Developing Helping Skills: A Step by Step Approach to Competency

Book excerpt: Chang, Scott, and Decker's multilayered teaching and learning system presents a creative blend of learning methods and clear presentation of topics to help students think like practitioners and apply foundational skills to real-world practice. Students first read about professional practice and the skills required to work effectively with clients. Students then think and write about the ideas and concepts presented in the text by completing homework exercises following each new concept. Next, students watch and discuss the accompanying DVD (available for packaging with the text), which demonstrates how to use the skills covered in the text with an individual, family, or group. Furthermore, the text's modified case-based method introduces a continuing case, one section at a time, throughout the chapters, which helps students learn how to think like professionals. Finally, exercises with specific directions for role-playing the client, practitioner, and peer supervisor, followed by a simple evaluation tool completed by the peer supervisor and practitioner, promote practice and evaluation. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.