Which term describes the process of directing a client toward appropriate service providers?

• A. Referral
• B. Advocacy
• C. Networking
• D. Helping relationship

Answer: (A)

This item tests how a practitioner connects a client with needed services. Directing a client toward appropriate service providers is a referral—it involves identifying resources that fit the client’s needs and helping get the client connected to those resources, which may include sharing contact information, arranging appointments, or facilitating introductions with the provider. Advocacy focuses on supporting the client’s rights and pursuing favorable outcomes within systems, rather than linking to a specific resource. Networking involves building relationships among organizations to expand options, not the one-on-one act of guiding a client to a particular provider. The helping relationship is the ongoing supportive bond between worker and client that underpins practice, but it isn’t the act of directing to a service provider.