Mary Richmond

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 meek beginning social work had progressed into a professional service with treatment obligations in all patient care areas, helping patients ←and→ families to attain their highest level of adjustment/coping in society, endorsing vocational ←and→ psychosocial rehabilitation. Social workers developed implemented treatment approaches which addressed individual social difficulties work with acute/chronic medical conditions, dying patients, bereaved families. VA social workers were liable for ensuring continuity of care through the admission, evaluation, treatment, follow-up processes this consisted of coordinating discharge planning providing case management services based on the patients clinical community health social services

Jane Addams, a pioneering social worker, helped bring attention to the possibility of revolutionizing America’s attitude toward the poor. Not only does she remain a rich source of provocative social theory to this day, her accomplishments affected the philosophical, sociological, and political thought. Addams was an activist of courage and a thinker of originality. Jane Addams embodied the purest moral standards of society which were best demonstrated by her founding of the Hull-House and her societal contributions, culminating with the winning of the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize.

Dorothea Dix – led the movement, successfully won legislation in Massachusetts to provide aid to the insane

Florence Kelley is considered one of the great contributors to the social rights of workers, particularly women and children. She is best known as a prominent Progressive social reformer known for her role in helping to improve social conditions of the twentieth century. She has been described as a woman of fierce fidelity (Goldmark, 1953). Kelley was a leading voice in the labor, suffragette, children’s and civil rights movements. She was also a well-educated and successful woman, a rare combination during the turn of the twentieth century.

With her father being a wealthy business person who was technically considered the first African American millionaire in the south, Mary was taught about being a hard worker, motivated, and the importance and value of a good education at an early age. When she was six years old, her parents sent her to the Antioch College Model School in Yellow Springs, Ohio. She later went on to attend Oberlin College in Ohio. And in 1884, she became one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. Four years later she earned her master's degree in education.

She possessed a vibrant and vivacious personality and spoke her mind freely from childhood; friendly, sharp-witted and outgoing, she made friends easily, however she never hesitated to express to loved ones exactly what or how she thought they should handle a situation. This of course as everyone knew was regardless of her opinion being was solicited or not. This no doubt was the result of growing up as the baby of the family. Mary grew quite accustomed to getting her own way with her older siblings, Marvin and Corinne and growing up, surrounded by a bounty of loving family members; aunts, uncles and cousins.

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was born on July 10,1875 in Mayesville, South Carolina. She was the 15th child of former salves and became an educator, civil rights leader, and an adviser to five U.S. presidents. Throughout the course her life, Mary Bethune had the aspiration of opening up her own school due to the fact that she worked in the fields with her parents, and was finally enrolled in school at the age of ten. While working toward her goal of building Bethune-Cookman University, Mary became a national leader on issues relating to civil rights, education, women, and young people. She also fought against school segregation and disparities in healthcare for black children. Dr. Bethune was appointed numerous national commissions some including

Mary Sorrells was born on December 23, 1963 at Kings Daughters Hospital in Staunton, Virginia. She was the middle child in a family of four brothers, and four sisters. At the age of eighteen, she graduated high school, and worked in a factory while obtaining a nursing license. On September 3, 1983, she married Gary Spangler in a Pentecostal church in Staunton, Virginia. Thirteen years later, on March 12, 1997, Mary gave birth to her first child (Jacob) at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where our journey begins. So, after fifty-one years of maturing into a wise adult, this is what this five foot tall woman is today.

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was born on July 10, 1875 in Maysville, South Carolina. Mary’s family worked by being in the fields picking cotton. . Mary’s parents decided to buy a farm for the family. She helped her mother by washing white people clothes and when she was allowed to go into the children’s nursery she was fascinated with toys. Mary picked up a book and one of the white children took it from her telling her that she couldn’t read which inspired her to learn how to read. She was the only child to go to school that opened for African American children. Later, she received a scholarship for Scotia Seminary which is now called Barber Scotia College located in Concord, North Carolina. Later in the year Mary attended Dwight L. Moody’s Institute

This section of the paper will discuss the definition of social work, values associated with social work and arguments for and against the use of systems theory in social work practice. Social work can be described as a field of study that encompasses individuals and their environment. Social work can be defined as work trained professionals do to elevate stressors of individuals so they may become more self-sufficient and empowered to live to their fullest potential.

One person in history who more than fulfilled their civic duty was Jane Addams, she was a philanthropist, a women's rights activist, and an anti-war activist. Jane Addams was innovative in the way that she used her education and fortune to better her community, and to help those in need. In 1889 Jane Addams and her college friend Ellen Starr bought and opened Hull-House, their aim was to provide needed services for the immigrant and poor of Chicago. The Hull-House

As a person who aided in the construction of the social work profession, Mary E. Richmond (1861-1921) is best known for her role in the development of casework practice. Her studies helped build the foundation of direct assessment. In conjunction with her studies, she is also remembered for her remarkable ability to perform research and teach communities about the topics of social work. One of her most notable achievements is her representation of the modern idea of “client in environment”, which she labeled the “social diagnosis”. During her time, Mary was a key player in focusing the transition from charity work to social work (Szymoniak, 2015). Mary founded the Pennsylvania Child Labor Committee, the juvenile court, the Housing Association and the Public Charities Association (NASW, 2004). She is also the author of numerous publications that illustrate the importance of social work, and social practice.

Social Work is a discipline that can be a very rewarding experience for both the worker and the client. The practice involves working with individuals, families, or groups who are struggling to cope with life`s challenges. The social worker must combine his or her personal qualities, creative abilities, and social concerns with the professional knowledge in order to help client’s social functioning or prevent social problems from developing (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 34). Social work practice seeks to promote human well-being, while addressing the processes by which individuals and groups are marginalized or diminished in their capacity to participate as citizens (Ian O'Connor, 2006, p. 1).

The social work profession consists of the six core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These core values are portrayed within the roles of this profession by assessing and evaluating client’s needs, advocating for improving community resources, managing crisis situations, providing therapeutic support, and referring client’s to beneficial services. As well as, developing a dual client relationship to strengthen the helping process and treating each client ethically. Social workers are constantly progressing their professional expertise. They do this