Reflective Essay On Social Work

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.

The journey towards the attainment of the Bachelor of the social work degree has been an enlightening and educational experience, as the individual is exposed to the realities of many social and political issues in the society. As a student, I ventured into the degree, with minimal insight as to how the degree can influence and shape the way I perceive the social world, and the way I relate these matters to myself. However, throughout my endeavour, which encompasses years of theoretical studies, and two intensive placements at two drastically different organisations, I believe I have accumulated the bare minimal knowledge to possess a solid foundation about the unfairness and inequality that people in disadvantaged conditions face. Social workers are predominantly found in welfare organisations which Howe (as cited in Limber, 2015) suggested largely influences the practice, direction and values of the social worker, and impacts on their ability to act autonomously (Lymbery, 2015). During my placements, there was a dominant theme that frequently stood out and enticed my attention. This was the accepted practice of focusing on the individual’s problem, as opposed to the social problems that existed and the lack of acknowledgement about the social restrictions of the human agency that limited self-determination. The realization that organisations were managed this way was important in ensuring that I made a proactive effort to understand and untangle the reasons behind such

In this essay I will discuss what learning from K216 materials has been useful to me whilst working with vulnerable and/or disadvantaged service users in my student placement, and what learning I have applied to my practice. Throughout I will look at how my learning informed what I decided to do, how I went about doing this and my understanding of the practice. I will discuss learning in respect of two areas of social work, which are ‘Communication’ and ‘Working collaboratively’. For ‘Communication’ I will focus on communication with service users with disabilities and/ or additional needs and I will explore a case of a mother who I had a telephone call with who was in crisis and in a highly emotional state. With ‘Working collaboratively’,

One of the key things that stood out for me while doing this course and before has made me realize that social work is harder than I thought it would be. There are many critical aspects of social work that help us work with clients. One of the biggest things that have stood out for me was that helping people is more complicated than I thought there are so many critical things in the process that work to help others. Therefore it is not as easy as I expected it would be. The main reasons that I wanted to do this course was because I ultimately wanted to do to help people. I have learned that many factors come into play in the field of social work, including levels of practice, ethics and critical reflection and self-care.

Social workers are caregivers, they provide assistance to people in need, and they address social problems. The social worker’s goal is the improvement of society to better the lives of individuals in need. The social work professional mission is to enhance the well-being of people and to assist them in meeting their basic needs, with particular emphasis on the needs of the poor, and the vulnerable individual. The Social Work profession has six core values. Social workers incorporate these core values into their daily practices. Service to others, the social workers’ goals are to serve others and to put the needs of their clients ahead of their own. Social justice, social workers aim to improve the lives of the disadvantaged, vulnerable and oppressed populations. Social workers understand the essential value of every human life, regardless of an individual’s ethnic background, cultural difference or religious belief. Their goal is to respect the dignity and worth of every person. Integrity, social workers strive to conduct themselves in a trustworthy, honest, and responsible manner at all times. Competence, the social workers practice their profession within their areas of expertise and that they regularly seek to improve and develop their knowledge.

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.

Two summers ago, I was standing in a dust storm about 80 miles away from the nearest sign of shelter. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone. With me were three of my coworkers: Dan, Joe, and Katie. Together, along with our supervisor Nathan, we comprised the on-set visual effects team for a feature length movie. We had only been working together for three months, but over this short course of time we had become a dynamic, cohesive team. Our job was to collect data from the film set that could be used by effects artists at their offices in Singapore and London. For example, I would take pictures of a prop from 20 different angles. The effects artists would then reconstruct the prop in 3D animation using my photos. However, with about six feet of visibility

My interest in the social work profession became apparent during the fall semester of my junior year when I was enrolled in Social Work 205 and sociology. I had finally found subjects that I thoroughly enjoyed and academically excelled in. The events and experiences in my past and the current activities in which I am involved, have helped me narrow my studies to solely social work and has took part in shaping my hopes and plans for my first entry-level position in my chosen career after receiving my degree from WKU.

This internship has been a significant experience for me so far during my education journey; to progress and develop skills to become a dedicated professional social worker. Learning the theory of social work and its application in the real world; combining classroom work, with actual cases. I have a better understanding of how to apply the theoretical and practical skills I learned. Gaining this experience of working in private practice, gives me an opportunity to understand the mechanisms of a mental health office environment. By expanding my theoretical knowledge to work in other fields of social work practicum.

Lying on a school assignment is something I’ve never done until now. My thought process that lead me to lie on my field exercise assignment was the pressure of being a student who complete all work assignment on time and the pressure of dealing with family issues at the time when finals were approaching. I didn’t think about the outcome of my actions I just wanted to finish my work and be done with class work, so I could focus on my finals. When I received my paper back from Dr. Nsonwu I thought I was in the clear; when I flipped to the back page to see what grade I was given my heart sank when I saw a note that read “please see me”. Walking down to Dr. Nsonwu’s office my heart was racing and I feared the worst.

Studies have shown that this type of care brings about the best results. The use of

Social work fell into my lap and offered a route that was practical and efficient for achieving my goals. I suppose like most things I was not fully aware or prepared for the decision I was making. I wonder if I had been too naïve believing everything would work out as long as I believed in my abilities and the abilities of the people I wanted to help. The social work world was one I was unfamiliar with but gave purpose to the frustration I was feeling. Whether that was frustration about my time at MMHI or the sociopolitical landscape I felt for once like change was achievable.

Currently, I am not in a profession where it can be considered as a social work job. However, I do have the privilege in working in a place where I am able to help certain population; this population is individuals who are in school and/or who are starting/returning back to school. My current job position is at Fresno Pacific University in the Regional Enrollment Office as an admissions coordinator assistant; this position includes working alongside and serving a diverse population. Whether it may be a listener to students and their stories on their reason to coming back to school or being able to give them emotional support and academic guidance, this position allows me to use some social work skills. With having an experience as a customer care specialist in the same office, my duties as an admissions coordinator assistant includes duties of both positions.

At the beginning of the term, I signed up to work with Nova Vita as part of my Community Service Learning project (CSL). Throughout this paper, I will talk about the agency I worked with, the history, the mandate, the project date, hours worked, the project scope, the population I worked with, and my role with Nova Vita and with completing the shoe box project. The social justice addressed by Nova Vita, Nova Vita’s response to the CSL, and course concepts that apply to working with Nova Vita. My expectations when working with Nova Vita, what I anticipated might happen when going to Nova Vita and what happened when I went to Nova Vita. The team process of the group, any conflicts and what I learned from those conflicts and teamwork. The CSL increasing my awareness of my own social location, values, biases, assumptions, privileges and oppression. The benefits and the limitations of the CSL project. Finally, the lessons I learned from the CSL project to apply to my BSW placement next year, and how the CSL has shaped my thoughts, ideas, and feelings about my future activism, teamwork, and social work practice.

At this point in my schooling, it is becoming harder and harder to get to the end. It seems like there is no end in sight. Even though I know this is not the case, it is still a struggle to get there. When I first started school I was excited and full of life. There were so many new things to learn and much knowledge to be applied to various situations. Now, I feel as if it is too much. I am slowly starting to hate to come to class. The stress of so many different papers, projects, group assignments and keep in mind I have a family and life, have taken their toll on me mentally. I feel as if I am not learning anything. We test, test and test some more. I feel like a professional test taker. When I ask what does all of this have to do with social