Career Path For A Social Worker

The duties performed by social and human services workers are varied. They can work in a number of different fields including psychology, social work, rehabilitation, and support for families in need (BLS, 2012a). Often, they help to identify the needs of clients and help them obtain available benefits, community services, and programs. There are several other job categories that are closely related including rehabilitation counselors, psychiatric technicians, personal care aides, and eligibility interviewers for government programs (BLS, 2012a). I wish to pursue a career in the psychology and rehabilitation field of the human services category. This population is of great interest to me because of experiences with friends and family. I find this category of human services to be the most interesting and I have a strong desire

Working in the social services field was always my dream. Whether working with children, family, adults, elderly etc. this career path is so broad it instills the hope of a career opportunity. My first year working in this field was in 2010 when I interned as an intake specialist in an outpatient drug treatment facility, while completing my bachelor’s degree in human services. Thereafter, I was able to branch off in various areas such as a case manager at a domestic violence shelter, housing specialist, substance abuse counselor and now a family services specialist.

There are several goals that I hope to achieve by pursuing a graduate degree in Social Work. Pursuing a MSW will provide me with the knowledge, tools, and skills-set that will be fundamental to the achievement my career goals outlined below.

Starting my career as a social worker and working with children and families is where I feel as though I belong. I have the compassion, the drive and the withstanding endurance to make the area of child and family social work my passion. Working with children requires patience, dedication, resilience and so many other trusting characteristics. Relationships within children’s immediate families have a profound impact on their state of being. Becoming a child and family social worker is undeniably tough and arduous work but the reward of seeing families meet their set goals and becoming a stronger more united family unit come to fruition surpasses anything else. When I become a child and family social worker, my job days will be over and my career starts. Going to worker everyday knowing that I’m making a difference will be the best feeling. A great person once said, “It’s your mistakes that make you human, and it’s your humanity that makes you influential.”

I began my social work studies over twenty-five years ago at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. I never questioned my decision to pursue a career in social work; I loved my classes and worked hard to learn as much as possible. But the information I gained in undergraduate school simply opened the doors of my education. Most of my learning has come through constant questioning, personal research, and especially through work and life experience. Through these experiences I have encountered the challenges faced by individuals, families, and society and have been able to further access and develop the innate personality traits and abilities that originally led me to study social work as well as learn and practice the many skills necessary to be a successful mental health counselor.

I chose social working as my career because many other people go through tough situations and have a difficult time talking to relatives or friends to help them through a tough situation. I thought of becoming a social worker so I can have the ability to change the lives of others. Social work is one of those careers you can truly make a difference in people’s lives. I want to become a social worker because life isn’t about just helping yourself it’s about helping others as well, which is what social workers do for a living. Child and family social workers protect children and families in need of assistance. Many families and children don’t feel comfortable talking to just anyone about obstacles they have faced in their lives which is why

Working within health and social care it might be different from another career path. You have to be committed to people, have good communication and listening skills, and be willing to make a real difference to people’s lives. If you feel that you are fulfilling your ambitions from knowing that your job is helping people by contributing to their health, happiness and wellbeing, you are in the right place. Before choosing a specific career, it is important to know that within this sector, there are always entry routes for people of all ages and all levels of experience, which means that no matter what your background is, you constantly have an opportunity.

I currently work as an administrator with the Brad H – Social Work Department which is responsible for the appropriate discharge planning of all of the mentally ill men and women housed throughout all New York City Correctional facilities. I have over 20 years of experience working in the Human Services field and the majority of my employment has been working with the mentally ill population. I enjoy working with this population; however, I would be open to working in the medical/health field if the opportunity presented itself. Otherwise, my goals as a social worker are to obtain my LCSW-R and become more marketable and knowledgeable of the various diagnostic symptoms and disorders.

I have chosen to pursue a social work education and career because I have a strong desire to help, educate, and support those in need. A second reason I chose a career in social work is because my life was positively changed by a social worker. Finally, I am drawn to the social work profession by a fierce desire to provide service to veterans. As a veteran myself, I can better empathize with the struggles they face. Also, I have first-hand experience with the services currently available, what is lacking, and who to contact to resolve issues and answer questions.

Throughout the Social Work course, I have learned information about what a social work does and the careers out there that are possible to do with a social work degree. There is approximately about 101 careers in social work according to Dr. Jessica A. Ritter and Ms. Mary Kiernan-Stern; authors of the book: “101 Careers in Social Work”. I’ve always loved to help others in their time of need specially children who in this case are the ones who can’t defend themselves and mostly don’t have a voice to speak up out in the world. My main focus is mainly to work with young ones who are in need of service from a social worker such as: children, juniors and so on. Some of the areas that I plan to work on are in school social work, child

other people. One with a degree in social work can find a job in almost any field. Social workers can work in hospitals, clinics, schools, child welfare and human services agencies, settlement houses, and community development corporations. By pursuing the social work career will open doors to many different job environments. I am mostly interested in how social workers work in schools, hospitals, or settlement houses. Serving people in need is the main goal of a social worker and this is exactly why I chose this career. I know that a social worker is required to identify people who need help in a specific type of service. A social worker has to work with someone and should be able to assess the person’s needs, the situation that the person

Starting from being a certified nursing assistant, to becoming a unit secretary for a hospital that specialize in wound care, I have always known that I wanted to help individuals in need. However, I noticed that I was not happy with helping individuals in medical need. It wasn’t until I decided to continue my education that I introduced to the world of social work. Going up with a single mother that suffered from drug abuse, my family depended on social services for a lot of assistance, from everything such as food stamps to family counseling. This life experience helped guide my thoughts on pursuing social work as a career. I know that I want to help individuals that are down on their luck, but I want to take it one step farther, by providing individual counseling to adults that may need more one on one time, than what is normally given from a social service agency. Counseling will also give me a chance to do what I love most and that is to talk and get to know the individuals that I am helping make like changing decisions. Working as a clinical social work has my interest because it does not put limits on what I can do or who I can help, and it will set me up for my future goal of becoming a licensed clinical social worker. Being my own boss and changing my community is my dream job, opportunity and goal. I am currently on my way with changing my community and living my dream, because I am currently working for a non-profit

As a social work facilitator, taking on a democratic role and style can be helpful. When a facilitator takes on a democratic stance, they allow members to decide how they wish to work as a group to meet their goals and objective as group (Skillsyou need, 2016). In this role, the facilitator is usually at group meetings playing an active role by suggesting alternative ways of handling or approaching particular issues (Skillsyou need, 2016). The facilitator does not have to give advice; they can also act as active listeners and point out interesting or significant aspects that occur in the group. Instead of the facilitator taking full control of the group structure, each member can be key contributors as a way to foster leadership in all the

A social worker has a very important job. Social workers help children and families in need of food, homes, and health care. They help children have a brighter future. There are many different types of social work. There are mental health, child and family, elementary, and high school social workers.

Every worthwhile journey begins with one step. My social work journey began when I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Utah in 2003. I thought my next step would be to immediately pursue a graduate degree. In my undergraduate career I had taken numerous classes from the College of Social and Behavioral Science and had done well in those classes. In my Social Work as a Profession course I had an assignment to shadow a social worker and write a paper about my experience. I chose to shadow my father-in-law, a social worker with over 30 years of experience, and in my paper I expressed my desire to go into the social work field. I knew I liked helping people. I knew I liked problem solving and critical thinking. I thought my 22 year-old self was ready to embark on that journey, but I wasn’t. I realize now that what I lacked at graduation was one crucial step… perspective. Over the past twelve years I have gained that much needed perspective and have taken many steps forward in my journey, and with those steps and that increased perspective, I now feel more fully prepared to begin my social work career.