Over The Past Few Years, My Understanding Of Social Work

My decision to purse a career in the field of Social Work has been influenced by several factors, including my environment, culture, education, work history, and personal diversity. Growing up in a low-income community, my environment played an important role in introducing me to a variety of social problems, such as gang violence and drug abuse, at an early age. My environment motivated me to escape these social disadvantages by advancing my education and creating more opportunities for myself. My culture reinforced strong values such as unconditional support to those in need, which gave me a sense of pride in my close-knit community and motivated me to improve quality of life. In school, I initially pursed a degree in Psychology in order to eventually become a psychiatrist and help those suffering from drug addiction, such as those I saw in my community. However, my pursuit of a second degree in Sociology helped me realize how different groups of people, especially when divided into different social classes, have access to different resources and opportunities. This made me aware of the various social inequalities that exist in today’s society and convinced me to advocate for change with a degree in Social Work. Later in life, my experiences with disadvantaged populations gave me a profound respect for the power of social services. Together, these factors motivated me to pursue a career in Social Work, where I would be able to improve the overall quality

In our world today, many individuals are faced dealing with oppression, exploitation, social exclusion, and injustice. As a result, this makes it hard for those same individuals to prosper. It leaves them powerless, hopeless, and at a disadvantage. It’s said, “These individuals generate a sense of blame, distrust, alienation, vulnerability, and disenfranchisement” (Dubois, Miley, & O’Melia, 2015, p. 83). It is up to social workers to empower these individuals, give them a sense of hope and bring forth their strengths that society fails to uplift.

My understanding of the social work profession is that it is a helping profession. To me social workers help others in a variety of situations. Social workers help find and connect people with resources for food, rent, insurance, medical care. Social workers also do work fighting for social justice on the Micro, Mezzo and Macro aspect, working for individuals and family to making laws to help underserved populations. Social workers also provide education to clients for lots of reasons. Some social workers became licensed and help people with counseling that may be needed for things such as PTSD or anxiety.

qualified to wait until I have obtained my certificate and have the tool of higher education under my belt. The specifics of what exactly I hope to accomplish by jumping as far as I possibly can in my professional life are to simply be the best social worker for addicts and their families that I can possibly be. The issues plaguing these people and their families are catastrophic, and I understand firsthand how damaging and divisive the effects can be. If I can help even one family understand and shape their family environment into a safer and more constructive one and to give back to even just a single individual who needs the kind of guidance and support that I needed (and thankfully received), then my life will be more than well-lived. However,

Social work acquainted itself to me at an extremely youthful age. Being adopted, and being teased pitilessly in school for being "embraced" taught me an incredible arrangement about the lack of care of individuals. I draw from my own repository of encounters. I have thought about low self-regard and low self-viability since adolescence. I know the torment, one I personally ended, constructing my own feeling of positive mental self-view and freedom. I guaranteed myself I could never be vulnerable again, that my bad dream could never have been futile. Having brought up two wonderful girls alone, I am mindful of the arrangement of difficulties, adjusting work and being a good example.

The changes that Social Workers have to face today is somewhat similar to that of Industrial Revolution because we are still dealing with economic change. We no longer need to look at the short term and temporary availability of the social welfare system, but as well as the long term. In which has been going unnoticed because our focus is no longer on every issue that needs assistant but only on ones that we feel that are important to address unlike the Industrial Revolution when every problem was being addressed and being handled. Because most problems that individuals experience stem from their environment, which we do not seem to care much of anymore because most Americans would rather stay in poverty than to actually go out and find jobs. This wasn’t common in the Industrial Revolution time because Americans were willing to work because they knew it was the only way they could provide for their family. But in today’s world most Americans would rather get government assistance than to actually provide for their family themselves and most of them now abuse it unlike then when you were grateful for being able to get the assistance. Social Workers are still providing the services but rules have developed since

Ever since I was a child, I loved helping others. Whether it was helping my mother take care of my little brother or helping my fellow classmates with an assignment, I was always there to lend a hand. This passion continued throughout my childhood and into early adulthood. When I began my undergraduate degree at Lewis University, I knew I wanted to help people in some type of capacity. I was guided to the path of Social Work because in this field I could combine both my passion for helping others and interest in social justice. After my first day in the Introduction to Social Work course at Lewis University, I knew that I had found my forever home. This career path would allow me to help others in a variety of different settings and capacities.

From an early age, I have accompanied my mother as she lent a listening ear to sex workers, feed the homeless, and visited the elderly in nursing homes; these moments instilled in me a strong desire to help others. Throughout my undergraduate years, I debated whether I would help others on a macro level, by studying economics, or an individual level, by studying psychology. Although both of these fields increased my awareness of systematic and personal issues which kept people oppressed, neither focused on alleviating the conditions of those most in need. After researching several fields, social work appealed most to me because it’s a practical evidence-based profession focused on helping others rediscover their strengths.

Upon graduation from the University at Buffalo, there were several pictures painted in my mind about how hands on Social Work was carried out in the “real” world. Several family members warned me about high burnout and nearly discouraged the challenging journey I had worked so hard to begin. Fast forward several years and there has not been a more rewarding yet challenging experience in my life as waking up and going to work with those who sometimes are unable to help themselves or are in crisis. My experience in Social Work has been some of the most rewarding (and challenging) times in my life, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Working in the world of Social Work can be many things; educating, adventurous, and at times emotional fulfilling and or draining. Every person brings their own contributions as well as their own strategies and problem solving techniques that are set by the social work guidelines. Getting into the world of social work can be intimidating, stressful and many questions are often internally asked. As an aspiring social worker I have had the opportunity to meet up with Tracey Hodgins; a micro social worker who has been in the industry for 15 years, and has had a Bachelor of Social Work Degree for 13 years. She is the mother of a friend of mine who agreed to let me interview her. Currently she is Adult probation officer; she deals with managing

These life experiences have prepared me to be a social worker because they have demonstrated that I am capable of doing things that I thought were impossible. Since I have excelled at my undergraduate courses, I am prepared for the more rigorous Master’s level curriculum. I demonstrate professionalism in my classes

Contemporary social work is a complex and demanding role. Professionals are required to undertake continuous professional development and learning in order to ensure that they are fully equipped and fit for practice; this is required by the governing body, the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC), who regulate all social workers in the UK (Health Care Professions Council, 2016). As part of the social work role, professionals have a statutory duty to investigate cases of abuse or neglect, risk assess, supervise and protect the most vulnerable and marginalised of society; In doing so, social workers may also be required to consult with legal specialists or attend court hearings. Since its establishment, the social work role has evolved enormously

Trauma. Resilience. Empathy. These are the key words that inform my approach to social work. From my personal story to my professional experience in human services, I believe that learning the personal history of individuals, as well as understanding the social injustices that contribute to one’s oppressions is crucial to empower underserved and underrepresented communities. To me, the goal of social work is to identify social and economic barriers, promote systemic changes, and help individuals lead meaningful lives.

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.

For this reflective journal, I have decided to draw parallels between approaches to social work that I have learned in my placement, and what I have learned during my academic career at Carleton University. Placement thus far, has been an eye-opening and rich experience, which has taught me about the profession that I aspire to be a part of. I am a third year student, and much of my time spent at Carleton, has been studying theories, and becoming exposed to different schools of thought. Theories are incredibly beneficial, to teach and inform the practice of the next generation of social workers. However, placement has provided me with the opportunity to apply theoretical ideals, to real life social work practice.