Practical Aspects of Family Social Work

1. 
   Prior to First Home Visit
   

2. Outline issues to be addressed

3. Contact family to set up meeting

4. Locate family’s home

5. Figure how much time is needed

2. 
   Setting Up the First Appointment
   

7. First impressions are important for both the client and social worker

8. Include as many family members as possible in the meeting

3. 
   Allowing for Travel Time
   

10. Have a map handy

11. Allow sufficient time between different family meetings

4. 
   Accommodating Family Preferences
   

13. The Family Social Worker (FSW) may need to schedule a visit on weekends

14. Be FLEXIBLE

II. Preparation and Care of Materials

1. 
   Materials can include:
   

2. 
   Toys
   
3. 
   Books
   
4. 
   Forms
   

2. 
   Materials should be organized and stored in a location that is easily accessed
   
3. 
   A FSW may want to use file box to keep organized
   
4. 
   Keep confidential materials safe
   

A. Each client population has its own standard of dress

B. Should be professional

C. Appropriate for planned activities

IV. Inclusion of Children

A. If discussion is on personal adult issues, children should play elsewhere

B. If discussion is child-centered, children should be included in the meeting

C. Including children can provide the social worker with information about family dynamics, parenting skills, and child-parent relationships

D. “[I]n different situations, another family social worker may be available to be with the children independent of the meeting with the parent” (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, p. 86).

22. 
    Handling Disruptions and Maintaining Contact
    

1. Distractions may take place, such as the tv blaring, the phone ringing, children running around, and visits from family and friends

2. Social workers need to use creative ideas to get around these distractions

B. It is necessary for the social worker and the family to know how to reach one another.

1. When the family does not have a phone the social worker and the family need to devise a plan

2. The family could use a neighbor’s phone or the social worker could send the family self-addressed envelopes with stationary for the family to keep in contact with the social worker

C. Since the family may move when visits are still going on with the social worker, it is vital for the social worker, at the first meeting, to request the name and number of a person who will know the families whereabouts at all times. Doing so can help avoid missed appointments.

VI. Telephone Follow-Up

1. 
   Telephone follow-up between sessions is useful because many parents may have questions after the interview; when social workers initiate telephone contact they are of more help to the parents
   
2. 
   When the family cannot follow the agreed upon goals, the social worker needs to determine what other types of intervention may work for the parents
   
3. 
   The goal is to help the family understand their troubles and allow them to change their own behavior in ways that will be pleasing to the them
   
4. 
   The worker can judge what needs to be done and issues that can be delayed until later in the sessions
   

1. 
   Workers need to be able to separate professional relationships from personal relationships, while still be considerate towards the client, in order to keep themselves safe
   
2. 
   There are several guidelines that workers can follow to endure safety:
   

2. Workers should be become acquainted with the area where the home visits occur

3. Workers should inform supervisors or coworkers know where the visit will take place, the time and date of the visit, and when the worker is expected back

4. Schedule visits in dangerous neighborhoods during the day, or take an escort if a visit must be done in the evening

5. Determine the safest route to and from the client’s house ahead of time

D. Agencies should train workers to recognize signs of possible violence from clients

E. Workers should use their best judgment when determining whether or not to visit a home where they could be exposed to infectious diseases

VIII. The First Meeting: Assessing Clients’ Needs

1. 
   Workers should learn as much as possible about the family before the initial visit
   
2. 
   “Keeping the specific family in mind, the FSW may review the principles and techniques of family interviewing” (Collins, Jordan & Coleman, p.91).
   
3. 
   Role-playing with a supervisor or co-worker may help the FSW become more comfortable with interview and provide feedback
   
4. 
   The worker should look for repetitive verbal and nonverbal behavior among the family during the initial visit
   
5. 
   At the interview:
   

2. 
   The worker should then interview and start to assess the family’s
   

2. 
   The FSW should do the assessment from an ecological perspective: examine the relationship between the family and environment
   
3. 
   The family and FSW should sit where each person can be seen
   

6. 
   Empathy, warmth, and genuineness are essential to the interview, displaying these qualities help build the basis of the relationship between the client and worker
   

A. Building a relationship is one of the most important aspects for the FSW. The FSW is to so this in the first meetings with the family. “The relationship is the vehicle that carries interventions and makes them palatable to the family” (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, p.94).

B. There are three crucial elements in building a strong therapeutic alliance with clients (suggested by Worden, 1994):

1. A consensus between the worker and the client on the goals of therapy;

2. Worker-client agreement and collaboration on implementation of tasks; and

3. A strong, positive, affective bond between the client and worker (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, p.94).

C. During the first meeting a FSW must:

1. Give the meeting special attention, lay a foundation, and focus on building a positive relationship with family.

2. Most important is establishing trust. By establishing this early, the family can be honest with the FSW. This will also help build rapport for future meetings.

3. Establish a supportive atmosphere!

D. Trust

1. When a FSW is developing trust with the family he/she must know that this is not going to happen overnight.

2. Being sensitive to the family’s privacy helps build trust.

3. A FSW must remember that s/he is a guest in clients home.

4. Focus should always be on goals; not the personal life of the

family. Probing is a no-no.

1. 
   Since confidentiality plays a crucial role in the social work profession, here are a few guidelines to follow:
   

1. 
   Do not talk about clients outside of the interview
   
2. 
   When calling clients at home, do not leave your last name and do not say what the call is about
   
3. 
   Do not discuss clients with coworkers at lunch or in public places where people can overhear
   
4. 
   If interviewing clients at the office, have someone else answer phone calls
   
5. 
   Make sure that every interview is private and is held in a private location
   
6. 
   Do not leave confidential files on your desk or in an unlocked car
   
7. 
   Do not discuss clients at social events
   
8. 
   Respect the client’s right to confidentiality, even if the client does not care about it
   
9. 
   Confidentiality about agency policies is crucial
   
10. 
    The worker should get permission from the clients before referring families to other agencies
    
11. 
    Most states require confidentiality be broken if there is a chance that someone will get hurt