48 The Life Model of Social Work Practice 2. Instructors also can introduce to students the notion that there are core skills of social work practice that cut across client populations. Whether they are working with an individual, a family, a group, or a community, students will need to explain their role and purpose. We adopted this approach throughout the book. We first present the core skills of practice within a particular phase of work, and we then discuss skills that may be specific to a particular modal- ity. Instructors also should explain that while we might describe in depth a specific set of skills at a particular point (e.g., the middle phase of work), because that is where the worker is most likely to use them, the skills also might come into play earlier or later in the process.