answersLogoWhite

0

Any number of uncontrollable circumstances can force you to make an unpleasant visit to a social worker to ask for help: losing your job, not making enough money, getting injured, becoming ill. When these things happen to you and bills begin to pile up, applying for assistance may be your only resort. Unfortunately, it is true that going to Social Services means compromising your dignity and you’ll find that many social workers have seen so much that they no longer have much sympathy or understanding. Here are a few tips for communicating with a social worker in such a way that they treat you like a person instead of a number.

Take care how you dress. A good number of people that go to Social Services for help don’t think about what they’re wearing, but clothing makes an impression. Don’t put on a pair of skin-tight jeans and half a dozen bracelets. Don’t wear sweat pants and a sweatshirt. Put yourself together nicely and with an eye towards discretion. You don’t need to wear a business suit or a dress; however, good grooming, clean clothes and a minimum of jewelry will make you stand out as an individual.

Put the cell phone and iPod away. You’re there for help. Sure, the wait may be boring but typing away at a text message or getting immersed in your favorite tunes makes you look like these people are on your time, instead of the other way around. The same principle applies to smacking gum.

You’re there to tell the social worker your business - not everyone else. Loud conversations, especially when they’re about your dirty laundry, peg you as coarse. Keep to yourself and be discreet.

Follow rules and be polite. Social Service workers see up to hundreds of people a day. They put rules in place to try to make things move smoothly. No, they may not all seem reasonable and they may not all work, but try to follow them anyway. They will appreciate it.

Be truthful, open and courteous. When you’re speaking to your social worker, tell them everything about your situation up front. Don’t be embarrassed about anything. The more they know, the more they can help you.

Be prepared. You’ll save yourself, and the worker, a great deal of headache if you come with everything you need: photo identification, social security card, birth certificate, proof of residence, proof of income, one or two bank statements, your bill (if you’re trying to get help paying one) and a copy of your lease or mortgage payments. Remember that you’ll need identification for everyone in your household.

Be friendly. It never hurts to behave like a person. Comment on a photo on their desk. Say something about the weather. Don’t let your visit get eaten up with chit chat, but normal conversation turns the situation into an interpersonal one.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

What are the physical demands of a social worker?

to be able to talk to the kids' pets and their grandparents in arizona.


Help for gay to find surrogate mother on the NHS?

You need to talk to a social worker from NHS .


If you are 17 and in state custody and you want to get emancipated but your social worker will not let you can you go around her and if so how?

Your best bet would be to talk to a lawyer. You will have a hard time going around your social worker, but you may be able to get another case worker assigned.


If you need relationship help and you cannot talk to your parents who could you talk to?

You could talk to a counselor or priest or social worker or therapist or even another adult besides your parents.


Can you go into independt living at 16 and get out of foster care?

If the court allow you to, yes. Talk to your social worker what is required of you.


What a social care worker should do if they have worries over recording storing or sharing information?

Talk to their manager about it - or if the manager is the problem talk to human resources about their concern.


How can you find out who your social worker is?

You can typically find out who your social worker is by contacting the agency or organization that assigned the social worker to you. You can also check any documentation or paperwork you have received from the social worker or the agency. Additionally, you may contact your case worker or supervisor for assistance in identifying your assigned social worker.


Is a physician a social worker?

No, a physician is not a social worker, but a medical doctor.


What is another name for a social worker?

They are sometimes referred to as a social welfare worker.


Do you have to have a degree to become a county worker?

the question was do you need a degree to be a social worker


When should social worker be captalized?

"Social worker" should only be capitalized if it is used as part of a specific job title or when directly addressing someone with that title, for example: "Social Worker Smith" or "Hello, Social Worker."


What do you have to earn to be a social worker?

The minimum requirement for a social worker is a bachelor's degree in social work (BSW).