Helping or Hindering ?

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Helping or Hindering? Sharon Doner-Feldman President, Training for You

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Helping or Hindering ?. Sharon Doner-Feldman President, Training for You. EXERCISE: (Yes, But) & (Yes, And). Describe to your partner your dream vacation. Your partner will interrupt you when they want with (Yes, But) . - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of Helping or Hindering ?

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EXERCISE: (Yes, But) & (Yes, And)

Describe to your partner your dream vacation.

Your partner will interrupt you when they want with (Yes, But) .

Then after a two minutes, your partner will interrupt you with (Yes, And).

Then we will switch off!!

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Thoughts of Others about Empowerment

I think education is power. I think that being able to communicate with people is power. One of my main goals on the planet is to encourage people to empower themselves. Oprah Winfrey

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Chinese Proverb

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Definitions According to AIRS Standards

EMPOWERING

Helping inquirers understand the steps that need to be taken to obtain needed services so that they can advocate on their own behalf.

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Definitions According to AIRS Standards

ADVOCACY

Advocating can be doing for someone things they could & should be doing for themselves.

Advocating should only be used in special situations.

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Enabling

Enabling creates an atmosphere in which the individual:

Can contribute to his/her behavior continuing Evade responsibility for their actions Miss the opportunity to learn how to take care of themselves

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Advocating Behaviors

When we practice advocating behaviors inappropriately we:

Prevent or interfere with the ability of our clients to learn new skills

Reduce our clients’ sense of control over life events and their self-worth

Reinforce old or maladaptive (ineffective) behavior such as passivity and ongoing procrastination

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Empowering Behaviors

However, when we practice empowering behaviors, we may:

  Promote personal growth and increased competencies

Increase our client's sense of control over life events

Encourage new coping abilities to replace maladaptive (ineffective) behavior

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Key Concepts of Empowerment

Relationship is cornerstone—build trust Reinforces the idea that the consumer is capable Develops problem-solving skills for the future Acknowledges the consumer’s right to self-

determination Helps avoid awkward situations regarding requests

we consider unreasonable Shows respect and dignity Puts you out of business, one caller at a time!

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How to Empower Our Callers

Help your inquirer decide NOW:

what is their Need or goal

what Options are available to fulfill their need

what consequences they should they be Wary of

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How to Establish Relationships &Empower Our Callers

Talk about what’s available in the community Educate - explain how the system works Inform the caller about his or her rights If necessary, work on “asking skills” Work on affect-use supportive confrontation Role play-model appropriate behavior

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The I&R/A Specialist’s Behavior

Engages in help-giving acts in which the decision-making clearly rests with the caller.

Offers aid and assistance that is consistent with the client’s own culture

Bolsters the self-esteem of the client by using his or her strengths as a basis for solving small problems

Promotes the use of natural support systems

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The I&R/A Specialist’s Behavior (con’t)

Conveys a sense of cooperation and joint responsibility for meeting needs and solving problems

Promotes and reinforces attempts at effective behavior that decrease the need for help

Helps the inquirer not only see that problems have been solved or needs met but that the individual was able to play a significant role in their own life

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Clarifying Requests

What is the main problem/desire/need? Why is this important or a priority? What has been tried to resolve this problem/need? What has happened as a result of those

efforts? What specifically would be most helpful for the

professional to do?

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What it Boils Down To

CHOICES & CONSEQUENSESWhat are the CONSEQUENCES of each CHOICE?

The formula:

If you do Choice A then this is what could happen

If you do Choice B then this is what could happen

If you do Choice C then this is what could happen

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When Is It Necessary To Advocate?

Advocacy - a process wherein an I&R worker takes an active role on behalf of the caller to assure that needed services are obtained in an appropriate and timely manner

Advocate when a consumer is unable to state their own case, when you can smooth the way for them calling, intervene when a consumer’s request for assistance has been denied when there is endangerment

Advocacy at the agency/network level – misinterpretation, unwritten practices, should there be a different agency involved

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Situations of Advocacy

Language is a barrier

Developmentally disabled caller who may have difficulty asking for help

Senior who may be confused about whom they have been calling and just can’t make one more phone call

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L e v e l s of Advocacy Make the initial contact Listen as the consumer attempts self-advocacy Represent a consumer who is unable to state his or

her own case Intervene when a consumer has been denied assistance

Escalate the intervention by going to a higher level within the other organization

Create system pressure by reporting concerns to your own supervisor for action at the management or network level

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Steps in Advocating

Get permission of the caller to advocate Make the initial contact Listen in on a call or sit on an interview while the

consumer attempts to explain the situation Represent a consumer who is unable to state his

own case Intervene when a consumer’s request for assistance

have been denied If needed, escalate the intervention to the

management or networks levels

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Advocacy that is a

Do not promise something if you can’t deliver Do not go to someone’s house to help out Don’t offer to buy groceries Don’t offer to drive your caller anywhere Do not lie on behalf of your caller Don’t promise to meet them somewhere

We should not be super heroes – we are super teachers!

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Which Way Do I Go?

The Fork in the Road

Difficulty Talking

With Callersuch asHearing Impaired

Frustrated

With

Caller

Trust the Caller to

Follow Through

Trust theAgency

Being Referred To

Your State

Of MindWhen You

AnswerThe Phone

PressureTo

Perform

Empower Advocate

Is Caller Capable

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What Are These Road Signs?

Difficulty of talking with caller ex: hearing impairment of caller

Frustrated with the callerex: such as being disrespectful

Pressure to perform – lines are ringing

Trust of agency—intervene when denied service or as needed with supervisors

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What Are These Road Signs?

Trust of the caller to follow through—assess abilities; offer basic suggestions if needed (Do you have pen & paper ready?)

Your state of mind when you answer the phone

Is caller capable?—Assume capability first. It is disrespectful to do otherwise.

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What Are My Road Signs? The Fork in the Road

Empowering Enabling

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What Is Your Role & Your Goal for That Next Call?

Which of these is what you want to accomplish?

Listen and help caller prioritize their needs

Find the answers right away

Teach the caller how to help themselves

Get the call finished ASAP

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Your Goal for That Next Call (con’t)

Understand their needs to find resources

Tell the caller you are tired of hearing from them and that you have someone else that they can call and bother

Show them the consequences of each choice they have

Indicate that no matter what you give them you know they won’t follow through

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Ways I&R Professionals Help

Providing information

Demonstrating Explaining Observing and

giving feedback Problem solving

with client

Exploring Assessing Mentoring Listening Facilitating Framing Reality

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Urgent vs. Emergency

UrgentPressing, imperative, criticalMust be done quickly 

EmergencyCrisis, disaster, tragedyMust be done immediatelyPossibly life-threatening

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Your of the Trade

How do you not absorb the panic in the caller but stay connected?

What are some confrontations you have found appropriate when the consumer demanded you help them?

How do you reinforce that the consumer is capable?

How have you handled awkward situations?

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Empowerment Adding to Your Consumer’s Toolkit

Empowerment add skills or “tools”

To assess their own problem To research resources

To brainstorm To network

To ask questions To advocate for themselves

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Advocacy Assistance for Special Occasions

Helping out only when the situation calls for help

Advocate once and assist caller in learning how to advocate next time

Read your road signs so you don’t quickly jump to advocating

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Role Play 75 year old woman-needs a flu shot; has a 3-

year-old grandson who needs to picked up at day care at 4:00; flu shots are offered at 4:00 at the senior center, which is in the opposite direction of the day care center; she doesn’t drive.

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Role Play Woman calls. Her husband is on active duty with the

National Guard. She just had a baby four weeks ago and she is going crazy. She likes to paint and she signed up for a beginners watercolor class at the community center (which by the way you just finished with the same teacher.) She is desperate for a babysitter, but doesn’t know where to find one or how to interview and screen a potential babysitter.

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Our Business is to Give

CHOICESwith

CONSEQUENCES

balanced with Helping or Hindering