As a woman who has, in my own life, confronted poverty, abuse, and the death of my sister, I am dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals and families who are besieged by circumstance. Specifically, I am interested in improving the intrapersonal and social functioning of individuals and families who are working through mental health issues. I know firsthand the anguish pervasive to families who are struggling. I believe that mental health treatment and equal access to resources can make the difference between despair and hope. I am applying for the master’s in clinical social work program so that I can pursue my goal of serving these people.
I have always considered civic engagement to be full of purpose, significance, and
…show more content…
She suggested that I apply because she thought I would be good at it. My first contact was with a girl who would frantically roam the halls with an invisible cigarette asking people for a light. I instantly felt her torture and instinctively approached her and said, “I have one”, and lit her invisible cigarette with my invisible lighter. We established a therapeutic rapport and I was hooked.
I think teenagers today have it even tougher than ever before. There are so many social media outlets informing them that they need to base their self-worth off their ability to impress people with their appearance. When I took a community service learning course mentoring two Hispanic high school students, I saw firsthand the sadness and loneliness that often results from failing to achieving these hegemonic beauty standards – or worse, from achieving them, only to find that they are empty.
One good thing about social media is that it also allows us to create our own media. I have worked alongside teenagers in my mentoring internship as they create powerful counter narratives in the form of media to fight back against these impossible standards. I love working with teenagers. I think they are mobilized, passionate, excited about little things, and they want to make a difference in the world. Sometimes, though, they inherit the trauma of generations of people who have been
According to CNN, teens spend nine hours a day consuming media. But is that a good thing? Youth can be mocked from posts on social media. Youth is more into their media “life” than real life. One doesn’t even make real friends online. Overall, social media has a negative impact on youth.
With social media growing and growing into a mass of accounts and profiles and different groups of people and clubs and websites and other things, what adolescents do on social media is something that many parents worry about. Not every parent is at ease with the fact that their child/teenager is out in open water; one young human being surrounded by millions of other human beings who are younger, the same age, or older than them. The article “Teenage social media butterflies may not be such a bad idea” takes a look at teenagers ' use of social media. Social media is a very important tool, allowing people to connect or continue their relationships without
Older generations don’t realize how much technology has affected this generation of teenagers, along with the social media that comes along with the technology. As stated in “How Social Media Changed Teens’ Lives Forever”; “Negative posts or comments also can do great damage to a teen’s self-esteem.” (Ashley Black, Thomas Atseff and Colleen Kaveney) While many parents think social media is just a way to connect with others, many teenagers take it for granted. For example, “quitting social media because it made her miserable and obsessed with appearing perfect online”, is what a teenager felt about social media and what it has done to her. Though many think that social media is a great way to connect, teenagers take it to another level.
In this essay, Michelle Blake explains how pre-teens shouldn’t be allowed on social media. Blake explains how all aspects of social media play a role in teens personality and progressing lack of empathy for others. A natural desire to be popular causes them to constantly try to be funny, noticed, or clever. Once they set any social media platform, they’re now going to be on it a lot more. In hence trying to get the attention they crave. This can lead to the inability to focus on anything but them. Creating lack of general consideration of others and constant focus on ones feelings. The author describes they are not mature enough to make responsible decision. That most teens are living in the moment rather
Growing up I witnessed my sister and grandmother deal with serious mental illness. My sister and grandmother both were diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It has always been my passion to help them manages their episodes. Growing up witnessing these episodes I always knew that I wanted to help those who are struggling to cope with mental health issues. Social work is not just a passion of mine, but a solution to the struggles many people face every day. I learned my “caring and compassion” for others, from my mother. My early experiences were a driving force for me pursuing my master’s in social work. As a child, my mother took in adults, children, and families within our neighborhood and afar to aid them in difficult times. Whether it was for a meal, a night, or longer, she has spent her life caring for others. The passion my mother possessed for helping others has become my
Social media has been known to help students develop important knowledge and social skills. “At first glance this may seem like a waste of time; however it also helps students to develop important knowledge and social skills, and be active citizens who create and share content.” (Chen 3). The more time teens spend on social media the more they become aware of their own social side and how to interact with others, especially their peers. “Some types of social media has beneficial effects, like helping adolescents establish some sense of identity and build networking skills” (Riley Davis). Too much time being spent on social media can also exploit teens to some harsh realities that they’ve probably never experienced in their lives before.
Kathleen M. Gilbert is a social worker for Little Flower Children and Family Services in Jamaica, New York. Ms. Gilbert works in the mental health field of social work as a psychotherapist part time where she provides counseling and emotional support on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in the late afternoons and evenings. Alongside social work, Ms. Gilbert is an instructor at Nassau Community College. She has been employed at Nassau Community College and Little Flower Children and Family for ten years. She found out about the agency through a friend that was already in the business of social work. Beginning her college experience, she started out double majoring in both the field of public health and French, after her bachelors she was able to receive her master’s in public health. Desiring a change, she got her masters in social work and was grandfathered in as a LCSWR. At one point, she was also grandfathered in to be a CASAC, which is a credential for substance abuse and alcohol counseling, and aided clients through all aspects of addiction and dependency. Her time as a CASAC was done through a community organization and she was the chairperson of the Brooklyn committee of alcoholism. Aside from providing psychotherapy services, she also gives referrals for adjunct services and makes home visits. Although she is no longer in the public health field directly, she has used her knowledge of counseling and education in public health to aid her in social work.
It is a necessity for our veterans who have honorably served our country to have increased access to mental health services. Closely monitoring the availability of future appointment slots is essential to be able to respond to increased demands for service. An integrated portal across VA and Non-VA facilities should be available for providers that would expedite immediate access to care, and receive quality treatment. The portal must include the number of available new appointments per week, and be open to upgrades for clinical staff to include information about the patient’s medical history and medical visits for the year. If there are any new resources available by the provider, the patient shall be informed within 15 days, and decide if
These people deserve the time of day. This will help boost the confidence of any person and make them want to do better.
The government has done little in protecting the people against mental illness as health in:
Mental health services ended up being far from reached by patients with primary psychiatric disorders. Mental health care means not only improving access but also improving clinical quality and ensuring cultural competence. It is the ability to treat and support programs to encounter individuals on personal terms and in methods that are customarily aware.
The environment of a teenage girl does not only consist of the people she knows and has a relationship with, it also consists of the people she knows from the magazines and television. The media is a major part of a teenage girl’s life, and the average teenager no doubt reads celebrity magazines. These magazines are filled with extremely thin models that are not even at a healthy weight. Celebrities are often exceptionally skinny, and the standard set for teens is unrealistic and unhealthy. “We have defined beauty not just as health and youth and
Various individuals long for a time when technology did not take over the world. For teenagers, it is difficult to imagine a life without the World Wide Web and its countless perks at their fingertips. Social media consumes young lives more than any other form of technological advancement. Social media has a few pros, but also its fair share of cons.
For some teens, striving for perfection has led to harming their own health and wellbeing such as living with depression and suicide. Teenagers today are relying on what they see in ads, T.V., magazines and on the internet for their input on appearances, the way they think not only comes from media sources, but from family and friends.
Teenage girls are targeted by the media the most. Ads showing thin, successful women with clear skin and money bombard young women on a daily basis and because a majority do not look that way, these young ladies feel worthless. Teenagers pick up on those “not subtle” clues that to be ‘perfect’ includes being smart, thin, have clear skin, and long hair. This age group is where kids become more aware of celebrities and media images - as well as how other kids look and how they fit in ( D 'Arcy Lyness, PhD). They are taking in everything that is presented to them and no one realizes just how much it is affecting them. Body image is something that is important to them and if they are not comfortable with how they look, they become uncomfortable, awkward, and