Problems with Human Services Clients and the Skills to Use to Help Them
Marc L. Person
BSHS/305
University of Phoenix
November 11, 2014
Problems with Human Services Clients and the Skills to Use to Help Them
Human Services clients can face obstacles/problems of all kinds. The term client can describe a person, a family, or a group of people in a particular area or neighborhood. The Human Services “Helper” will need to develop many different skills in order to service each client within such diverse echelons.
The Problem Chain
Clients enter the human service delivery system as individuals with many different perspectives such as psychological, biological, cultural, financial, educational, vocational, and spiritual elements. These elements include life experiences such as family, friends, health, school, work, legal status, residence, safety and security, finances, play, well-being, and personal accomplishments. These perspectives are assimilated into the individual to create the whole person that the human service professional experiences.
There are a few possible theories that are used to define the problems and difficulties that individuals face. The developmental theory approaches problems from the life span perspective that describes them as events or crisis that have happened within a lifetime. The situational perspective describes problems that have happened in one instance or timeframe. Meeting basic human needs, both physical and mental, is another method of explaining the problems that clients encounter. One theory suggests that social change has a primary major effect on the problems that individuals experience. Culture may also be a critical aspect in understanding the problems an individual or a community may face to the human service helper considering how it could affect them.
During the helping process, the helping professional must be aware that the client does not simply have an issue with just one aspect of their lives. It will likely never be just a lack of food problem, or a child care issue, or even a transportation dilemma. Problems for clients are rarely single issues, and the helping professional should always expect that there will likely be a honey comb of challenges to face. In fact, one problem can be the spark plug that ignites many others, such as a drug or alcohol addiction.
In a community matter, the Human Services professional may have to attempt to address the matter to the entire community instead of just one person. An example would be an area that displays continued gang violence. The helper would need to pool their resources so that their services can be robust enough to effect the entire demographic.
Helping Styles for Creating Smiles The effectiveness of the helping process depends upon how well the Human Services worker’s skills are. If they are not very experienced and are dealing with a complicated client, they may want to either ask for additional support or transfer the client to a better equipped professional. Because the helper has the information that the client is in need of and also the knowledgeable professional, it is the helper’s responsibility to establish a trusting relationship. Once the relationship is established, the helper must become familiar with the client’s problems or issues.
As stated previously, there is likely more than one problem, but it would be most beneficial to identify what might be considered as the root problem. An example would be if a client continues to get fired from their job for being late, or for missing too many days of work. This could mean they are having transportation issues, or even child care complications that need to be addressed. Once those problems are corrected, the client should be able to be to work when they’re supposed to. Usually the agency or organization with which a professional works dictates the focus, the services, and the duration of the helping process. Regardless of the mission of an organization and its services, you will find that the platforms of the helping process are similar. They will include components of the problem-solving process such as identifying the problem, setting goals to resolve the problem, and determining and applying strategies designed to help the client reach those goals. Communication is the foundation for all interpersonal relationships. Communication involves sending a message to another person with the conscious intent of affecting the receiver’s behavior. When the receiver understands the message the way the sender intended, effective communication has taken place. When one person interprets the message differently from the way it was intended, the result is communication failure, the most common source of misunderstandings in interpersonal relationships. Personal communication and written communication are very different even though you may use the same words, they can be misconstrued to mean something else entirely. That’s why body language is so important when using personal communication. Body language is sometimes more important than the actual words a person is saying, so displaying as well as paying attention to both is imperative to effective communication. It’s very important to make the client feel comfortable and to remain focused on the conversation. Many people in need are already reluctant to seek professional assistance, so to put them at ease, the environment in which the session is held must be welcoming and safe. The position in which you sit, must appear to be as equals, and not sitting behind a desk in an authoritative posture. The Human Services professional is exposed to many different cultures, and personalities. It is their job to be open and accepting to different cultures that they may not ordinarily find conventional. The helper will also experience demanding and reluctant clients, who either think they deserve more than you provide them, or are unwilling to accept assistance at all. The helper must learn to set boundaries for these clients, teaching them to be more self-reliant without losing their trust, but at the same time making strides to improve their quality of life. So the range of problems for Human Services clients is pretty broad. It can range from an individual problem, or a group issue, to even an entire community’s dilemma. There are problems that extend a lifetime, or problems that occur from a crisis in a particular point in time, such as PTSD. Either way Human Services professionals need to always sharpen their skills as counselors, helpers, and resource references. Being able to acquire as well as keep your clients’ trust is paramount. When individuals are in need, they will never ask for nor accept assistance from people they do not trust. The helper must be able to accept difference beliefs, and cultures, as well as be a motivator and coordinator. The ultimate goal is for the helper to transform the client into a self-helper.

References
University of Phoenix. (2012). The client chapter 5. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, BSHS/305 - Historical Development of Human Services: An Introduction website
University of Phoenix. (2012). The client chapter 7. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, BSHS/305 - Historical Development of Human Services: An Introduction website