Behaviorism Basics is an ongoing series of articles about the use of behavioral interventions and professionalism in the practice of care-giving.
Ask any person in our field what makes a good care-giver and you will get a lot of different answers. Some will say, “A staff who maintains complete and accurate documentation”. Some will say, “A staff who maintains a clean environment”. Some will say, “A staff that helps the people they support to present a clean and neat appearance”. The list of these duties goes on and on and each and every one of them is an important part of quality care-giving. However, a staff member could do all of these duties well and still fail to provide quality care. This is because the “Key” to quality care-giving is all in the relationship.
Relationship, Relationship, Relationship
As social workers, it is our responsibility to help people reach higher levels of social connectivity that enable them to be interdependent, contributing, and valued members of their communities. A clean home, clear documentation, and a neat appearance do assist us in achieving these goals, but they will not work alone. We must establish positive, healthy relationships with the people we serve, their families, and the greater community.
Where Do I Get One?
We know from research that people who are part of one or more healthy relationships report higher quality of life, and experience less physical and mental health issues, and are more resilient to life’s downs. And, everyone wants to be connected with others. Humans are social beings born with an innate drive to be part of a social group. So when we are working with people who aren’t part of a healthy relationship it is not a “want to” issue, it is an “I-don’t-know-how-to” issue, an “I-don’t-know-what-a-healthy-relationship-is” issue, and/or an “I’m-afraid-to” issue. It is our job to help the people we serve to learn what a healthy relationship is, how to be a part of a healthy relationship, and to be comfortable being part of a healthy relationship with another person.
Okay, sooooo…..What Am I Supposed to Do?
If you spend time with someone, you are building a relationship with them regardless of what you do. Your best friend knows their value to you by the amount of time and attention that you give them. The same can be said of the person that you don’t talk to. If you are spending any consistent amount of time in the same space as another person, and you don’t attend to them, what kind of message do you think you are sending them?
As a social worker, you should be spending time listening to what the person you support has to say. This is true even if they are non-verbal because they do communicate with us in so many other ways if you are paying attention. We should be spending time showing them what it means to be in a healthy relationship by setting the example in our relationship with them and with those around them. By spending our time listening to them, and sharing ourselves with them we are building a healthy relationship with them. These relationships help the person know what a healthy relationship is and to develop the confidence and skills to be a part of one. As social workers we Build Healthy Relationships, and Healthy Relationships Build Healthy People.
The “Key” to quality Care-Giving
Ask any person in our field what makes a good care-giver and you will get a lot of different answers. Some will say, “A staff who maintains complete and accurate documentation”. Some will say, “A staff who maintains a clean environment”. Some will say, “A staff that helps the people they support to present a clean and neat appearance”. The list of these duties goes on and on and each and every one of them is an important part of quality care-giving. However, a staff member could do all of these duties well and still fail to provide quality care. This is because the “Key” to quality care-giving is all in the relationship.
Relationship, Relationship, Relationship
As social workers, it is our responsibility to help people reach higher levels of social connectivity that enable them to be interdependent, contributing, and valued members of their communities. A clean home, clear documentation, and a neat appearance do assist us in achieving these goals, but they will not work alone. We must establish positive, healthy relationships with the people we serve, their families, and the greater community.
Where Do I Get One?
We know from research that people who are part of one or more healthy relationships report higher quality of life, and experience less physical and mental health issues, and are more resilient to life’s downs. And, everyone wants to be connected with others. Humans are social beings born with an innate drive to be part of a social group. So when we are working with people who aren’t part of a healthy relationship it is not a “want to” issue, it is an “I-don’t-know-how-to” issue, an “I-don’t-know-what-a-healthy-relationship-is” issue, and/or an “I’m-afraid-to” issue. It is our job to help the people we serve to learn what a healthy relationship is, how to be a part of a healthy relationship, and to be comfortable being part of a healthy relationship with another person.
Okay, sooooo…..What Am I Supposed to Do?
If you spend time with someone, you are building a relationship with them regardless of what you do. Your best friend knows their value to you by the amount of time and attention that you give them. The same can be said of the person that you don’t talk to. If you are spending any consistent amount of time in the same space as another person, and you don’t attend to them, what kind of message do you think you are sending them?
As a social worker, you should be spending time listening to what the person you support has to say. This is true even if they are non-verbal because they do communicate with us in so many other ways if you are paying attention. We should be spending time showing them what it means to be in a healthy relationship by setting the example in our relationship with them and with those around them. By spending our time listening to them, and sharing ourselves with them we are building a healthy relationship with them. These relationships help the person know what a healthy relationship is and to develop the confidence and skills to be a part of one. As social workers we Build Healthy Relationships, and Healthy Relationships Build Healthy People.
