Helping Skills for Human Service Workers: Building Relationships and Encouraging Productive Change (3rd ed.)

In Helping Skills for Human Service Workers, authors France and Weikel provide an organized, informative, and effective learning resource for either undergraduate or graduate students in social work or other fields of study in the helping disciplines. This textbook is equally appropriate and conducive for campus-based or online course study, as the authors include content at the end of each chapter providing students with opportunities to test their ability to apply material that is accessible through either mode of instruction. The content also serves to enhance human services professionals’ skill sets for continuing education purposes with its overall focus on communication and rapport-building development. The final chapter focuses on skill application when working with particular client populations. In the human services field, there are critical skill sets for a professional worker to be successful and maximize human growth and potential of the client populations served. These skill sets are covered in depth in the critical areas of crisis intervention and prevention; mental health; case management; service provision; rehabilitation; patient care; maximizing motivation to change; working through resistance; therapeutic milieu and relationships; problem solving; and the establishment of clinical goals, objectives, and treatment or case plans.

Each chapter is presented in a style that is easy for students to read and follow. In chapter 1 several basic issues are covered regarding the therapeutic helping relationship and utilization of the aforementioned practice skills. Specifically, throughout the text, the authors emphasize client autonomy and self-efficacy, rewards, progress, and practice and feedback in developing and applying the practice skills addressed. Chapter 2 provides the most frequent and effective therapeutic and supportive client responses, including advice, analysis, sympathy/reassurance, open/closed interrogation questions, reflection, and a myriad of educational questions and answers to enhance therapeutic effectiveness and technique. In chapter 3, the creation of positive relationships is highlighted through discussion of the key skill areas of empathy, warmth, genuineness, fostering therapeutic alliance, and leadership in the helping process. These key areas are further developed through multiple examples of clinical scenarios and questions/answers for discussion. Chapter 4 presents a detailed approach to problem solving through exploration of thoughts/feelings, alternative solutions, and a phased incremental plan for the client and the worker to negotiate a level of resolution. Problem solving is supplemented through multiple examples of clinical scenarios, questions/answers for discussion, and the inclusion of a client interview focusing on problem solving, which is then furthered in chapter 6 to incorporate setting goals, objectives, and case plans, respectively.

Chapter 5 examines worker areas that are ineffective or may hinder the effectiveness of therapeutic efforts. The four principal areas of therapeutic effectiveness are covered in the following sections: authority, knowledge of client, natural interaction, and maintaining focus on client productive change. Conversely, the four worker principal pitfalls to avoid are too much authority, noneffective communication, phrasing, and client change negativity. In chapter 6, the establishment of goals, objectives, and treatment/case plans is examined as a worker–client collaborative process. The goals, plans, and objectives have measured levels of target attainment that are monitored for progress and rooted in client motivation for change. Chapter 7 describes nonverbal information and nonverbal messages of smell, touch, sight, and sound. Recognizing these messages will enhance worker–client effectiveness, limitations, and nonverbal patterns associated with feelings. Chapter 8 highlights the dynamics that may occur before, during, and after scheduled client appointments as well as assessment and related documentation in SOAP (subjective, objective, assessment, and plan) case note format. Chapter 9 focuses on responding to the needs of various client groups (children, older adults, socioeconomic classes, and so on) and confidentiality. The strategy of motivational interviewing and the related stages are also featured to strengthen the collaborative effort of the worker and the client to maximize the outcome of the identified problem. Finally, the text is supplemented with a variety of introductory exercises, worker–client responses, suggested content and structure, and example release/consent forms.

The chapters are arranged in a strategic, purposeful, flowing, easy-to-read, and detailed manner. Yet the textbook’s organization and content could be improved in four ways: (1) by revising and expanding the content in chapter 9 to include more diverse populations (such as rural social work, military veterans, individuals with varied sexual orientation, and so on) and problem areas (such as substance abuse, partner violence, homelessness, and so on), because expanding on these areas would aid in students’ ability to demonstrate practice behaviors around cultural competence and among specific client demographics (Simmons, Diaz, Jackson, & Takahashi, 2008); (2) moving the motivational interviewing content to an earlier chapter, such as chapter 2, would provide readers the ability to apply this therapeutic strategy when considering how to approach and discuss problems with clients, as this approach can be used throughout the entire change process (Miller & Rollnick, 2004); (3) adding some basic problem area screening tools to the appendixes (such as those for substance abuse, partner violence, and so on) would provide a broader base of resources for readers and promote student interest in other problem areas; (4) adding content on the strategy of harm reduction to approach and treat problems. Hence, these improvements would provide students with a broader knowledge base of cultural diversity, populations, psychosocial problems, and strategies to address client issues.

Moreover, the textbook is predicated on helping clients to collaboratively address, problem solve, and treat their identified psychosocial concerns. Collaboration in problem solving is underscored through the strategy of motivational interviewing. This book’s content is highly applicable for the field of social work, social welfare, and other helping professions. The textbook provides a unique perspective in its content and structure. A particularly beneficial feature is that each chapter has a series of innovative and stimulating clinical case scenarios that a worker may encounter in the human services industry setting. Finally, each chapter is augmented with questions and answers that promote worker effectiveness and optimal client functioning.