Social workers play a vital role in assisting individuals, families, and communities to cope with various challenges. However, sometimes the language and approach used by social workers may contribute more to confusion than clarity. In this article, we will discuss three phrases that social workers should stop using, and explore more effective ways to communicate with clients.
1. Making Professional Judgments: Replacing "Don't Judge" with "Assess Professionally"
Instead of saying "don't judge," social workers should encourage one another to "assess professionally." This distinction acknowledges that clients are the experts on their own experiences. While they may be well-versed in their personal circumstances, they may not be proficient in navigating new and unfamiliar social systems. Social workers' expertise in understanding available options and possible outcomes can help clients make informed decisions about their lives.
Both judgments and truth can be difficult to hear. However, the latter offers clients an opportunity to exercise autonomy and make choices aligned with their values. In contrast, judgments impose a predetermined conclusion and remove clients' agency. To avoid overstepping boundaries, social workers should approach assessments with humility, recognizing that they are not the final authority on a client's situation.
Building a solid relationship with clients is essential for facilitating open and honest communication. The importance of human relationships is central to the social work code of ethics. Developing a trusting rapport allows clients to consider practitioners' insights and integrate them into their decision-making processes.
2. Personal-Professional Value Integration: Moving Beyond Good and Bad
Integration of personal and professional values requires honesty and authenticity, particularly in the way we label things. Social workers should avoid categorizing choices as "good" or "bad" and instead, focus on whether they are "sustainable" or "unsustainable." By doing so, they can help clients navigate their desires and identify achievable strategies for reaching their goals.
Living unapologetically starts with being honest with yourself. Embracing one's core values and desires enables a greater capacity for empathy and understanding when working with clients. This level of self-awareness helps social workers model balanced relationships and promote healthier decision-making.
3. Facilitating Self-Determination: Guiding Clients' Choices, Not Dictating Them
Self-determination is often misunderstood as allowing clients to pursue whatever they want without constraint. In reality, it is a nuanced process of balancing professional guidance with clients' goals, expectations, and agency in the context of trauma.
The Natural Bias in Helping
Helping professions, such as social work, involve inherent biases rooted in the belief that practitioners possess knowledge and resources that can benefit clients. Rather than attempting to eliminate biases, social workers should strive to manage them by using evidence-based, valid, and reliable processes for assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Assessment
During the assessment phase, social workers should replace personal opinions and visions with client-driven objectives. This shift puts the focus on the client's needs and ensures that the support provided aligns with their desired outcomes.
Planning
In planning, social workers should present clients with a variety of options and consider the motivations driving their choices. This approach fosters greater insight and encourages clients to examine their actions in the context of their long-term goals.
Implementation and Evaluation
Throughout the implementation and evaluation phases, social workers should regularly revisit and reassess client goals. Doing so allows for adjustments that might be necessary to support clients' objectives effectively and assist in achieving desired outcomes.
Professional Insight Into Client Goals
When discussing client behavior, it is more helpful to frame the conversation in terms of sustainability rather than morality. Recognizing clients as the expert on their situation, social workers can better identify the goals that are most important for them.
Expectations, Capability, and Experience in Trauma
Clients often come to social workers with specific expectations about what services and support they will receive. To align social work practice with those expectations, practitioners should assess clients' decision-making strategies and capacities to determine the most appropriate interventions. They should also consider clients' prior experiences, especially those where the failure occurred, and provide resources, information, and encouragement to empower clients to generate new experiences indicative of success.
In conclusion, social workers can enhance their practice by reassessing the language they use when interacting with clients. Replacing unhelpful phrases with more accurate and supportive terminology can empower clients, build stronger relationships, and promote more effective work toward clients' self-determination. By reflecting on and adjusting their language, social workers are better positioned to help clients navigate complex situations and achieve their goals.
