Personal Narrative: Direct Experience As A Child Protective Services Worker

As a child protective services worker, when interacting with a hostile, resistant or non -voluntary client, I would use several techniques to build rapport and engage the client in working with the agency. Being a social worker for the last ten years, and having four years of direct experience in child protect services, I have come across many reluctant clients. I learned very quickly that rapport is the foundation to any service provider in the social work field. Upon a first visit with a client, one needs to remember that you do not know them any more than they know you. It is important to be empathetic and understand that the client has just had a stranger come into their home and take away their child/children. You, are also a stranger coming into their home, and need to respect their home, as well as, the situation they are experiencing. It is very common to see a hostile and/or resistant client in the beginning of services.
My first technique is, if able to, I explain my role and my expectations of the family, along with the concept that the children will remain our focus. I provide ground rules for our relationship,
The technique of listening. Sometimes a family just needs someone to listen to their point of view and their concerns. This technique applies greatly to a hostile, resistant or non-voluntary client. I have also learned in my experience that a lot of times, people have an incorrect understanding of what child protective services assist with, and a simple explanation of the agency and the expectations, helps to relieve a resistant client. As far as hostile clients, I have learned that listening as well as letting them know that they still have control of their situation and that I am not there to just point a finger at them, as assisted greatly in changing their attitude. I always tell my clients that they are not bad parents, they just made bad choices, which can be