Assignment: Interview a Human Service Professional

In this assignment, you will explore the extent of training and education a chosen health care provider has in listening skills. You can compare your findings with those of your classmates to see the differences that may exist between different professional groups. You may be surprised by the results that you find.

Tasks:

For this assignment, you are to conduct a thirty-minute interview (an ideal interview would be in person or via the telephone, but an e-mail or chat-based interview is also acceptable) with a human service professional (for example, a social worker, community-organizational professional, or a counselor). The focus of the interview should be on the person's training and education in listening skills. Ask questions to determine whether he or she has had formal training in listening as well as what specific strategies he or she uses to effectively listen to patients or clients.

In addition to your interview, use your textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet to conduct research on how listening skills impact and are critical to a client-patient relationship.