Field Manual for 2013-2014 - University of Maryland School of ...

VI. COMMUNICATlON
The student:
Attitude Objectives
Accepts that effective social work depends upon effective oral and written communication skills and is ready to
work to improve communication skills;
Demonstrates a readiness to adapt interviewing behavior to the needs of clients from diverse populations
by identifying that gender, race, class, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, or other differences need to be
considered in interviewing, by actively seeking information about the possible ramifications of differences
between interviewer and interviewee, and by modifying interviewing practice when appropriate;
Demonstrates a readiness to improve interviewing skills by timely preparation of process;
Demonstrates commitment to effective writing by preparing written materials in a timely matter, and by
rewriting, if necessary, to produce relevant, well-focussed, clear, and concise written materials;
Knowledge Objectives
Is familiar with basic communication concepts, and identifies factors, both verbal and non-verbal, that facilitate
communication and factors both verbal and non-verbal, that impede communication;
Uses communication concepts to analyze his/her professional transactions with other people and his/her
written communications;
Differentiates between different types of social work interviews and can adapt his/her interviewing behavior to
those different purposes;
Understands the purposes and uses of written communication, is able to write clearly and concisely, without
errors of grammar and spelling;
Adapts a format and writing style that is appropriate to the needs of different audiences;
Knows the purposes and expected format of process recording;
Skill Objectives
Prepares clear, written records, reports, letters, memos and other written materials;
Selectively and purposefully uses diverse communication techniques in individual, family and group interviews,
and in other professional transactions;
Can relate technique to purpose;
Identifies whether specific techniques had the desired effect and is able to identify alternative techniques that
might have the desired effect;
Identifies, utilizes, integrates, and evaluates a variety of techniques;
Identifies alternative techniques when a particular technique has not had the desired effect;
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