The-Helping-Process. Social Work

THE HELPING/PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS

 Problem-solving process is a cognitive process, a rational procedure involving a series of steps to be

followed sequentially.
Social work helping process is not just a cognitive process since it involves a relationship between two parties,
the worker and the client system. Professional values and ethical principles guides the relationship particularly in
handling of feelings and attitudes that inevitably enter the picture.

Emanuel Tropp had developed an important set of statements that could very well sum up the essential
characteristics of the worker’s presentation of self to each of her clients.
 Compassion – I deeply care about you.

 Mutuality – We are here on a common human level; let’s agree on a plan and then let’s walk the path
together.
 Humility – Please help me to understand.
 Respect – I consider you as having worth. I treat your ideas and feelings with consideration. I do not
intrude upon your person.
 Openness – I offer myself to you as you see me: real, genuine and authentic.
 Empathy – I am trying to feel what you are feeling.
 Involvement – I am trying to share and help in your efforts.
 Support – I will lend my conviction and back up your progress.
 Expectation – I have confidence that you can achieve your goals.
 Limitation – I must remind you of you’re agreed upon obligations.
 Confrontation – I must ask you to look at yourself.
 Planning – I will always bring proposals, but I would rather have yours.
 Enabling – I am here to help you become more able, more powerful.
 Spontaneity and control – I will be as open as possible, yet I must recognize that, in your behalf, I need
to exercise some self-control.
 Role and person – I am both a human being like you and a social representative of an agency, with a
special function to perform.
 Science and art – I hope to bring you a professional skill which must be based on organized knowledge,
but I am dealing with people, and mu humanity must lend art to grace the science.
ASSESSMENT
 A process and a product of understanding on which action is based. (Max Siporin)
 The process involves the collection of necessary information and its analysis and interpretation in order
to reach an understanding of the client, the problem, and the social context in which it exists.
 The ultimate purpose of assessment is to provide assessment necessary for appropriate planning.
Assessment Statement or a Problem Definition:
 Information or data-gathering
 Problem-definition based on an agreement between the worker and the client.
Information/Data Gathering
 Primary source – the client is the primary source of information.

 Secondary sources – refers to the significant others in the life of the client – parents, siblings, relatives,
friends, and can be extended to others with whom he relates, like people in his school, employment,
church, and organizations.
 Existing data – the social worker may use information previously collected by others such as records and
reports from other professionals and social workers of other agencies, studies and evaluations.
 Worker’s own observations – the worker often has the opportunity to observe the individual client
alone, or in interaction with others.
Suggested principles in data-gathering:
 The client should be the main source of information although, when appropriate and available, other
sources should be used.
 Data to be gathered should directly relate to the identified problems.
 The client should be informed about the source being used for data-collection. In certain cases, his
permission should be sought before certain kinds of information are obtained.
 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.
 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. Thus, there would be differences in data collection in the case of a
mentally disturbed adult being placed in a hospital, a child being referred for adoption, and a youth
applying for membership in a human resources development group.
The initial contact(s) with client/intake:
 The client initiates the contact

 The client is referred to the worker or agency by some interested or concerned party.
 The agency, through the social worker, reaches out to the potential client and offers help.
Intake process and the presenting problem
 Intake – the process by which a potential client achieves the status of a client.
 On the part of the client – it involves the presentation of the self and the problem or need as he or she is
experiencing it.
 On the part of the social worker – involves some assessment of the client and the problem and whether
or not the agency is in a position to help.
The presenting problem:

Lina 17-year old, single mother looked troubled with her 9-month old baby clad in unkempt baby clothes when
she came to see the worker.
“I would like to inquire how I could seek for help for my baby. I don’t have any means to bring her to the doctor.
She has been coughing for almost a week now. I plan to give her up for adoption. My live-in partner left me and I
have no work nor a place to stay. I was thrown out of my live-in partner’s house by his parents with whom I used
to stay while we were still living together. I do not want to give up my baby but I don’t have any choice. I only
survive by begging. A friend would occasionally buy milk for my baby. I feel guilty to see my baby suffer from
being exposed to extreme poverty.
The following are identified in Lina’s case:
• Unmet need or lack that is causing the client’s problem
• Blocks that prevent client from meeting his / her need or lack
• Client’s capacity (bio-psycho-social-spiritual) including level of motivation (attitudes) for change; weaknesses
and limitations may be cited as well
Characteristics of Assessment
 It is ongoing. It takes place throughout the helping relationship. As new information becomes available, new
understanding of the client and the situation develops, and becomes part of the ongoing assessment
 It focuses on understanding the client in the situation and providing a base for planning and action.
 It is a mutual process involving both client and worker.
 There is movement within the assessment process that comes from observation of parts of the service
situation, to identification of information needed for understanding, to collection of facts about parts of the
service situation, to explanation of the meaning of the facts collected, to putting together facts and their
meanings in order to understand the total situation.
 Both horizontal and vertical explorations are important.
 A horizontal study of the client’s situation is a study in breadth, to identify all possible parts,
interactions and relationships. This facilitates understanding of the nature of the problem.
 A vertical exploration are those parts identified as most important to the situation or to the solution
of the problem.
 Assessment identifies needs in life situations, defines problems, and explains their meanings and
patterns.
 Assessment is individualized. No two assessment statements are exactly the same since every
assessment is related to the unique situation of the client.
 Judgment is important in assessment because many decisions have to be made. Which parts to consider,
how to involve the client, how to define the problem are some of these decisions.
 No assessment is ever complete. It is not only possible to have complete understanding of any situation
but many client’s needs are urgent and require that the worker must decide when her understanding is
adequate enough basis for action.

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What are the principles of data gathering in assessment?

What are the characteristics of assessment?

THE HELPING/PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS

 Problem-solving process is a cognitive process, a rational procedure involving a series of steps to be

 Compassion – I deeply care about you.

Assessment Statement or a Problem Definition:

 Primary source – the client is the primary source of information.

Suggested principles in data-gathering:

The initial contact(s) with client/intake:

 The client initiates the contact

Intake process and the presenting problem

The presenting problem:

• Unmet need or lack that is causing the client’s problem

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