This document discusses advanced helping skills for social workers, including summarization, information giving, confrontation, and interpretation. It provides guidelines for appropriately using each skill in a way that focuses the interview and empowers the client. Summarization involves pulling together relevant information from a client in a collective statement to highlight key aspects. Information giving provides clients with useful resources while distinguishing advice from facts. Confrontation addresses inconsistencies in a non-judgmental way. Interpretation explores deeper meanings but requires establishing trust and ensuring a client's readiness. All skills must be used sensitively with attending behaviors that place the client's needs first.

1. SWK 501
Ch. 6 – Advanced Helping Skills

2. Focusing the Interview
•Initial interview will likely
include prescribed questions…
•Important to PREPARE and
anticipate possible
issues/concerns client may
want to discuss

3. Summarization
• Pulls together relevant information into a “collective”
response. BOTH the feelings and content are
included in the summarization.
• Delivered as a statement, not a question.
• Helpful to summarize previous session at the start of
new session
• Helpful at end of session to highlight key aspects

4. Guidelines for Using Summarization
• Identify key aspects of the client's messages over time,
within the session or over the course of several sessions.
• Use summarization as a way to focus the interview. The
social worker takes the lead in setting the agenda (of
course, with the client's input).
• Use summarization to tie messages together and make a
coherent whole.

5. Guidelines for Using Summarization
• Verify with the client that you are on the right track, for
example, "There are a few things you said that I want to
be sure I have understood. You are thinking about leaving
your husband and will make the final decision after you
complete your degree. Is that the gist of what you said?"
• Use summarization to begin a session, switch directions,
or wrap up a session.
• Recap what was said, sometimes using the client's own
words, for example, "You just said 'I want the abuse to
stop.' That is the first time I have heard you utter those
words. Good for you."

6. Information Giving
• Uses when client needs useful information
• Information is power… our job is to empower our
clients.
• Available resources
• The helping process/role of Social Worker
• Knowledge of development, life transitions, consequences
of behavior, etc.
• Knowledge of policies and programs

7. Guidelines for Giving Information
• Identify the kind of information that is useful to the client.
• Identify reliable sources of information, such as the library, telephone book, websites,
social service agencies, schools, and universities.
• Determine readiness for information and whether the client can find it on his or her own.
• Identify sequencing of information, presenting the most important information first.
• Present information in a way the client can hear it but be sure to include facts if they are
relevant.
• Don't overload the client with too much information; sometimes a small dose of
information is all the client can handle.
• Discuss the client's reaction to the information.
• Ascertain how well the client understands the information by asking him or her to repeat it.
• Write down information (or provide a brochure).

8. Information Giving
• Always use cultural knowledge and sensitivity
• Purpose is educate about options, not to advise or
dictate or judge
• Important to distinguish between advice and
information
DO NOT USE INFORMATION GIVING TO
“SOUND LIKE THE EXPERT”…small,
understandable, meaningful bits

9. Confrontation
• Used to address a discrepancy in the client’s
message/communication in hopes of providing
insight that leads to change…
• Client’s behavior in contradiction to his/her statements
• Client’s statements in contradiction to one another
• Should be non-judgmental, non-threatening, and
non-adversarial

10. Guidelines for Using Confrontation
• Use confrontation sparingly and when a relationship has been firmly
established.
• Offer a confrontation because you care, for example, "It is because you are
a good person with a lot of potential that I am bringing this up right now."
• Do not confront a client if he or she is extremely emotional. Use empathy
skills, such as a reflection of feeling as a way of diffusing the situation or to
moderate the client's feelings.
• Change takes time; be realistic and understanding, not combative. Long-
standing patterns, issues, and feelings are hard to change. Think of this skill
as shining a light on a blind spot.

11. Guidelines for Using Confrontation
• Give examples of inconsistencies within the context of care and concern,
for example, "I really want to see you succeed, but last week and yesterday
you showed up to school smelling of alcohol. You said that you don't want
to be suspended, but, honestly, I don't know how many more chances you
will get. If you want to finish your senior year, you have to take the
necessary steps. I can help you find a program in the area that works
withteenagers and families. Your thoughts?"
• Depending on the client's reaction to the confrontation, you may need to
acknowledge that you misspoke. It doesn't mean that your concerns aren't
valid; it just may be too soon for the client to talk about. You may want to
revisit the issues when the client seems more receptive.
• Consider an obstacle to change as a challenge for the client and one the
social worker handles with grace and dignity.

12. Confrontation
• Monitor your reactions to clients
• Small confrontations over time
may work best
• Change takes time
• USE in conjunction with other
helping skills…

13. Interpretation
• Go beyond the client’s stated problem to find deeper
meaning
• Make sure there’s a relationship of trust before
applying interpretation
• Can point out causal connections between behaviors,
feelings, and thoughts
• Important to focus on clients strengths and potential

14. Interpretation
• Clients emotionally attached to their problem
• May need time to think differently
• Timing is critical – is client “ready” to see things
differently?
• Based on data, not sounding like “psychoanalysis”
• Use a tentative lead-in… “I wonder if…”

15. Guidelines for Using Interpretation
• Consider whether the client shows readiness to explore or examine deeper
issues.
• Is your interpretation based on client's actual message rather than on your biases
and values?
• Relate past issues, themes, or patterns to what is currently happening in the
client's life. For example, "You have talked a lot about your mom's drinking and
the tirades that occurred when she was drunk. Sometimes you felt powerless to
say anything and took her verbal insults to heart. I wonder if her behaviors
relate in any way to you how you feel about your boss, who yells without cause
and belittles you?"

16. Guidelines for Using Interpretation
• Word your interpretation as a tentative statement—" I wonder whether
. . ." or "Is it possible that . . ."
• Allow enough time to explore the client's reaction. Digging deeper into
the client's world may open up old wounds or trauma. Be prepared to
help the client manage the pain by using reassurance, empathy skills,
and attending behaviors. Give the client ample time to explore these
issues before moving on or ending the session.
• Depending on the client's reaction to the interpretation, you may need
to acknowledge "probable error." Tuck the information away, however,
as you may have touched on something very significant. You may want
to revisit the issues when the client seems more receptive.
• Sometimes a "molehill is just a molehill," meaning that what the client
is experiencing may have no deeper meaning. Do not assume that your
insights are correct, valid, or relevant.

17. Integrating SW Skills and Attending
Behavior Skills - Summary
• Advanced Practice Skills include: summarization,
information giving, confrontation & interpretation
• Establishing & maintaining helping relationship is
critical to change process – IT”S ALL ABOUT
YOUR CLIENT
• “Tuning in” and starting where the client is is
paramount