84 Preparation Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities1 • Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person- in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies. • Use empathy, self-reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies. Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities2 • Select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies. Teaching Methods and Skills Anticipatory Empathy 1. In a brief lecture, explain anticipatory empathy and the four steps of the process. Consider using the following analogy to help students appreciate the experience of potential clients: A stranger rings the students’ doorbell, carrying a large suitcase. When they open the door, what will students want to know? Students are likely to respond with questions such as, “Who is this person?” Why are they here?” and “What do they want?” Students might also have feel- ings of suspicion, being threatened, or both. The answers to these questions provide students with initial guidelines for engaging in anticipatory empathy: 1. identify who you are and represent 2. identify what services you are offering 3. and reach for clients’ reactions. 2. Use the case illustration from the chapter featuring Sarah, who receives a referral from a nurse regarding a 60-year-old, unmarried, African Ameri- can patient, Claudia Anderson. Anderson had been admitted to the hospital a month earlier for a severe circulatory disorder related to chronic diabetes. This resulted in the amputation of her gangrenous foot and leg to the knee. The patient has refused to talk or to follow medical orders and has been described as “difficult.” Have students reflect on this information and engage in anticipatory empathy using the four-step anticipatory empathy process: a. What might Ms. Anderson be thinking and feeling about her current situation (third person)?
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