Question 1

Discuss some of the factors that distinguish the structure of a professional helping relationship from the structure of a friendship.

Accepted Answer

The structure of the professional helping relationship is different from a friendship in these five ways:
A. It exists for a limited time, perhaps a specified time period, whereas friendships, except in special circumstances, might last for a lifetime.
B. It has a clear, mutually agreed upon set of goals or a focus that is agreed upon in the worker/client contract.
C. It has a division of labor. The worker can do some things and the client will be expected to make certain decisions and take certain courses of action. Whenever possible the client makes the decisions about what should be done because it is the client's life.
D. It is disciplined. It is guided by certain principles which must be adhered to, such as confidentiality. A worker cannot let his or her own life situation interfere with the client's time or space.
E. It is built on acceptance but not necessarily on attraction or affection. The worker might be able to do effective work with a client even if the client does things that are distasteful to the worker, or that are opposed to the worker's personal values.

Question 2

What do you think are some of the tensions or problems that might occur when a human service worker tries to keep clear boundary lines between the professional helping relationship and a friendship with a particular client?

Accepted Answer

Examples:
• It is only natural to want the best for your client, especially when you see him or her in pain or about to make a potentially disastrous choice. If workers aren't careful to stay disciplined, they might push the client into doing something he or she wasn't ready for and might later regret and resent.
• We cannot always keep confidentially in the professional relationship if we feel the client may harm him or herself or someone else.
• Often in the small agency we share dinners, birthdays and other social kind of events with our clients. Often we live in the same communities. It can be very hard not to cross the line and become involved with them in other aspects of their lives or our lives.

Question 3

What do we mean when we state that human service work is very holistic and therefore all levels of the pyramid of A/V, S, and K are of equal importance?

Accepted Answer

A doctor or an engineer who is an impatient or cold person, but very brilliant, can still be highly successful in his or her work. But a human service worker, such as a school guidance counselor who has those same characteristics will probably be useless and maybe even hurtful to a student. If the counselor cannot put the student at ease, the student will not even "hear" anything the counselor has to say. We reach people by how we say things as well as what we say.

Question 4

What do you think the author meant by titling his book about disturbed children, "Love Is Not Enough"?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What do you think the author meant...

Question 5

Why do you think the workers at Sanctuary House state that it is critical to engage the young people in their program before they have been on the streets for too long a period of time?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why do you think the workers at...

Question 6

What is the difference between sympathy and empathy? Why is empathy so important in the human services? Give an example where you have been able to feel how someone feels as opposed to feeling bad for how they feel.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the difference between sympathy and...

Question 7

Why is self-awareness crucial to being a good human service worker? Give an example.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is self-awareness crucial to being a...

Question 8

To what extent do you think a worker can always build a good relationship with each of his or her clients? If a positive relationship cannot be built, what factors might be getting in the way of progress? Is it alright to acknowledge a negative relationship? Might that help?

Accepted Answer

The answer of To what extent do you think a...

Question 9

List five areas of human service knowledge that are important. Which ones have you already begun to explore, in what ways?

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

When a helper and helpee negotiate a contract:

Accepted Answer

Negotiating a contract involves creating an agreement about the goals, expectations, and boundaries of the work between the helper and helpee.

Question 11

One characteristic that distinguishes the professional helping relationship from a friendship is that the professional helping relationship is:

Accepted Answer

The professional helping relationship is more disciplined because it is structured, goal-oriented, and bound by ethical guidelines, unlike a friendship which is more informal and personal.

Question 12

Even in informal settings, everything a client says must be:

Accepted Answer

Maintaining confidentiality is a fundamental principle in many professional settings, including informal ones. It ensures that information shared by a client is protected and not disclosed without consent, fostering trust and safety in the professional relationship.

Question 13

A client will judge the ultimate success of a worker/client encounter by:

Accepted Answer

The ultimate success of a worker/client encounter is often judged by the client based on the perceived help they have received, as it directly impacts their satisfaction and the value they feel from the interaction.

Question 14

In the preparation of human service workers, the accumulation of hard statistics and facts is of primary importance.

Accepted Answer

While hard statistics and facts are important, the preparation of human service workers also heavily emphasizes soft skills such as empathy, communication, and understanding the complexities of human behavior, which are crucial for effectively serving and supporting individuals and communities.

Question 15

In the interview with John, who works at Sanctuary House, it was stated that if teenagers refuse to reveal personal information about their situation, they couldn't stay at the house.

Accepted Answer

Sanctuary House, as a supportive environment for teenagers, would prioritize creating a safe and trusting space. It's unlikely they would enforce a policy that requires teenagers to reveal personal information as a condition for staying, as this could discourage them from seeking help.

Question 16

A belief in people's capacity to change is classified as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A belief in people's capacity to change is considered an attitude or value, as it reflects a personal judgment or preference regarding human potential and behavior.

Question 17

When a client is expressing negative or painful feelings, the first thing a worker should do is:

Accepted Answer

Receiving and experiencing the pain with the client is crucial for establishing empathy and understanding, which are foundational for effective support and counseling. This approach validates the client's feelings and creates a safe space for them to express themselves.

Question 18

A worker knows she has been fully trained when she no longer needs to ask her peers or a supervisor for help in dealing with a client's problems.

Accepted Answer

Being fully trained does not mean a worker will never need to ask for help. Continuous learning and collaboration are important in most jobs, and complex or unusual problems may still require assistance from peers or supervisors.

Question 19

John often uses humor when dealing with his clients at Sanctuary House because:

Accepted Answer

Humor can be an effective way to communicate serious messages, especially with teenagers, as it can make the message more relatable and less confrontational.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a data gathering skill?

Accepted Answer

Labeling the client's problem is not a data gathering skill; it is more related to the analysis or diagnosis phase where the professional identifies and categorizes the client's issues based on the data gathered through skills such as active listening, reading, researching, and making visits.

Quiz 4: Attitudes/values, Skills, and Knowledge of the Human Service Worker