Reflection On Social Work

This can be challenging social workers to understand, accept, and actively engage in. Often social workers entire the field to help, they see oppression and wish to change the world. The enter schooling, devote large amount of finances to receive official documentation on their professional skills to be able to assist those who need assistance. A degree offers them some level of power prestige, and privilege, thus the notion of power with, and sharing power is challenging. Many social workers approach clients with goals of changing them, which in itself can be oppressive. This can lead to relationship where they hold “power over” clients. Social workers have moral and beliefs of equality, independence, self-determination. We want to empower clients and advocate for individual and systemic change towards oppression. However many of us in our approach end up falling into the trap of knowing what is best for the client. This is where we fall short of sharing the power with our clients towards all the goals stated about. When we begin to approach our positions, our support, and our clients in this manner, we are oppressing them, devaluing them, and dominating with their own

Before beginning the Master of Social Work program at Laurier I figured I had a strong understanding of what social work was. However, I quickly learned that I had only scratched the surface. I knew oppression existed, but I never understood the depth of it. I now know that I was afraid of it. It was easy for me to stay silent, because it was such a comfortable position to be in. Doing nothing meant I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. This was influenced by the privilege I had.

The class SW 6030 Human Development and the Social Environment has brought new insights and makes me see some topics in a different perspective. The critical reflection paper number one will integrate different concepts that I learned so far in this class.

Social work is a profession that promotes social change, assisting individuals to reach their full potential by connecting them to resources to meet their basic needs and advocating for the vulnerable and those that are oppressed. (Miley, Omelia, DuBois, 2017) As a practitioner in the social work field, it is important to engage in 5 different steps such as engage with a specific population to assess challenges, connect individuals with services, advocate for the needs of your client, participate in social policy, engage and contribute to evidence-based practice. (Miley, Omelia, DuBois, 2017) In the profession of social work the core values that are stated by the National Association of Social work to consume are Service, Social justice, Dignity and worth of the persons, Importance of human relationships, integrity and competence. Subscribing to the specific core values will help with the client and practitioner relationship with the process of successfully helping our clients to reach their full potential and empower themselves to overcome their struggles. (CSWE, 2014)

I have almost 18 years of full time experience as a Youth Outreach Worker I and working with at-risk high impacted gang-intentional youth in proving intervention services starting in 1998 with the City of San Jose Mayor’s Intervention Project PRIDE Programs. I provided mobile street Outreach and provided citywide gang mediation and intervention services to all the City of San Jose schools and gang impacted neighborhoods citywide. My service target was at risk gang impacted /intentional youth to try to deter them from taking part in delinquent/gang behavior and lifestyles. I also facilitated gang awareness presentations to Community groups, parent groups and service provider programs. Attended school safety meetings and receive individual referrals from law enforcement, schools, and community-based organizations.

When I am working with a client, we both need to work together in order for the client to progress. The social worker brings their knowledge, understanding, identifying needs, and a strengths perspective. The client must be motivated to change and have the ability to do so. The chapter emphasized the importance of treating the client as an unique individual, and not categorizing them. The client needs to be able to express positive and negative emotions, and receive sympathetic responses from the social worker. They need to be valued as a person, and not judged. Decisions affecting their lives need to be made by the clients. The client will need to keep confidential information about themselves secret.

Throughout the semester, I learned valuable lessons and skills that would aid me in becoming a successful social worker. In addition, working on the public issue project provided me with the opportunity to put what I learned into action. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to put what I learned in the classroom to use while working in the community with a group of women, as a team, to accomplish a set goal. Over the last several years, through observation, I saw the homeless population grow in the downtown Atlanta area and sometimes wondered what I could do to help aid in their well-being, especially in the winter months when they were living on the streets with little clothing. I recognized the problem, assessed the issue and came up with a goal. The public issue project gave me the opportunity to not just think about helping the homeless stay warm., but to do something to contribute keeping them warm. I learned the importance of setting a plan, putting it into action to reach a goal. Therefore, I choose to do a coat and blanket drive, as my public issue project, for those living on the streets of Atlanta, Georgia during the winter months.

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).

My social work foundation practicum is located at the Salvation Army: Red Shield in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. In comparing the differences between learning from my field placement and in a classroom setting, they are vastly different. For example, in a classroom, I’m learning about theories and evidence based practices of the social work profession. At my field placement, I’m actual experiencing a “hands-on” perspective of social work. The classroom can provide examples of situations with clients. My placement on the other hand, will give me a “real in-person” experience with clients as they occur. In the classroom, I’m learning from a professor and other students’ perspectives from working in the field. With my field placement, I’m learning from the perspectives of clients, caseworkers, Veteran Affairs (VA) representatives, field instructor, and the program director.

As a generalist social worker one must engage, assess, plan, implement, evaluate, terminate, and follow up when working with individual or family case work (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015). According to Kirst-Ashman & Hull (2015) the social worker must build a rapport during the engagement phase in order to have a commitment and advocate for the client’s right to self-determination (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). I feel that as social workers there are many challenges that we are faced with such lack of resources, client resistance, and personal reflection; however, as a generalist social worker one must be competent of resources (NASW, 2008) and have self-awareness in order to

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.

I think that some of the classes that I have taken have prepared me to enter into the Social Work field. When I first came to Chadron State College I was undeclared and had no idea what I really wanted to get a degree in. I ended up taking a few general classes that I am now thankful I took because it had prepared me for Social Work.

In this reflection essay, I will demonstrate my learning experience in this counseling session. I will talk about my strength, weakness, verbal, nonverbal expression, including improvements needed to become more efficient in the social work profession. I will also speak about a learning tool called process recording in Social work profession. This process recording was done with the help, with my fantastic Daughter Kendra Shelton as the client and my incredible husband Michael McVay as Video Recorder /producer.

This realization has taught me two important things. First, I learned about the importance of distinguishing the role between facilitator and participant, which parallels to the necessity to set professional boundaries with clients. This exercise allowed me to experience the need for such a balance firsthand, and I am grateful for that. Secondly, I think that I need to challenge my lack of self-confidence. This will be necessary, not only for my own wellbeing and peace of mind, but also to adequately do my job as a social worker. If I am nervous to participate during topics that I am unfamiliar or uncomfortable with, I will never grow as a person or as a worker. Pushing boundaries is part of social work, whether it is advocating for

As Maya Angelou once said, “Diversity makes for a rich tapestry. We must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value, no matter their colour; equal in importance no matter their texture.” Maya Angelou stated this quote beautifully because as a social workers, it’s important to be able to understand that although clients come from all different backgrounds, they are still human. Still human in the fact that they have feelings and should be treated equally no matter where they come from, their gender, or their race. Having an understanding of where a client comes from when trying to support them is crucial. It will not only give the social worker insight into issues the client may be facing, but overall it makes them more well rounded.