OARS Communication Skills Description (Core Competencies: 1.4; 2.7; 2.8; 4.1; 4.4; 4.6; 4.7; 4.8; 4.9) OARS skills are simple. Developing these skills will take time and practice. Be open and willing to try new ways of communicating with these skills. O – OPEN QUESTIONS Open questions draw out the peer’s perspectives, experiences, thoughts, feelings, ideas, dreams, concerns, and challenges. In other words, open questions are designed to invite people to share and explore. This fosters a good connection. The opposite of open questions is closed questions. Closed questions tend to gather facts (who, what, where, when) or specific information with short or one-word responses (yes or no) and this can limit connection and exploration. A – AFFIRMATION Actively look for and affirm peer strengths, positive attributes, and prior successes with recovery and change. Affirmation specifically identifies strengths, positive attributes, and successes. Affirmation is about a peer's specific strengths, not about your praise or cheerleading. R – REFLECTIVE listening Reflective listening or reflection is the skillful expression of empathy. Whereas empathy is a way of being with people, reflection is what the listener does. Reflection involves careful listening with genuine interest and curiosity to understand the peer’s perspectives and experiences—then, like a mirror, reflecting the meaning of what the peer shared. Reflective listening is the most important communication skill in the process of providing peer support. S – SUMMARY After a period of conversation, a summary ties together what the peer shared. A summary can provide a transition to the next topic or can bring closure to a meeting. Like reflection, a summary demonstrates careful listening and understanding of what the peer said.
FURTHER READING: Miller W.R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational Interviewing: Helping people change (3rd edition). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
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