Recently, a 14-year-old African American girl told her schoolteacher that she is pregnant. She also told the
teacher that she needs to have an abortion quickly or her parents might kill her. The teacher urged her to talk with
you, the school social worker, and secured the girl’s permission to tell you about the situation. The teacher arranged
for a meeting. What would you do and say at the beginning of your interaction with the teenage girl?
What will be an ideal response?
ANS: Students' answers will vary. At the beginning of any first meeting, be sure to identify yourself by full name
and profession, and by agency or departmental affiliation. For example, at the beginning of a meeting in the agency
where he works, a social worker might say in greeting, "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Adabu. My name is Dan Majors. I'm a
social worker here at the family service agency. I specialize in helping people who are dealing with family issues of
one kind or another." Early in first meetings, encourage people to say their names, and then try to pronounce them
correctly. Thereafter, periodically throughout the interview, refer to them by name. Frequently, clients may share
additional forms of identification during the exchange of introductions.
As part of the preparation process, social workers anticipate a tentative general purpose for a meeting.
Then, when you actually begin, you can suggest an initial purpose as a possible focus for the meeting. Especially in
initial meetings, prospective and actual clients typically tend to look to you for leadership.
During the beginning phase of the working relationship, many clients are quite unclear about what to
expect. Certain aspects of the anxiety and ambiguity may be the result of cultural factors, but others may be
associated with anticipated vulnerability or simple ignorance. Prospective clients are certainly concerned about the
issues that led to the contact, but many are also worried that they may not be able to do what is needed to address
those issues (Garvin & Seabury, 1997).
An extremely important beginning skill involves discussing policy and ethical factors. Mutual understanding of the
ground rules is critical for the development of an authentic, honest, and trusting relationship
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The NASW Code of Ethics' code that presents a dilemma for social workers because
they are required by the courts to testify regarding their contacts with offenders and report any new or suspected offenses is A. Client self-determination B. Coercion in help-seeking C. Confidentiality D. Conflict of interest
Risk factors for depression in older adults include:
A) co-morbidity. B) married. C) male gender. D) financial stability and comfort.
Which of the following best describes the role of "the Black church" in African American life?
A) ?There is a history of religious blame and shame. B) ?These churches build and sustain community, address issues of social justice, and sustain hope. C) ?It represents one religious denomination. D) ?Few African Americans belong to a religious organization.