Week 7

This was a pretty interesting week. I got to start working with a patient that I did a psychosocial evaluation on the week prior. We developed starting point for a professional relationship and she was willing to discuss her issues/concerns with me. I am looking forward to working with her over the next 8 weeks.

Activities -

• Interviewed patient
• Attended Diversity Fair
• Participated in Treatment Team Meeting
• Continued working with male patient
• Read DSM-IV sections on Schizoaffective disorder, Bipolar disorder, and Schizophrenia
• Initiated contact with new patient

I met a new patient that my supervisor wants me to follow. He is a difficult patient because he doesn't want to talk and when I have tried to initiate conversation he states he doesn't want to be bothered. Because I am an eager student, I want to "dig in" and start working with patients. I am frustrated that this patient doesn't want to talk but understand and respect his right to choose to keep to himself.

Reflection -

In working with clients, there are many characteristics that a social worker needs in order to be most effective. For example, Lawrence Shulman states that "empathy, relevant self-disclosure by the therapist, and facilitative confrontation, appear to positively affect outcomes" (Shulman, 1978). In other words, Shulman's research has demonstrated that being able to place oneself in the shoes of the client, disclosing relevant information to the client about the worker, and confrontation that is beneficial to the client all can lead to a better relationship between client and worker/therapist. The better the relationship, the more affective the time spent together.

I believe it is important to note the difference between skill and trait. A trait is an inherent part of a person's personality and a skill is something learned that can be applied in some way. Empathy, for example, can be both a skill and a trait. Some workers might have a natural ability to feel what the client feels, and some may have to learn how to step aside and see the world from the client's perspective. Either way, skill or trait, there is still much to learn. A worker cannot rely solely on skill without having some sort of personality trait that directs the skill in a positive direction. Similarly, relying solely on a personality trait can be ineffective because without technical knowledge, one may wonder into unknown territory and not know how to navigate. In my opinion, it is best when a social worker strives to gain skill while also working to bring out positive personality traits.

References:

Shulman, L. (1978). A Study of Practice Skills. Social Work,
23(4), p. 274-280

Total Hours this week : 14.5 hrs
Total Hours to date: 114 hrs and 20 min