How Does Lack Of Self-Care Impact Social Work?

In this paper, the role of a social worker will be addressed. A Human Service professional has, in its hands, the responsibilities in the life of the clients and families they meet. The tremendous and arduous responsibilities they take on include, but are not limited to, the well-being and care of people and their communities. Such roles can be helping others manage the care of a family member, assisting individuals experiencing problems with family relations and conflicts, dealing with changes that come with growing old, aiding those suffering mental illness and or those individuals struggling with addictions. Briefly

This is clearly a different approach from the other approaches that doctors and nurses take because it looks at the outside factors that can be affecting the person and not just looking at the person themselves. Social workers believe that by looking at a person’s environment, it can help with preparing or fixing issues that may come up. This is especially true in healthcare settings where looking at the kind of environment a person is living in can help social workers help make the patient’s life more comfortable (Borst, 2010). The strengths perspective focuses on the positive and essentially the strengths that a patient has to better help empower them (Borst, 2010). Social workers use the strengths perspective to do just that and actively look for patient strengths to better help empower the person. The healthcare setting itself is typically seen as a very negative thing. Many patients may feel like they are “broken”, and for many they may be currently at their lowest and don’t see the strengths they have (Borst, 2010). By doing this, social workers not only can help patients through a difficult time of health, but they do so by taking care of the social and emotional needs of the person while doctors and nurses focus on the biological (Borst, 2010). The strengths perspective also links back to the idea that social workers are a guide for people trying to navigate the

If a social worker has a person centered approach towards the service user, it provides a positive experience as the work is tailored to the individual. It is about enabling the service user to lead the life they want. The individual is the person that the social workers care is based on, and it is the social workers job to ensure that the individual is getting the care they need.

This piece of writing is going to demonstrate an understanding of diversity, difference and also discuss the implications for social work practice. It will include an understanding of theories and concepts in relation to diversity where it will address the needs of diverse communities, individuals and groups, exploring differences in relation to culture, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality, social class and economic wellbeing. It will also demonstrate an understanding of principle of working in an anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory way.

Social workers must strive “for a full understanding of the complex interactions between the client and all levels of the social and physical system as well as meaning that the client assigns to each of these interactions” (Andreae, 1996, p. 605).

The National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics acknowledges the challenges caused by compassion fatigue and promotes the importance of self-care in the social work profession. According to the NASW Code of Ethics, “[p]rofessional self-care in social work is critical to maintaining ethical and professional behavior and providing competent services to clients across diverse settings” (NASW, 2009, p. 269). They also provide ways in which to support social workers and help alleviate the stress of the profession. Along with the services already provided, the NASW supports “the development of creative and innovative support services for social workers, which may include supports groups, professional retreats, Web site resources, online support, and chat groups” (NASW, 2009, p. 270). The National Association of Social Worker’s view on self-care is very beneficial and complimentary to the way in which I also view self-care.

Social work professions need to understand the importance of how individuals interact both with other people and their environment, to have an understanding how individuals are affected by these interactions (Rogers, p. 2). According to Rogers (2016), “Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual development (p. 2). Their work with clients begins with assessments to evaluations of intervention and is based in and supports of the core value system of the profession.

Professional fitness and self-care is one of the most important standard of social worker. A social worker must keep themselves healthy, happy, and in homeostatic with their own environments to properly provide a safe and healing haven for their clients. To do this, a social worker must maintain a plan for self-care. Each social worker’s self-care plan will look different because each person is diverse; thus, each person has unique needs that must be addressed. For instance, in my self-care plan three areas that I know I will need to focus on my physical health, my mental and emotional health, and avoiding compassion fatigue. Each of these areas will have to have intense and rigorous routines to keep myself professionally fit. In my physical health dilemma, I know I will need to develop a regular sleep and eating routine which includes at least six hours of sleep each night, and three healthy meals each day. I will need to

Social workers deal with intense situations daily. It is important that social workers are aware of how they are affected by these interactions. Priscilla Dass-Brailsford explains in her book, that countertransference, vicarious trauma (VT), secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue and satisfaction, and burnout are all different ways that counselors can be affected (Dass-Brailsford, 2007). This is where it is important for social workers to have a plan of self-care and stress management resources to use.

It is important for a social worker to remember their motivations for joining the profession as this will have a continued and lasting impact on their working practice. Whether unconsciously or intentionally a social worker will have agendas to achieve, whilst these may be noble and not necessarily detrimental to working practice, self-awareness is necessary to

“Client self-determination, protection of human life, and enhancing the quality of life are three values to which all social workers are committed” (Dolgoff, Loewenberg & Harrington, 2009, p.5). In this ethical dilemma, unfortunately it will be impossible to implement all three of these principals, specifically enhancing the quality of life for each individual client, since only one client can be chosen.

In the generalist social work practice, a social worker is a change agent due to the expansive and complex umbrella of social and human services and roles. A change agent works to promote positive changes for the well-being of an individual, family, group, organization or community. In order to fulfill the tasks of a social worker, one should be trained and equipped with a wide variety of skills: such as setting appropriate boundaries, possessing and utilizing self-awareness and the ability to counsel or advocate for clients. In addition to many skills, the generalist social work practice includes a surplus of methods to either prevent or intervene when necessary. A method often utilized by social workers is the person-in-environment conceptualization. The person-in-environment perspective considers factors, such as familial or economic, beyond the individual to better understand the client’s behaviors or situation. Another method is the strengths perspective. The strength-based perspective focuses on the client’s or client system’s positive qualities to build upon those capabilities. And the recognition of strengths helps to achieve goals in a more client-led approach. Generalist practitioners are professionals with a wide range of knowledge and a repertoire of diverse skills in order to enhance the social functioning of all within society.

Reupert (2006) defines ‘the use-of-self’ as a deliberate and conscious use of oneself, becoming the medium through which knowledge, skills and attitudes are conveyed (p.107). The use of self is what partially distinguishes us from other professions (Dewane, 2006, p.543). The use of self focuses on producing high levels of self-awareness and self-knowledge. Raines claims that “one difference between social work and the other therapeutic professions is the degree to which we meet people who have suffered malignant deprivations and losses…only the provision of an authentic person will suffice” (as cited in Dewane, 2006, p.544). When I am assessing Ted’s case, I have to take into account my professional self, my values, and life experiences as to how they can affect my ability to help Ted and his family.

Self-reflection and correction in social work practice is important for continued learning and professional development. Without self-awareness, social workers cannot separate their personal feelings, values, and attitudes from their professional. This is important because we need to focus on the needs of the client, not what we think they need. Knowing how to separate our personal feelings and values from our professional feelings and values will prevent us from getting burnout and help us maintain professional boundaries.

The two key elements in successful practice are the social workers ability to guide clients through the phases of the change process and assist clients in making decisions that will result in enhancement of their social functioning or the improvement of a social condition (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 52). Social workers select and use specific techniques that have been individualized to the needs and situation of the client or client group being served, and the resources that are applied to help resolve the client’s problem or concern (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 51).