Perceptions, Proficiencies, and Opportunities

  Successful human services practitioners continually engage in self-reflection, always striving to understand more about themselves. These continued insights not only benefit the practitioner, but also his or her clients. “This requires awareness of one’s own values, cultural biases, philosophies, personality, and style in the effective use of the professional self. It also requires an understanding of how these personal characteristics help clients” (Council for Standards in Human Service Education, 2010). For this Discussion, think about how your studies in the Bachelor of Science in Human Services (BSHS) program may have changed your perception of human services practice. Also, consider your possible strengths and limitations as you begin to engage in the work of human services. Understanding areas of practice in which you excel, and those in which you can improve, is an essential task for developing your professional self.