About 15 years ago I helped a family member who was experiencing
homelessness due to losing their housing. This subject matter can be
quite difficult to talk about and embarrassing to the individual in
need. While at a family function, I was able to approach my family
member in a private manner and talk about their situation. We agreed
to speak further about the situation at my home the following day.
At the time, I had an extra bedroom available in my home. The family
member came over the following day and we discussed what exactly
they felt they needed to become successful and what I could offer to
help them succeed. We agreed on an overall goal, a maximum amount
of stay, discussed the rules of the house as well as how they would
contribute to the household, and a plan to reach the goal within the
agreed amount of time. They moved in a little under a week after the
agreement was made as they were temporarily staying with a friend.
Things were a bit awkward at first, but soon after move-in, things got
settled and normalcy was established. The family member turned out
to be an incredible help around the house when not working their two
jobs to save up and move out. Eventually, they were able to find a
roommate and move into an apartment earlier than the agreed-upon
maximum stay.
Our reading describes the different phases of the helping process as
1. preparation, 2. the client arrives, 3. exploring the problem, 4.
intervention strategies, and 5. ending client services (Woodside &
McClam, 2018). I find it fascinating that the situation of my family
member moving into my home aligns with the phases of the helping
process without me even being aware of them 15 years ago.
Reference
Woodside, M. R., McClam, T. (2018). An Introduction to Human
Services, 9th Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved
from vbk://9781337671262
