HHS 320 Cultural Awareness in the Human Services

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OUTLINE

OUTLINE 6

Summative Assessment Outline

Chanda Crews

HHS 207 Communication Skills for Health and Human Services

Instructor: Daniel Villa-Giroux

June 12, 2017

I. Introduction

A. Thesis: The efficacy of communication skills is akin to the execution of duties of a social worker as the fundamental professional mandate involves the interaction with clients drawn from different backgrounds. Additionally, the health service professional is assigned the task of gaining information, conveying the relevant information and undertaking critical information all of which would culminate in detrimental effects to the client in the absence of effective communication skills. The social worker is also expected to employ empathy skills where she strikes a rapport with her clients so as to earn the trust of the person including prioritizing the best interests of the victim. This process denotes keeping an open mind while paying close attention to the client’s responses during the interview alongside portraying the appropriate emotional expressions. Consequently, this paper focuses on offering insights into the development of operational communication skills including the philosophies, use of verbal and non-verbal cues, the employment of empathy skills and an analysis of the various factors that influence communication with clients.

II. Body Paragraph 1: The Attribution Theory holds that human beings possess the need to translate their perceptions of the world to others through accounting for causative agents of event that surround us. This creates the assurance that we can gain a sense of control since explaining the behavior of people affects the opinion of individuals.

A. Supporting Evidence: According to Ivey, D'Andrea & Ivey (2011), in regards to the outcomes of events in an individual’s life, internal attribution is used to citing internal personality factors while offending others amounts to external attribution where situational factors are blamed instead of people.

1. Explanation: Researchers assert that attribution theory has been instrumental in distinguishing between the facets of a high and low achiever. The paradigms of this model denote that high achievers are more likely to tackle issues head on rather that going for risk aversion as they consider augmented proficiencies as the key ingredients that foster the realization of success.

2. So what? Attribution theory is vital in the Helping Service Profession it assists in understanding how people view the problems that afflict them. This may be exemplified by analyzing the predicament of juvenile delinquents who claim that their behavior may be due to peer influence that results in engagement in substance use activities. A clinical assessment may highlight other factors such as family setting and the environmental surrounding of the young adult which is information that may be derived from effective communication with such a client.

III. Body Paragraph 2: The comprehension of an ideal framework for verbal communication with clients necessitates the definition of the working mechanisms of verbal messages in interpersonal communication while also taking into consideration the underlying principles.

A. Supporting Evidence: According to DeVito (2007), messages are usually packaged; have implied meanings; the subsequent meaning may either be connotative or denotative, and that information varies in abstraction.

1. Explanation: A person’s voice reveals much about one’s demeanor as well as their history According to Morrison (2007), the sound of the voice is unique to each as the contents of a client’s verbatim depict his emotional state, and the ensuing dialect reveals much about the victim’s background.

2. So what? In essence, verbal communication forms the core of the interactions between the social worker and the client. This implies that the professional ought to consider the ideal verbal cues while dealing with the client so as to create a conducive atmosphere upon which difficult emotions are explicated and in the long run the appropriate solutions are adopted.

IV. Body Paragraph 3: Non-verbal cues comprise of messages other than word that is used in communication. These symbolic messages are conveyed through body posture, facial expression, voice intonations and body gestures.

A. Supporting Evidence: Body gestures are mostly used to reinforce the speaker’s attitude or intentions while those gesticulations that require no verbal accompaniment are referred to as emblems (Wharton, 2009). Typical examples include hand signals such as beckoning when calling someone or waving goodbye to someone.

1. Explanation: Non-verbal communication is not only a vital component but also a necessity in mediated conversations such as those in the Helping Profession. Research sensitizes that communication acts such as rhetoric sensitivity may be accompanied with visually perceivable attitudes that can only be observed in a one on one dialogue (DeVito, 2007)

2. So what? Non-verbal communication may include the appropriate facial expressions while addressing clients and establishing an emotional intelligence pathway such that more empathetic. Others may include the elimination of background noise so that exchange of information in a serene atmosphere including exercising precision while addressing the problems of clients.

V. Body Paragraph 4: Communication varies depending on the nature of relationships amongst people, and since the family is regarded as the core unit of society, it plays an instrumental role in determining the communication outcomes with a client.

A. Supporting Evidence: Cultural influences culminate in the propagation of diversity in beliefs in how people need to communicate. This implies that the social worker ought to be sensitive to a client’s cultural background including the family values, gender expectations and the various social roles (DeVito, 2007).

1. Explanation: Cultural influences denote human diversity which plays a key role while dealing with various clients. Moreover, it transcends beyond being a mere determinant of social and individual functioning since it also bears a significant impact on the human service profession. Hence, it is only through the sensitivity to cultural differences, understanding the expected causes and effects, would a social worker optimize her skills as a professional.

2. So what? Some people have been accustomed to take a sense of pride even in hard times and as such may come off as cagey and do not reveal much about themselves. India exemplifies this social proliferation where religious fanatics expose themselves to numerous health risks by clinging on to the belief that they are purifying themselves for a higher purpose. Hence, it is imperative that a health service worker be on the lookout for such pitfalls to allow an opportunity to meet the needs of the client’s effectively.

Human diversity is a significant factor in working with all people. It is not only a determinant of individual and social functioning; it also affects every aspect of practice in human service. Only when human service workers are sensitive to differences among people, knowledgeable about their causes and effects, and skillful in recognizing and working with them will practice be effective. Although dealing with diversity has always been a part of education for practice, its importance has become increasingly obvious in the last half century

References

DeVito, J. A. (2007). Interpersonal Communication Book, The, 13/E. New York, NY: Pearson International.

Ivey, A. E., D'Andrea, M. J., & Ivey, M. B. (2011). Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Multicultural Perspective: A Multicultural Perspective. Sage.

Morrison, T. (2007). Emotional intelligence, emotion and social work: Context, characteristics, complications and contribution. British Journal of Social Work, 37(2), 245-263.

Wharton, T. (2009). Pragmatics and non-verbal communication. Cambridge University Press.