SOC 300W - Interviewing, Counseling, and the Helping Relationship

Credits: 3
Instructional Contact Hours: 3

Establishes beginning social work interviewing and relationship skills as well as awareness of the use of self in the helping relationship. Presents specific interviewing strategies for generalist social work practice. Includes student participation in practice sessions using role plays, videotapes and self awareness exercises. Provides opportunities to practice formal and informal writing. Credit may be earned in PSY 300W or SOC 300W but not in both.

Prerequisite(s): ENG 111 with a "C" or better or permission of instructor
Corequisite(s): None
Lecture Hours: 45 Lab Hours: 0
Meets MTA Requirement: None
Pass/NoCredit: No

Outcomes and Objectives

Exhibit improved communication skills with individuals and groups.
1. Develop and improve observation and listening skills in communication and interviewing.
2. Differentiate the use of particular interviewing strategies with various populations and situations.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the various skills needed in interviewing different size client systems.
4. Demonstrate and apply understanding of the influence of ethnicity, culture and gender on communication.
5. Analyze other student's ability to demonstrate effective interview skills.
Demonstrate self-observation and awareness in relationship to communication and interviewing.
1. Evaluate his/her own performance on communication skills.
2. Identify how his/her values, prejudices and feelings affect communication and interviewing through reading, writing, and class participations.
3. Articulate in writing effective responses to reading.
Demonstrate an understanding of communication and interviewing within the field of social work.
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the development of the helping relationship in social work.
2. Develop an understanding of the role of social work values and ethics in providing a foundation and framework for practice.
3. Develop knowledge of verbal and written communication within social work practice.
4. Differentiate between interviewing, counseling, and psychotherapy.
5. Interpret client statements and understand the distinction between manifest and latent content.
Conduct client interviews and establish a helping relationship.
1. Employ interview skills as an assessment tool.
2. Utilize interview skills to empower clients to change.
3. Apply various interviewing strategies (questions, responses, leads, etc.)
4. Begin to develop confrontation, reflective listening, paraphrasing, encouraging and summarizing.
5. Integrate client information into a bio/social assessment.
6. Conduct a formal class presentation which demonstrates the integration of interviewing, including use of effective listening skills.
7. Articulate through progress notes the evaluation of client response to student implementation of interviewing skills.
8. Evaluate and confront discrepancies in interviews.
9. Challenge client thoughts and behaviors through empathetic confrontations.