The job of social work professionals is to promote social change, development, cohesion, and empowerment of communities and their people. By understanding human behavior and social, economic, and cultural facets, social workers impact and improve the way we live. In recent years, some of the more common causes they have fought for include disability pay, worker's compensation, civil rights, and reduced mental health stigma.
Social workers work with various people but mainly focus on helping the oppressed, vulnerable and poor. Depending on their specialty, job position, and place of employment, a social worker's responsibilities and duties may vary. However, their primary task is to lean on specific values and principles to address social injustices and barriers. Their education and training prepare them to support clients and communities in their time of need by fine-tuning intervention programs or counseling sessions.
As a social worker, you most likely strive to impact the community positively. You act as a catalyst to improve your clients' lives in your job capacity. And although the job may be rewarding, it's often not easy. Understanding these basic strategies can enable you to be more efficient in your career as a social worker.
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1. Build trusting relationships
One of the fundamental principles in managing your clients is building a trusting relationship. Since you are likely to work with clients from all backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities, it's essential to make them feel safe and heard so they can trust you to protect their stories. Professionals who exhibit cultural competence in socialwork help provide a safe environment for their clients to share problems, feelings, and stories.
A trusting relationship between the practitioner and client plays an integral role in case management. For a social worker, these four personality characteristics can help them engage and reach their clients far quicker:
- empathy
- pleasant
- understanding
- putting others at ease
2. Give respect
As a core social work value, respect permeates all aspects of practice. Respect may mean different things to different people under unique circumstances and contexts. But at its core, respect is a moral duty to be accepting, tolerant, friendly, obedient, and civil to anyone you encounter. Social workers must demonstrate respect to individual clients and honor their rights to self-determination. They must avoid imposing personal beliefs and values and instead work towards clients' needs. The basis of any efficient social work relies on building a good relationship. And for a relationship to be deemed successful, respect is warranted.
Therefore, it's crucial you give your clients undivided attention, listen to their problem(s), and take appropriate measures to help them in the best way possible. Showing respect ensures effective communication with your client and shows them how dedicated you are to helping them.
3. Use evidence-based practice (EBP)
Much like other areas of the public health sector have improved dramatically in the late 20th and early 21st century, social services have also evolved. With advancements in technology and changing times, it's crucial to keep up and design new strategies that cater to the modern era. As such, EBP models have become more common in social work.
EBP models refer to a process in which practitioners combine well-researched interventions with ethics, individual preferences, clinical experience, and culture. This strategy provides social workers with a guide to delivering effective treatments and services based on each case. And EBP must integrate the following components:
- a client's needs, environment, and situation
- best research evidence available
- value and preferences of the client
- the expertise and judgment of social worker
It's important to understand that each component must be weighted equally. Some practitioners have the habit of focusing on academic research alone when it's only one part of a four-step process.
4. Empower your client
Social workers would previously view themselves as benevolent helpers. Today, however, the relationship between a client and a practitioner is recognized more like a partnership. When you acknowledge the dignity, worth, and rights that belong to each of your clients, you automatically instill a sense of self-determination in them. By doing this, you empower your clients to reach higher satisfaction standards and leave them with the confidence to make healthier choices. Personal empowerment understands the uniqueness of each individual. It encourages clients to take charge and control their lives, adopt new behaviors, and learn new ways to manage their situations. These strategies provide clients with more satisfying and sustainable outcomes by helping them build their support.
5. Set boundaries
As with most professions, social workers must uphold critical boundaries to protect themselves, their clients, and the organization they work for. The primary purpose of these boundaries is to ensure practitioners and clients remain professional even when working on personal and challenging issues. However, the reality is that by working in the social work sector, boundaries will get crossed at various times, either because of stress, tiredness, manipulation, or simply human error. Some of the major boundaries that can potentially implicate your work and behavior include:
- client focus
- self-disclosure
- dual relationships
- working within your limits
- looking after yourself
Conclusion
As a social worker, your job is essential to your client's well-being and of their community as well. While social work may seem challenging at times, the impact you can have on an individual's life is just as rewarding. You can empower them to own their stories and set goals that increase the likelihood of bringing a positive outcome in their lives. Few simple strategies like those mentioned here can help you manage your clients more effectively.
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