Human Service Professionals and Helping Skills Jasmine Ewing BSHS/305 Historical Development of Human Services Introduction 02/04/2016 University of Phoenix

Human service professionals are some of the most important individuals not just in America, but all over. Many people know about human service workers however what really defines them as a profession? According to one of the pper reviewed articles Dr. Helen Winefield defines help as “A common framework of “help” allows analysis of what is potentially available for people with coping problems, from several different sources.” How is it these everyday people can help people turn their lives around? During this paper I will be touching on what makes a human service professional as well as the affects the helping process has not only on the clients that we serve, but the community as well.
In order to understand the human service professional you have to understand what exactly is the helping process? What are the stages that a helper goes through with the client in in order to build a relationship, start the healing process, and end the client professional relationship successfully. The first stage would be preparation which is even before the client arrives. Many times the ambiance of a room can change someones perception and can determine their feelings for the rest of the process. Ensuring that the room is calming and that you have a chair by the client so it is more of a conversation rather then an interrogation. Things in the room to keep the client drawn in such as calming sounds, warm colors, and not having the client in front of a window where they can get distracted. The next step would be the client’s arrival which is extremely important. This determines how the rest of the client and helper relationship is going to go. Standing up offering a firm handshake looking the client in the eye with a warm smile can help some of the tension and other negative emotions that they may be feeling. Another way is to develop ice breakers such as the weather or the elevator being slow. This can make the client laugh and relax. It will help them realize that maybe the choice to seek help wasn’t a mistake. Exploring the problem will help build the relationship between the helper and the client. This is when the helper has to practice active listening skills and let the client feel comfortable about their problems and most importantly their barriers. This is when the work is completed and the client allows you to see things about them that perhaps no one knows. The intervention stage is where you and the client can set short term goals as well as long time goals. Sometimes we do have clients that require help beyond our capabilities and requires us to refer the client to other outside services. Lastly is the termination stage in which the client can be discharged in both a positive and negative way. They can discharge by finishing the program and treatment successfully while there are other cases when the client may stop showing up or by fault of the client or the helper it ends the treatment abruptly. All the helping skills mentioned in this paper can help the client in various ways. Exploring the problem seems to be the most important and the peak of the helping process. This is the point where the client and the helper develop a bond and can come to grips with who a client is. There are categories such as the bio psych-social as well as cognitive behavioral therapy as well as various other therapies that can be used with the client. At times medication maintenance can help a client as well. During this stage I believe the client receives not only the most help but begin the amazing healing process as well. The helping process can be looked at as a blueprint for the helper, client, and the community. Often times specific demographics and the sociology of the specific community can cause a rise in clients needing treatment. Some communities face poverty, gangs, drug use, and other problems. Its not just the clients that require the help but the entire area as well. By having the ability to help various individuals seek help and complete treatment successfully it will help the community regain control and enhance the area itself. The community won’t have a negative connotation attached to it and rather can be looked to be blossoming and an area where people want to come to live and shop. Enabling the client to look at the area in which they live to be positive rather then something negative. As well enable the client to see ways of how their community is a product of their behavior and how their environment can define who they are as a person. By helping the client see that even though they have feelings of guilt, anger, and confusion everything isn’t their fault. By successful completion the client will also be able to go back into the neighborhoods and community in which they lived and help others find a different way of life as well. When we receive a client there is also a key point to remember which is every client that we see is a human being. A study was completed regarding the barriers of the client and the human service worker which stated “ the inconsistent findings of these studies along with more recent data suggesting that client characteristics were less important to continuation than were the barriers they may experience, have led to an enhanced exploration of the perceived treatment barriers.”
That being said we know that we have had a past and we have a history. Our clients have a past as well and often times this past determines who they are and if they are willing to seek services. When someone hears themselves labeled as a client some can believe that there is something wrong with them. This can cause fear and anxiety in just one word. They may eventually get to the point where they feel like they don’t need the help and it was silly to attempt any. Some individuals believe that they are fine and in their own denial don’t want to seek help. Some cultures and families feel that it is an embarrassment for someone to seek help. Some have the saying “what happens in their house or their families stays within the family dynamic and circle. We as humans are prone at times to greatly let the thoughts of others define who we are. We don’t want to be labeled or set apart from everyone else. This is some of the main reasons why individuals seek to deny help or leave treatment after they are there. The misconception of having to be a certain type of person that isn’t cool, that doesn’t need help, can solve problems on their own has to stop. So many people are lost with this wayward thinking and sadly for some it is too late to try and find help. It is our jobs as human service professionals to change this way of thinking and ensuring that individuals everywhere feel comfortable seeking help and acceptance.

Reference Page

Kazdin, A. E., Holland, L., Crowley, M., & Breton, S. (1997). Barriers to treatment participation scale: Evaluation and validation in the context of child outpatient treatment. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38(8), 1051-1062.
Helen R. Winefield, Dr. Department of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, June 2002

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