entire group’s critical thinking and ability to solve problems about the ways to reconcile value dilemmas when they occur.

Steps in Ethical Decision Making

We are going to go through and talk through some dilemmas. Lets go back and review the steps used in ethical decision making.

1. Identify the problem or dilemma, gathering as much information about the situation as possible.
2. Determine the core principles and the competing issues.
3. Review the relevant codes of ethics.
4. Review the applicable laws and regulations.
5. Consult with colleagues or experts.
6. Consider the possible and probable courses of action and examine the consequences of various options.
7. Decide on a course of action, weighing the information you have and the impact of your other choices.
8. Develop a strategy for effectively implementing your decision.
9. Evaluate the process and the results to determine whether the intended outcome was achieved and consider modifications for future decisions.

(Hepworth et al., 2023)

Ethics Case 1 (1 of 4)

A classmate has told you that they are Googling clients from their field agency as well as looking them up on Facebook. They state that the information is public, so there is no confidentiality involved, and the more they learn about them the better they can help them. In your own placement, workers send Snapchat messages to each other of the wacky ways clients dress and behave. They say it builds camaraderie in the team and is harmless since the photos and comments go away after only a few seconds.

Consider:

• What conflicting principles and values are in play in the case?
• What are the pros and cons of the various courses of action?
• What guidelines are applicable in resolving this dilemma?
• What resources could you consult to help you decide on an ethical course of action?

[Small Group Activity] Discuss ethics case study [Whole Group Activity] Debrief activity

(Hepworth et al., 2023, p. 73)

Ethics Case 2 (2 of 4)

You are forming a youth group in a state correctional facility. From past experience, you know that members sometimes make references in the group to previous offenses that they have committed without being apprehended. You also know that they may talk about indiscretions or misdemeanors they (or others) may have committed or plan to commit within the institution, such as smoking marijuana, engaging in sexual encounters, receiving contraband from visitors, or stealing supplies or property from peers or staff. Are you required to share all the information you learn in the group? How can you encourage trust and sharing if there are limits to confidentiality?

Consider:

• What conflicting principles and values are in play in the case?
• What are the pros and cons of the various courses of action?
• What guidelines are applicable in resolving this dilemma?
• What resources could you consult to help you decide on an ethical course of action?

[Small Group Activity] Discuss the ethics case study [Whole Group Activity] Debrief activity

(Hepworth et al., 2023, p. 73)

Ethics Case 3 (3 of 4)

In conducting an intake interview with a young woman in a family agency, you observe that both of her young children are withdrawn and listless. Throughout the interview, the client seems defensive, suspicious, and appears ambivalent about having come for the interview. At one point, she states that she feels overwhelmed with her parenting responsibilities and is having difficulty in coping with her children. She also alludes to her fear that she may hurt them but then abruptly changes the subject. As you encourage her to return to the discussion of her problems with the children, your client says that she has changed her mind about wanting help, takes her children in hand, and hastily leaves the office.

Consider:

• What conflicting principles and values are in play in the case?
• What are the pros and cons of the various courses of action?
• What guidelines are applicable in resolving this dilemma?
• What resources could you consult to help you decide on an ethical course of action?

[Small Group Activity] Discuss the ethics case study [Whole Group Activity] Debrief activity

(Hepworth et al., 2023, p. 74)

Ethics Case 5 (4 of 4)

You have been working in a mental health agency with a middle-aged male who has a history, when angered, of becoming violent and physically abusive. He has been under extreme psychological pressure lately because of increased expectations at work. In an interview today, he is extremely angry, clenching his fists as he tells you that his boss is giving him a hard time, singling him out for criticism, and threatening that he will lose his job. “If that happens,” he says, “they’ll be sorry.”

Consider:

• What conflicting principles and values are in play in the case?
• What are the pros and cons of the various courses of action?
• What guidelines are applicable in resolving this dilemma?
• What resources could you consult to help you decide on an ethical course of action?

[Small Group Activity] Discuss the ethics case study [Whole Group Activity] Debrief activity

(Hepworth et al., 2023, p. 74)