Reading

Community and Social Service Workers

• read short e-mails, reminders and log book entriesExamples
  • a child and youth worker reads an e-mail from a foster parent with concerns about a child’s behavior
  • a supervisor at a women’s shelter reads log book entries that describes what the residents have been doing

Community and Social Service Workers

• read information quickly to learn about social service programs and community resources available for clients
• read documents and forms then explain to the client what they need to do, and help them fill out the forms
  Examples
  • brochures, newsletters, bulletins
  • court orders, rental agreements, and applications for assistance
• read instructions to learn how to apply for benefits
• read to learn about clients’ case histories, backgrounds, needs, goals and progress
• read intake forms, tracking records, progress reports, case plans and referral forms
  Examples
  • a social welfare worker reviews an intake form to see what other social services programs the client is using
  • a halfway house worker reads summaries in a client’s case plan to learn about the client’s goals
• read to stay informed about what is happening in the community using newsletters, magazines and newspapers
  Example
  • read a newspaper article about a large construction project and pass this information along to clients seeking employment

Community and Social Service Workers

• read to see if a client is eligible for programs, help them choose the right community resources and advocate for services on their behalf
• read clinical assessments and medical reports to learn about clients’ medical diagnoses, psychiatric conditions and behavioural problems
  Examples
  • a senior’s social service worker may read a client’s medical report to help get them assisted transportation
  • a family worker may read a parenting assessment report to see what support the family needs
• read, then explain house rules and protocols to a client
  Example
  • organizations’ policy manuals

Community and Social Service Workers

• read important documents like Child and Family Services Act, Mental Health Act and the Human Rights Code then explain to the client their rights, or use these documents to act as an advocate on the client’s behalfExample
  • a mental health advocate refers to parts of the Mental Health Act to explain the laws about how clients are to be treated and their agreement for treatment (the law refers to this as “consent”)
• research reports and articles to learn about different social work topics
  Examples
  • family violence
  • addictions
  • poverty
  • mental illness
  • anger management
  • self-esteem
• read to increase their knowledge, pass information along to co-workers and use new counseling methods with clients
  Example
  • a women’s shelter supervisor may read Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, 2006 to learn about patterns of spousal abuse offenders