Theresa Hill led the presenters from Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center (BLEC) that attended the recently held American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting in Minneapolis, Minn. The theme for the four-day meeting was “Rebuilding Trust in Public Health and Science.”
Hill, who heads up the Siemer Institute at BLEC, presented research on the topic, “The Importance of Trust and Relationship in Effective Social Work Practice.” Brenda Armstrong Clark and Jasmine Arnold also contributed to this research.
In the presentation, Hill emphasized that the application of relationship building and instilling trust are key factors in this process. She said trust is at the center of professional relationships and the foundation of ongoing connections and that relationships that are built on trust lead to better social worker/client outcomes. When the social worker initiates trust in the relationship, everyone wins.
“It is believed that the partnership which evolves from engaging people in a positive relationship does not develop,” Hill said. “This cumulative distrust can undermine the helping process. We as social workers in the end will address historical aspects
of mistrust in practice and its causes, and strategies that build trust and effective relationships.
“The way in which clients utilize services and the reason they do not use services is related to the power differential which permeates the interactional pattern that characteristically exists between client and worker. The significance of powerlessness with clients’ receptiveness to the helping process is also recognized. It is believed that many clients “drop out” of service because they do not perceive that the services are helpful, or that the social worker cares.”
The Siemer Institute is part of the BLEC’s Helping Families program, which offers crucial support to those affected by housing instability, enhancing family welfare through comprehensive services. Its primary focus is on eviction prevention, mediation, and long-term case management to ensure every family achieves sustainable stability.
For more information about the BLEC’s Helping Families through the Siemer Institute, please contact Theresa Hill, MSW at (803) 744- 7949 or via email at thill@brookland.cc or Brenda Armstrong Clark, MSW, LMSW at (803) 753-0624 or via email at baclark@brookland.cc/ helping-families@brookland.cc
