Glossary

a colleague who supports you to achieve a certain goal or follow through on a commitment.

the process of the organization being evaluated by an independent third party entity for conformity to and compliance with a specific set of industry standards.

a formal type of experiential learning usually ending in an examination and a specific credential or acknowledgement as a professional in the field.

a governing body of individuals who have been elected, selected, or appointed to oversee an organization.

the ability to determine our own safe zones to our emotions. Keeping separate needs, desires, thoughts, and feelings from those of others. In the human services context, boundaries most often refer to keeping our needs and wants separate from those of our clients.

the feeling of emotional and/or physical exhaustion brought on by work-related stress.

the collection of behavior standards adopted by a profession or agency

the verbal, and non-verbal exchange of information between two or more people.

the feeling of being unable to respond with empathy or compassion to client issues, usually accompanied by feelings of exhaustion or being overwhelmed.

the ability to perform successfully the duties and activities of your profession.

the belief that you can be successful when presented with a challenge.

spoken, written, and behavioral communication practices designed to provide and maintain an individual’s or group’s privacy. Includes licensing and HIPAA requirements.

feedback designed to help the listener improve their performance.

the need to be current by participating in training and activities that promote professional and personal growth.

a professional’s unconscious feelings and behaviors aroused by a client, patient, consumer of services, or even a supervisor. Countertransference is natural and may be positive or negative in its tone. It is often unrelated to the specific client but brought on by some reminder of a previous relationship.

an act to protect hairstyles from racial discrimination

The Council on Standards in Human Services Education is the accrediting body for post-secondary human services programs that provides guidelines for programs across the United States.

approaching clients with respect and curiosity regarding differences in cultural background and/or practices

the shared beliefs, customs and rituals of a group of people

the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc. that may or may not intersect with each other.

the written record of the interactions between the client and the agency, as well as work done by the agency for the client’s behalf. Documentation often exists as part of an agency’s official records, and may also be used for billing purposes.

a relationship between a human services worker and another person or group that involves a conflict of interest. Common examples include dating a client, or using a client for the clinician’s own personal or financial gain

the quality of being fair and impartial and providing equitable access to different perspectives and resources to all students.

a way of looking at and acting on issues of justice to ensure that outcomes in the conditions of well-being are improved for marginalized groups, lifting outcomes for all.

situations in which you are faced with unclear choices about how to handle a situation with a client. This may be a difference between your ethical guidelines and another’s, a conflict between your personal and professional ethics, or a clash between two competing ethical standards.

Ethics are a code of morals or a philosophy that guides an individual’s behaviors and actions. Ethics also include a set of standards or code of conduct set forth by a company or profession.

any method of measuring performance at your position. This may include informal methods, such as check-ins or discussions, or more formal evaluations such a report or grade.

(or internship/practicum) experiential learning contained within human services programs. For the purposes of this text, fieldwork, internship, and practicum will be used interchangeably.

An agency’s ability to service any debt and meet its other financial obligations.

A federal law enacted in 1996 to improve the portability of health care information, protect the privacy of individuals’ personal health information, and ensure that all health information and data is securely stored.

attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, decisions, and actions in an unconscious manner.

the practice or quality of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise systemically be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups.

a difference in the distribution or allocation of a resource between groups.

A credit class in which students apply theory to practice by using what you have learned in coursework in a real-world setting with a supervisor/mentor who is invested in your growth and development (often also referred to as fieldwork or practicum).

inequalities produced by simultaneous and intertwined social identities and how that influences the life course of an individual or group.

the rules a country, state, or other governing body sets, maintains, and enforces. Violations of laws are illegal and can be punished by fines, probation, or incarceration. In the United States, there is a hierarchical structure for authority: federal, state, county, and local.

A document created by the student, instructor and work supervisor that outlines the goals and objectives for the student’s learning during the internship or field experience.

the practice of using the traits of the identified leader to help you be productive.

guidance and support given from a professional already in the field.

the formal summary of why an organization exists, who they serve, and how they are unique.

the continuous development of a supportive system of sharing information and connections between individuals and groups that share common interests

the social act of placing severe restrictions on an individual group, or institution.

charts that demonstrate who in the agency is responsible for specific duties, who reports to whom, and how the work of the agency is organized

a shared set of beliefs and actions that are supported by the structure of the organization, strategies used, and policies

the inability to differentiate between one’s own life, work and challenges and those of a client (or clients).

the concept that minority groups do not generally benefit equally from opportunities afforded to the dominant group.

a process of eliminating racial disparities and improving outcomes for everyone.

the rules a governing body sets, maintains, and enforces. Violations may result in fines and loss of licensure or certifications.

a summary of your experience, knowledge and skills that demonstrates your ability to perform the job for which you are applying

the ability to speak up for one’s desires and needs.

an informal self-evaluation of your work performance, and/or personal growth used for appraising strengths and weaknesses and developing strategies for improvement.

any activity you participate in whose function is to nourish you either physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

time taken to review your experience and process what you learned.

a method of defining and understanding the different elements involved in creating and maintaining poverty

Specific, written objectives that demonstrate and measure your learning in the field.

A practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people

the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior.

a law written by a legislative body.

Outlines the steps and processes involved in incorporating an agency’s mission, vision, and values into their day to day activities.

the manner in which a supervisor is most comfortable interacting with interns.

the act of ending a relationship. Termination in human services generally refers to the methods used by workers to end relationships with clients.

the opportunity to apply concepts learned through formal coursework to real-life practice settings.

the symbolic involvement of a person in an organization due only to a specified or salient characteristic (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, disability, age). It refers to a policy or practice of treating members of a minority, underrepresented, or disadvantaged group differently, often assuming the individual is an expert about their particular identity group.

responding to negative events with a positive or happy effect, regardless of how you actually feel about the situation

a client’s unconscious positive or negative feelings or behaviors triggered by another, often the therapist or clinician. The response often is unrelated to the actual professional, but it due to a previous issue in the life of the client

the formal summary of what an agency or organization wants to achieve.

the disadvantaged sub-segment of the community requiring utmost care.