1. Attitudes/Values, Skills, and Knowledge
Chapter 4
Attitudes/Values, Skills, and Knowledge

2. The Professional Helping Relationship
The Structure of the Professional Helping Relationship = relationship between a worker and client that follows a pattern determined by goals and ethics of human service field
Exists for a limited time, whereas friendships might last for many years.
Has a clear focus, whereas friendships have many purposes, most of them vague
Negotiate a contract (Forge an agreement)
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3. The Professional Helping Relationship
Depends on a division of labor
Disciplined, whereas in a friendship each person is relatively free to act on impulse
Confidentiality
Built on acceptance
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4. The Professional Helping Relationship
The Content of the Professional Helping Relationship
Attitudes
Values
It is not always easy to separate attitudes and values from skills and knowledge
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5. The Pyramid Model
Professionals in every field require a combination of attitudes and values, skills, and knowledge (All three dimensions have equal weight. But each
component must be
built on the base of
appropriate
attitudes and
values.)
Attitudes and Values
Knowledge
Skills
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6. Attitudes and Values Attitudes and Values Form the Base of the Pyramid
Human service education & work starts from a solid base of appropriate attitudes & values
Attitudes = feelings or thoughts about people or things
Values = worth we place on things
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7. Attitudes/Values, Skills, and Knowledge: An Overview
The Content of the Helping Relationship
Most human service programs incorporate many dimensions of human behavior
And use methods that provoke active learning of concepts and skills
Most of us are likely to change direction several times in our careers
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8. Attitudes and Values of the Human Service Worker
Patience
-Realistic view of the growth of people Being able to understand that growth in people can slow. (Client can be punished for worker’s sense of frustration.)
Empathy (Putting self in shoes of another)
Requires a finely tuned, intuitive sensitivity to other people
Test this value in yourself
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9. Attitudes and Values of the Human Service Worker
Self-Awareness
- Sketching our strengths and weaknesses
* Capacity to Deal with Ambiguity and Take Risks
No one is comfortable with ambiguity, or uncertainty
When working with the general public, there are many unknowns
Each decision is a judgment call
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10. Attitudes and Values of the Human Service Worker
Capacity to Ask for Help and Offer Feedback
Knowing when to ask for assistance or for an honest appraisal of his or her work is the mark Of a self-confident human service worker
Just as important as asking for help is the willingness to give honest feedback to others.
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11. Attitudes and Values of the Human Service Worker
Belief in the Capacity to Change
Assess realistically how much growth is possible or how fast it can happen
We should be intolerant of injustice wherever we encounter it
What forces in the environment might be inhibiting human potential?
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12. Attitudes and Values of the Human Service Worker
Open-Mindedness, Skepticism, and Rejection of Stereotypes
Human service workers need to see beyond the simplistic bigotry of common stereotypes
Each stereotype must be questioned
Humor and a Light Touch
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13. Skills of the Human Service Worker
Gathering Data
Interviewing
Active listening
Active looking
Reading, research, and assessing
Attending conferences and workshops
Making home or agency visits
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14. Skills of the Human Service Worker
Storing and Sharing Information
Information must be put in a useful format
Building Relationships
Negotiating Contracts and Assessing Problems
A contract begins by stating mutual expectations
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15. Skills of the Human Service Worker
Constructing Action Plans
Individualized Service Plans (ISPs)
Organize a successful event
Practice a method of systematic problem solving
Implementing Action Plans
Monitoring and Evaluating
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16. Basic Knowledge of the Human Service Worker
Human Growth and Development
Major milestones and developmental tasks that a newborn infant faces
Abnormal Growth and Development
Impact of Society and Culture on Behavior
The Dynamics of Groups and Organizations
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17. Basic Knowledge of the Human Service Worker
Ways in which groups influence attitudes and behavior
Social and Political Forces That Affect Helping
Insights from history & cross-cultural analysis
Social Problems, Populations, and Resources
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18. Basic Knowledge of the Human Service Worker
How social problems are identified, how new problems rise to prominence on the social
agenda, and how new services to deal with them come into being
Research and Evaluation
Research is complex
Needs to be conducted
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19. Summary Lay helper and professional helper Helping relationship
Attitudes and values
Basic skills
Basic knowledge areas
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