Professional Activities And Social Work

My intended major is Sociology. Once I earn my degree I intend to find a career in either social work or teaching. In choosing social work my focus will be low income families and programs that decrease social inequality. As a child I yearned for the ability to help people, to change someone’s life for the better and give them back the strength and hope they have lost through life’s battles. I gained this eagerness to provide assistance when my parents brought me to their homeland of Guatemala. Guatemala is a very poor country and I saw the despair and hopelessness of many while others still strived every day to elevate the lives of their family amidst poverty.

There are certain guidelines, expectations and ethical codes to be adhered to in all disciplines in the healthcare system and social work is of no exception to this. The following piece shall explain how the social work discipline requires from its members, that they obtain a professional identity and assimilate this identity not only into their work life but also into an extensive amount of their private life as well. Clients and/or patients have to place an enormous quantity of trust, reliance and dependence into the integrity of the professionals in these fields of practise. The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Code of Ethics, (2010). Informs: “The social work profession values honesty, transparency, reliability, empathy, reflective self-awareness, discernment, competence and commitment”. Also: “Members of the social work profession apply knowledge and skills in ways that prioritise the needs of others over their own personal gain”. (Australian Association of Social Workers, 2010). To be indicted of ‘unprofessional’ conduct is a formidable disgracing mechanism and being branded as ‘unprofessional’ would be probably the worst label that could be affixed to a social worker. This would also of the highest probability end in the practitioner being dismissed from duties, if found to be guilty of the offence of ‘professional misconduct’, and then eventually fully, disgracefully discharged. This would also be a

At my first observation, I shadowed Doctor Lindsay Matthews who was a social worker in the emergency room department of the hospital. As a pre-medicine student, I had never considered a social worker as an important job in the hospital. I did not even know we had one. When I thought of social workers, I thought of people who dealt with kids and people with

Social Work is a career defined as “work carried out by trained personal with the aim of alleviating the conditions of those in need of help or welfare”. Social work varies in several fields, social workers work as part of multi-disciplinary teams with child welfare organizations, adoption and foster care agencies, hospitals, schools, prisons, mental health institutions, and more. Social work may leave the impression that it’s an easy field because it is assumed that all social workers do is serve others and manage paperwork but that is only a small chunk of the job. Social workers must deal with the ethical and emotional aspect of helping others. As a social worker, it is critical to comply with the National Association of Social Workers

I have had the pleasure of being a part of Big Brothers and Big Sisters program. Spending my time as a role model for my “little sister” has made a huge difference in not only her life, but also my own. Seeing her progress academically and behaviorally is very uplifting and gives me motivation to work with other at-risk youth. The organization plays a huge part in my decision to become a school social worker. I intend to remain a volunteer with the organization through adulthood. Along with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, I also spend time volunteering at Renaissance Care Center, a nursing home in Canton, IL. Renaissance Care Center has provided me the experience of working with the elderly as well as people with developmental disabilities. I truly enjoy my time spent volunteering with each age group, and will successfully apply my experiences to my future work. I am now completing my practicum at Heartland Healthcare Center. I have been able to apply my knowledge to the workforce, and have been reminded daily that social work is the job for me. It will be hard to leave the facility upon graduation, and have been asked to come back as a volunteer or activity assistant. Either way, I know I will be coming back to visit the residents and

On many levels, I secretly desire to be this professional social worker that has experienced many different realms of social work practice. As I maneuver through my first couple days of field, many questions run through my mind as to what’s to be expected of a master’s level social work. Although, I’ve only had the pleasure of working children and families as a social worker; it has broaden my desire to want to know more.

“Diversity makes for a rich tapestry. We must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value, no matter their color; equal in importance no matter their texture,” by Maya Angelou. I met my interviewee, Bill Hemphill through a mutual relative in my family who was generous enough to provide his contact information. Although he was he was a busy man, he agreed to let me interview him at his office. At first, I thought he was very strict and sympathetic , as a social worker should .To become a qualified Medical Social Worker you must be hard working, educated and dedicated. Upon meeting him he seem very courteous to those around him; he came up to me and shook my hand and praised me from becoming a “fellow” social worker. My impressions of him were that he was a delightful man who would give the world to his patients. We walked to his office and he shut the door behind to give us privacy. He bluntly said “ask any question you like about me and my career.”

Today was my first day at the Port Human Services Facility Base Crisis (FBC) Unit in Greenville N.C. Today I was shadowing Trudy Sheppard, who is a master’s level social worker who is employed by Port Human Services (FBC) Unit. Trudy and I discussed patient rights, patient obligations, and FBC Unit’s policy and procedures. We also met with the unit’s supervisor and discussed what I will be doing while on the FBC Unit. I was informed that I would be involved in the patient admittance process. I was informed that I would also be conducting patient interviews, assessments, assisting with patient treatment plans, aftercare plans, and substance abuse counseling as well. Also, I will be transporting clients with the company vehicle as well as the

What the debate around the professional identity of social workers is as presented in the book?

My role while working with Sam is to be a teacher and an enabler. As a teacher I will be educating Sam about the benefits of joining AA and how it will help to better his life situations and to reach his goals. (Velten, 1996). I also will help Sam enroll himself in AA, which will help him to heal on not only a physical level, but also on an emotional level. It will also connect him to other resources and others that are experiencing some of the same struggles as he is. (Velten, 1996, p.105). I will also be teaching him how drinking can contribute to homelessness. (Polcin, 2016). I also want to have a discussion with Sam; about how his diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder can impact his day-to-day life. (Wanklyn et al., 2016).

My introduction to the field placement set the stage for short month of overwhelming responsibilities and most stressful moment of my life. This is because practical experience is more intense, intimidating, and demanding in many aspects compared to classroom theoritical perspective. I would be frank to say that my field placement was not a friendly working environment that I am used to due to the agency’s policies. However, it was difficult for me to create that balance between knowing much about the agency and understating my role as a social worker. However, this was mostly because of lack of supervision and the inability of some of the management staff to communicate well with

MSSW Professional Statement by Jessica L. Luttrell for possible fall 2017 admission to the MSSW Program with University of Tennessee’s College of Social Work Motivation for social service and/or social change, social work education, and a career in the profession. Positively benefiting the lives of others and helping them achieve the best quality of life is what motivates me to become a social worker. Being able to improve the lives of the indigent and less fortunate has always been something I have strived to do, but only in a personal manner. In the summer of 2012, I decided to go back to school to finish my degree once I realized how much I connected in my psychology classes.

This paper is a documentation of an interview that was conducted with a college student in the Social Work program at Central Michigan University. The student is currently enrolled in the first semester of her last year as an undergrad. Her final step in successfully completing the Social Work program is a four-hundred-hour internship. The purpose of this internship is to explore career interests and gain experience. The student, Marie Benner was assigned to the Community Mental Health for Central Michigan agency after going through a formal application and interview process with the Social Work advisors. This interview was done face to face and lasted an hour. It took place at the Charles V. Park Library on October 25th, 2016. She can be reached

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.

On the first page of Keith-Lucas’s, So You Want to be a Social Worker he makes note of how Christianity and social work share a lot of the same values, because of this the practice of social work can be viewed as a form of ministry. For example, most social workers, no matter their religion believe that all people have worth, and see a great importance in the showing of understanding and kindness towards them. Through my studies in APS 101, at Redeemer University College, I have learned that social work was brought up by the Church; I never knew of this relationship. This new knowledge makes me eager to learn more about the field, and the ways in which I can use it to serve not only my neighbors, but God himself, through its missionary characteristics.