Professionalism and Working
with Consumers
Pre-Service Workshop
A Profession is an occupation
characterized By:
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Advanced study and specialized training
A high degree of responsibility
Expectation by others of excellence in
performance
Conforming to a body of ethics or
standards
Benefits of Professional Behavior
• Helps Family Teachers effectively live and work with
each child. Enhances work with other key people who
can also help the child.
• Consumers will be more likely to spend time, energy,
and resources to meet the child's needs, therefore,
assisting the child's reintegration into family, school, and
community life.
• It creates a pleasant and efficient working atmosphere
resulting in more time, energy, and ability to devote to
helping youth.
• Fosters happiness and success in Family Teachers.
Benefits of Professional Behavior
• Professionalism promotes personal growth
for Family Teachers because they are
viewed by others as competent, caring,
cooperative. They will be sought out for
advanced career opportunities.
• Professional behaviors gain respect for
Family Teachers, the Utah Youth Village,
and the Family Teaching profession as a
whole.
Professional Behavior
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Implement the Teaching Family Model
Follow policies and procedures.
Be Responsive to tasks
Dress Professionally when appropriate
Model appropriate social skill
Stay in communication with all consumers
Develop Professional skills
Be treatment team centered
Develop relationships with your consumer
Professionals are
problem solvers not
problem definers
Characteristics of Professional
Behavior; Do’s
• Show enthusiasm for your program
• Talk positively about your children, focusing on how and
what they're learning
• Provide high rates of behavior-specific praise
• Discuss why the Teaching-Family Model helps to provide
effective treatment
• Be proud of your accomplishments
• Request acknowledgement and questions when
describing your program
Characteristics of Professional
Behavior; Do’s
• Mention concern for protection of children's
rights and importance of accountability systems
• Be prompt for all scheduled contacts
• Maintain a professional appearance
• Be an advocate for children and their families
• Share credit with your colleagues for program
decisions and successes
Characteristics of Professional
Behavior; Don'ts
• Give long-winded lectures full of technical jargon
• Discuss or release confidential information
without informed consent
• "Overdress" when working with children or
"underdress" when in public or on professional
contacts
• Blame or criticize children or their families. Use
"I" statements when presenting program
decisions or successes
Characteristics of Professional
Behavior; Don'ts
• Complain about the difficulties of your position
• Tell "war stories" about your children, never discussing
or laughing about their problems
• Use an angry or abrupt voice tones or use of foul
language even in difficult situations
• Criticize other treatment programs
• Apologize or comment on inadequate performances
• Focus on the problem by complaining rather than being
focused on solutions
Who are your consumers?
• Utah Youth Village Administrators and
Staff
• Caseworkers
• Therapists
• School teachers and administrators
• Natural Parents of Youth
• Your neighbors
• Your youth
Who are your consumers?
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Court Advocates
Judges
Juvenile Officers
Local Police
Youth Employers
Medical Personnel
Mental Health Providers
Initiating and Developing
Consumer Relationships
• Introduce Yourself
– Personal and Professional Background
• Introduce the Program
– Don’t Confuse
– Set Expectations
• Contact Each Consumer Once During the First 30 Days.
– Face to Face Meeting if Possible
• Request Feedback for Suggestions
On-Going Consumer Contact
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Natural Parents / Caseworkers : Weekly
School Teachers: Monthly
Employers: Bi-Weekly
Therapists: Weekly
Doctors / Psychiatrists: Every Visit
Maintaining Positive Consumer
Relationships
• Continued Communication
• Regular Attention
– Weekly-Especially any Progress or Good News
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Express Appreciation
Solicit Feedback
Professionalism
Keep Commitments
Follow-Up / Return Phone Calls
Professionals
Support each Other
Working with Consumers
• Give feedback in professional manner
– initiate interaction pleasantly
– specifically describe situation
– give rationales
– discuss situation appropriately
– thank the person for listening
– follow-up
Responding to Positive Feedback
PROFESSIONAL
RESPONSES
• Accepts compliment
graciously
• Examples:
– "Thank you.“
– "That's very kind of you.“
– "I'll be sure to pass that on
to him or her -- they'll be
glad to hear it."
UNPROFESSIONAL
RESPONSES
• Deny compliment
• Examples:
– "Well, I wouldn't say that.“
– "It's nice someone finally
noticed.“
– "You think he did? Well, if
he did, that'll be a first!"
Responding to Negative Feedback
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSES
• Convey verbally or non-verbally
an openness to hearing
information
• Steps:
1. Listen carefully and acknowledge
2. Ask questions if needed for
clarification and specifics
3. Respond by saying "I appreciate
your comment. I'll give that some
serious thought" or "I'll look into
that.“
4. Ask for more feedback: "Anything
else you noticed?“ "What did you
think about the way I handled ...?"
UNPROFESSIONAL RESPONSES
• Convey verbally or non-verbally
denial of the information and/or
that you are being personally
attacked
• Examples:
1. Staring coldly at person giving
feedback
2. Beginning responses with "Yes, but
...“
3. Frequently interrupting
4. Giving many excuses or rationales
Responding to Negative Feedback
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSES
5. Parting statement of thanks: “I
appreciate your taking the time to
relay this to me” or “Thank you for
sharing with us your
observations.”
6. Sleep on information before
making a decision about it.
UNPROFESSIONAL RESPONSES
5. Giving negative feedback to the
presenter
6. Questioning the observation
skills of the person giving
feedback
7. Making a joke of the feedback
8. Continually asking for clarification
9. Giving no response or
acknowledgement
10. Threatening to take information
to someone else
11. Later on criticizing the person
giving feedback to someone else
12. Making a decision about the
feedback before you're able to
think about it objectively
Professionalism with Youth Village
Administrators
– If you have a complaint, either have a
proposed solution, or put the complaint in
such a way that you are asking for help.
– When you request items, give rationales that
the administrator can use to justify the
expenditure.
– Change "I want" statements to "Our program
would work better if we had .. ."
Professionalism with Youth Village
Administrators
– Ask administrators directly for feedback if
you're worried about their opinions of you.
– Take time before responding if emotion is
involved -- at least 24 hours
– One problem in one home can generate a
control system for all. Don't assume that
control system was developed because of
you.
Professionalism with Youth Village
Administrators
– Return phone calls
– Have a way to receive messages. For
example; voicemail, answering machine or email.
– Be on time for meetings.
– Complete task by agreed-upon deadlines.
Example: progress reports and treatment
plans.
Presenting a Problem to
Administration
• Call ahead to make an appointment Briefly
describe problem by phone
• In meeting, get to the point without excessive
initial socializing
• Describe problem clearly
• Offer an alternative
• Bring problem situation and alternative in writing
• Thank administrator for time, listening
Why work with Parents?
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Permanency Plan is for youth to return
home
Generalization and effectiveness
Parents are critical members of the
treatment team
Help the family system
It can be rewarding
Goals in Working with Parents
• Developing rapport and a team
relationship
• Mutual education
• Parent training
• Help identify problem areas in family's
functioning and problem solve strategies
to overcome them
Process of Parental Involvement
1. Intake meeting
– Help parents feel comfortable by communicating a
desire to help the youth return home.
– Modeling of addressing youth's positive and negative
behaviors begins here.
– Invite parents to see your home and the youth's room
after the meeting.
- As a treatment team, set up guild lines
for home
visits
Process of Parental Involvement
• 2. Planning for the first home visit
- Home visits typically begin with a day visit and
gradually increase to entire weekends, depending on
the success of the visits.
– Caseworkers may specify only "Supervised Visits" or
no overnight visits due to risk of abuse.
– Follow guild lines set up in in-take for home visits.
Home visits may or may not be dependent on
privileges.
Process of Parental Involvement
• 3. Pre-Home Visit Meeting
– Help parents feel welcome.
– Speak privately with youth and parents before each
visit to review the youth's week.
– Ask parents to complete home note card.
– What are the main points to complete on the home
note?
– Remind parents to call if there are problems and the
youth needs to return earlier or later than planned.
Process of Parental Involvement
• 4. Post-Home Visit Meeting
– Speak privately with youth and parents to review the
visit.
– Model praising the youth for positive behaviors.
– As home visits progress, teach skills that relate to
problems and successes during the visits.
– Ask about consequences and rewards that were
implemented.
Process of Parental Involvement
5.Regular Telephone Contact
– If parents are familiar through frequent contact, they
will see you as professional and be more cooperative.
– Parents will communicate more honestly about their.
concerns if you have established a pattern of
frequent, open communication.
– Call to notify parents about serious things.
– Ask parents how to contact them and get phone
numbers.
How to Develop Non-Threatening
Relationships
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Empathy and understanding
Not pointing out ineffective parenting skills
Indicate desire to help parents and youth
Visiting and meeting parents in their own home
Being sensitive to dress and how you speak
Helping parents get other services (reasonable)
Giving parents' credit for youth's success
Finding ways to ask parents' advice
Never criticizing parents in front of youth
Parents should feel free to visit
How to Develop Non-Threatening
Relationships
• Encourage Parent Participation
• Encourage Communication
– Feelings
– Frustration
• Involve in Treatment Planning Process
• Avoid Being Judgmental
• Criticism by Suggestion
• Be Flexible in Arranging Visitation
Working with Schools
Rationales for working closely with
schools
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Important public relations function for the program
Academic improvement impacts post-treatment youth
success
School provides a setting to test the generalization of
skills learned in the home.
When to Contact School
• A new youth enters the home
• Youth in home assigned to "new" teacher
• A teacher calls with a problem involving one of
your youth
• Quarterly
• Youth indicates difficulties (subject/ teacher)
• Perceived difficulties for youth (subject/teacher)
• School card indicates difficulties
Enhancing Relationships with
teachers
• Express appreciation (filling out cards, extra time with
youth)
• Give teachers credit for changes in youth's behavior
• Relay positive things youth say about teacher to that
teacher
• Publicly praise school personnel for their help
• Ask teacher's opinions on materials to use when
planning remedial work with a youth
What you can do at Home
Hold a study hour
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Establish quiet environment
Have youth complete required homework
If no homework, have youth work on weak areas
Play educational games
Reinforce all positive behavior through motivation systems
Praise Youth
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At Family Meeting to other youth
Post school projects or "good" papers/tests
Post good report cards and commendation notices
"Student of the week"
What you can do at Home
• Verbally stress educational values
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School success
High school diploma
Teachers as professionals
Good grades
Give books as gifts
Read in front of youth
Support school-related activities
Let youth know you are still learning
Resources
• POINTERS ON HOW TO PROFESSIONALIZE
INTERACTIONS WITH ADMINISTRATORS AND
OTHER SUPPORT SERVICE PERSONNEL
– Realize that administrators have many requests made to them
and try to put priorities on your needs.
– Put even the simplest verbal presentation in order and follow up
with written material.
– If you have a complaint, either have a proposed solution, or put
the complaint in such a way that you are asking for help.
– If you need a letter, have a rough draft sample prepared for the
administrator to use.
– When you request items, give rationales that the administrator
can use to justify the expenditure.
– Change "I want" statements to "Our program would work better if
we had .. ."
– Don't assume that administration is out to get you.
– Ask administrators directly for feedback if you're worried about
their opinions of you.
– Take time before responding if emotion is involved -- at least 24
hours
– Avoid words that generate competition. Examples: "Who did the
best ...," "who did the worst ...," "who has the most . . . ," "If they
do, why can't we . . . ," "They haven't been here as long as us..."
– One problem in one home can generate a control system for all.
Don't assume that control system was developed because of
you.
– Be nice to all people, even if you consider them "lessors" since
administration gets feedback on you from all types of personnel.
– Administration has feelings also:
• Send card from Family Teachers and youth on special
occasions
• Invite for coffee
• Talk to administrators at times other than when you want
something
– Return phone messages and have a phone-mate to
take messages when you are gone.
– Be on time for meetings.
– Complete task by agreed-upon deadlines. Example:
progress reports and treatment plans.
"A field or vocation is said to be a
profession when it satisfies a universal
social need and is based on wellestablished and socially-accepted
scientific principles. To be a profession,
a vocation must possess a body of
specialized and systematized knowledge.
Practitioners must give evidence of
needed skills which members of the
general public do not possess... They
must have developed techniques which
are the result of tested experiences."
(Klein, 1975)
Benefits of Professional Behavior
• Consistent use of professional skills helps Family Teachers
effectively live and work with each child. Enhances work with other
key people who can also help the child.
• Parents, teachers, caseworkers, administrators value professional
characteristics in Family Teachers and will be more likely to spend
time, energy, and resources to meet the child's needs, therefore,
assisting the child's reintegration into family, school, and community
life.
• A professional approach creates a pleasant and efficient working
atmosphere resulting in more time, energy, and ability to devote to
helping youth. Fosters happiness and success in Family Teachers.
• Professionalism promotes personal growth for Family Teachers
because they are viewed by others as competent, caring,
cooperative. They will be sought out for advanced career
opportunities.
• Professional behaviors gain respect for Family Teachers, the Utah
Youth Village, and the Family Teaching profession as a whole.
Process of Parental Involvement
• Intake Meeting
– State your interest in working with the parents. Give a reason
why their help as a team member is needed.
– Help parents feel comfortable by communicating a desire to help
the youth return home.
– Modeling of addressing youth's positive and negative behaviors
begins here.
– Invite parents to see your home and the youth's room after the
meeting.
– Parents will be told that home visits start when they and the
youth are ready (typically at least two weeks, but this is flexible
with major holidays and special family events). Parents are
welcome to visit in the home or call before the first visit.
• 2.
Planning for the first home visit
– Start at the family's level. Home visits typically begin with a day
visit and gradually increase to entire weekends, depending on
the success of the visits.
– Parents may not want home visits due to damaged relationships
and may expect change in the youth before they will try a home
visit. Invite them to dinner so they can see the youth's progress.
– Caseworkers may specify only "Supervised Visits" or no
overnight visits due to risk of abuse.
– Youth on daily need to earn their privileges for 5/7 days, and
weekly youth need to earn "Free Time II" for home visits.
– What are the four categories of people that must agree on the
timing of the first home visit?
• 3. Pre-Home Visit Meeting
– Help parents feel welcome.
– Speak privately with youth and parents before
each visit to review the youth's week.
– Ask parents to complete home note card.
– What are the main points to complete on the
home note?
– Remind parents to call if there are problems
and the youth needs to return earlier or later
than planned.
• 4. Post-Home Visit Meeting
– Speak privately with youth and parents to review the
visit.
– Model praising the youth for positive behaviors the
parents listed.
– Ask about problems listed to get the "whole story."
Problem solve with the family how the situation will be
avoided during the next visit. In later stages, ask
parents and youth to role play after they have
discussed alternatives.
– As home visits progress, teach skills that relate to
problems and successes during the visits.
– What are some of the skills you could teach?
5. Regular Telephone Contact
– If parents are familiar through frequent contact, they will see you
as professional and be more cooperative.
– Parents will communicate more honestly about their. concerns if
you have established a pattern of frequent, open communication.
– Have weekly contact, regardless of whether or not a home visit
is planned.
– Call to notify parents about serious things. A cooperative parent
can become angry and distrustful if they are not notified in a
timely manner, i.e. youth is hurt, sick, runs away, requires
restraint, etc.
– Ask parents how to contact them and get phone numbers. If they
don't have an answering machine, ask how they would like you
to contact them if they aren't at home or work.
Special Family problems
1. Apathy - Parents who give up on their children
A. Why would parents feel apathetic? ''
B. Reinforce any enthusiasm or interest
C. Ask questions or make cements which may bring out positive
responses
D. Give parents hope for change
2. Unreliable parents - Parents who miss home visits, are hours late,
don't return phone calls
A. Best approach is preventive and educational -- intake meeting is
a good time
B. Try to discover underlying reasons, i.e., work schedule, single
parent, etc.
C. Use direct feedback, "I've noticed there is a problem, is there
anything we can do to make it better?"
D. Ask social worker about contingencies
Special Family problems
3. Hostile and uncooperative parents - Parents who yell, swear, or
make negative statements to you or the youth
A. Keep your cool! Remember professional skills
B. Use empathy
C. After parent is de-escalated, use problem solving
D. Isolate intoxicated or physically aggressive parents from youth,
ask them to leave if needed.
4. Severe personal problems of parents - Mental illness, spousal
abuse, homelessness
A. Difficult to impact due to a minimum of control over parent's
behavior.
B. Refer parents to other agencies who can provide additional
services.
Special Family problems
5. Abusive and neglectful parents - Parents who continue to abuse the child during home
visits, or provide no supervision, safe shelter, or food during visits
A. Call consultant immediately
B. When discovered, abuse and neglect must be reported to the social worker.
C. Obtain social worker's permission before starting visits with a formerly abusive
family
D. Teach parents skills for disciplining, etc.
6. Youth who do not want to go home
A. If abuse or neglect is not the cause, gradually increase home time
B. Are weekends with you pore fun? Cutback on activities
C. Teach reasonable family expectations (recreation and activity budget of their
own family)
D. Help families plan blocks of time.
** Youth are not to go to other program youth's hones (Liability, potential for abuse, we
shouldn't send a dysfunctional child into a stressed family system).
School is a Learning Ground for
Life
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Peer relations
Problem solving
Dealing with conflict - authority
Increase attention span
Learn responsibility
Learn dependability
Learning can be fun
Broaden horizons
Athletic skills
Entertainment
Introductory Meeting- School
Teacher
• Introduce self
• Brief explanation of program
• Establish willingness to help
– Particular class requirements?
– Homework assignments?
– Other ways to help?
• Format for other meetings
– When and how to contact teacher
– Provide your phone and address
– Schedule next meeting
• Thank teacher for meeting with you
Take Notes During Interaction
Modeling
• Verbally stress educational values
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School success
High school diploma
Teachers as professionals
Good grades
Give books as gifts
Read in front of youth
Support school-related activities
Let youth know you are still learning
Nightly Study Hour
• FOR TEACHING
– Practice classroom behaviors
– Practice youth responses to classroom situations
• FOR LEARNING
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Establish quiet environment
Have youth complete required homework
If no homework, have youth work on weak areas
Play educational games
Reinforce through motivation systems
Reinforce all positive behavior
Praising Accomplishments
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Verbally to youth
At Family Meeting to other youth
Through motivation systems
Post school projects or "good"
papers/tests
• Post good report cards and commendation
notices
• "Student of the week"
Classroom Observations
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Use only if you are unable to understand
problem through teacher's explanation (avoid
interrogating)
Arranged at teacher's convenience After
observation
Thank the teacher
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Praise aspects of the class
Discuss ideas based on observations of youth's
behavior
Feedback should be aimed at aiding in the solution
Avoid critiquing the teacher or class
Educational Aids and Resources
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Use provisions in budget to purchase:
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Books, dictionary, atlas, paperbacks
Educational games, flash cards, puzzles, globe
Materials to build bookcases
Learning skills notebooks
Set up a terrarium, aquarium, telescope, etc.
Take youth on nature hikes to identify trees, rocks, animals,
Have youth make leaf collection, insect collection, etc.
Contact teachers for old textbooks, workbooks, etc.
Make arrangements through public library for films.
Have family outing to the public library.
One family outing per month should be education, i.e. museum, cultural
event, zoo, etc.
Plant a garden.
Subscribe to a newspaper, magazine, etc.
Have a spelling bee.
Educational Aids and Resources
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Play current events weekly. Talk about and quiz youth on Friday.
Play the alphabet game while riding in the van.
Have a treasure hunt.
Plan in-home family outings to watch particular educational
program on TV.
Plan international week in the home. Different country discussed
each day with traditional activities, ethnic dinner, etc. Have
different youth report on various aspects of the country which are
of interest to them.
Have a variety of art and school supplies available to the youth for
their use, i.e. crayons, construction paper, etc.
Assign a youth to read an article in the newspaper to discuss
during dinner.
Continue study time during summer, i.e. for an hour in the
mornings to help break up the day. Good time to do some
reading.
Professional Style
• Call before going to Teachers’ classroom
• GIVING FEEDBACK
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Praise teacher
Specific behavioral description of problem
Rationale for why situation is a problem
Ask teacher for suggestions
(Offer additional solutions)
Agree to solution
Thank teacher for time and/or suggestions
Professional Style
• RECEIVING FEEDBACK
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Look at teacher
Head nods and "uh-huh's"
Acknowledge and show concern that problem exists
Clarify issue through questions
Express empathy
Ask teacher for suggestions
(offer additional solutions)
Agree to solution
Thank teacher for feedback
Ask for further feedback
Take notes during interactions
• AVOID
– Controlling the interaction
– Interrogating the teacher
– Making excuses for the youth
Utah State Office of Education
State Board of Education Special
Education Rules
APRIL, 1988
(Incorporates August 25, 1989 Modifications)
Philosophical Foundations
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There are five philosophical foundations for services to students with
handicaps. They are: Equal Access, Right to Service, Respect for Human
Dignity, Least Restrictive Environment, and Student Centered Decisions.
EQUAL ACCESS
– The State Office of Education is committed to the principle of equal access to a
free appropriate, public education for all students, regardless of variance in their
ability to participate in education experiences. Students with handicaps cannot
be guaranteed equal access to an appropriate education without specially
designed instruction, in addition to programs and services provided for the
general population.
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RIGHT TO SERVICE
– This principle asserts the right of a student with handicaps to receive the services
which promote growth towards increased independence and competence. An
ultimate goal for all persons is to live, as much as possible, as full contributing
members of society. Services for students with handicaps should be directed
toward this goal. This principle also dictates that individuals in our society, who
are experiencing handicaps, have the right to service from public supported
programs.
• RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY
– The principle of human dignity is closely related to a person's ability to
make choices, select and maintain possessions, be treated with
respect, live in surroundings and served in programs which foster
individuality, allow privacy to participate in decisions that effect their
lives, and receive an individualized education program tailored to their
own unique needs. As such, it is the intent of the State Office of
Education that students with handicaps be afforded the same degree of
dignity and respect that is afforded other students and that they be
treated, respected and served in settings that are as positive as
possible.
• LEAST RESTRICITVE INVIRONMENT (LRE)
– This principle demands that each student with handicaps receive
appropriate services in environments which promote interaction with
non handicapped peers to the maximum extent appropriate to that
student's needs. LRE is an essential principle of these rules not only
because it is required by federal law, but. also, more importantly, LRE is
an essential principle if each student is to achieve maximum possible
self-sufficiency as a contributing member of society.
• STUDENT CENTERED DECISIONS
This principle is the central focus of Special
Education. The Special Education Rules
reflect the essential premise that all
decisions related to a student with
handicaps are made by teams which work
together to determine, implement and
evaluate services based on the needs of
the individual student.
Guiding Principles
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In February of 1987, The State Office of Education, Special Education Services Unit,
appointed a Rules Revision Task Force to oversee this revision of the State Board of
Education/Special Education Rules. This group was composed of representatives
from constituent groups who might have an interest in the content of the Special
Education Rules. This group established a set of six Guiding Principles which has
guided the development of these Rules. The Guiding Principles are as follows:
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The Rules must be student centered, reasonable, and enabling.
The Rules must guarantee that Special Education and Related Services are delivered to
appropriately identified students with handicaps and that those services are delivered in the
least restrictive environment appropriate to each students identified needs.
The Rules must be predicated on the ultimate goal of preparing students with handicaps for
their future environments.
The Rules must comply with current Federal and State law, Federal Regulations, State Rules
and current case law.
The Rules must promote the cooperation within and across all agencies within the State
which have responsibilities for serving students with handicaps.
The Rules must establish required procedures which reflect best practice.
Taken together, these Guiding Principles provide a comprehensive and challenging
foundation for these Special Education Rules. The true test of these Rules is the
extent to which they maintain consistency with these Guiding Principles and the
Philosophical Foundations stated herein.
Professionalism and Working
with Consumers
Pre-Service Workshop
This training presentation is available for download at:
www.utahparenting.org
© 2007 Utah Youth Village.