A paper concerning the importance, techniques and eliminating communication barriers with human services clients.

1. Communication Challenges
There are many barriers to good communication. One such barrier is semantic. In the
English language the same word can have different meanings across the different cultural and
ethnic groups. An example of this would be the word bad. The word bad in some circles means
something that is not good while in other circles the same word means something very good.
Another barrier is physical. A physical barrier could be almost anything. Noise is a
barrier. If the person you are attempting to communicate with is unable to hear what you are
saying because of the construction work going on in your office, it is a barrier.
One way to overcome a semantic barrier is to understand who your client is. If your client
is a seventy-year-old woman you should probably use the first definition of bad in your
communications with her. If your client is a seventeen-year-old kid who is skipping school, both
the first and second definition of the word could be utilized (Simon, 2015).
One way to overcome the second barrier is to move the meeting with your client to
another room or to reschedule the interview to a time where the workers are not present.
On a personal note, one of the barriers that could be listed, and should be listed, is
illiteracy. This is a tremendous barrier and effects all aspects of communication. A client who is
illiterate, or who is uneducated, is at the mercy of all who come their way. It is essential that the
caseworker takes the time to explain what is going on to the client in the simplest terms possible.
SHARE is an acronym for Seek your client’s participation, Help your patient compare
treatment options, Assess patient’s values, Reach a decision with your client, Evaluate their
decisions (Mullahy, 2016).

2. The first step in the process is the critical area of communicating with your client. This is
the point for communicating with them at all. There is no sense in trying to assist the client if
they have no input in the process.
I think the next most important step is to reach a decision with the client. Again, leaving
the client out of the process is a mistake. If they are not involved, the chances of them following
through with any plan is not likely.

3. References
Mullahy, C. (2016). The Case Managers Handbook (6th ed.). Burlington, Massachusetts, United
States of America: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Retrieved February 15, 2018
Simon, R. (2015). Relevance of Communication in Social Work Practice. Retrieved February 21,
2018, from https://www.slideshare.net/richisimon/relevance-of-communication-in-social-
work-51861944