Social Work Essay

When working in a field of expertise the experts in that area need to know what defines that field. Social work, with its roots over a hundred years old, started out simply offering assistance to others, has grown and changed, and is currently reconnecting with its roots (Bisman, 2004). Bisman (2004) emphasizes the importance of being an advocate of justice and keeping the field focused on the “social” part of social work. This push to keep social work focused on the needs of others defines social work today. Social work focuses on providing aide to the needy and increasing awareness of those that are oppressed.

This assignment involves a case study where Ralph, a fourteen year old boy, is currently in foster care because his mother; Kerry, felt she was unable to control him due to his behaviour. However, Kerry has now expressed that she is unhappy with this foster placement and has requested that her son be returned to live with her and his two younger brothers. The scenario becomes more complex owing to the fact that Ralph has disclosed that his mother had regularly hit him with a walking stick. In this essay I will seek to consider the main practice issues raised by the scenario of the case study. Using the materials provided within the course along with my own professional experience, I will outline relevant legislation

I have discovered that a benefit of going to school at a later stage in life is that I have had time to discover who I am and what is important to me. Every time I have thought about what I want to do with my life, it has centered on helping others achieve their dreams and goals. Human services is the right academic major for me because I am ready to make a positive impact in someone’s life and want to equip others with the necessary tools to do so. I am excited to be part of their journey to betterment, healing, and self-sufficiency.

Social workers play a crucial role in many professional realms. With the focus on social workers in educational settings, I interviewed Erika Bougdanos who is a Dean of Students at Niles North High School, located in north suburban Skokie, Illinois. Bougdanos has been working at Niles North for over ten years as a Dean and holds her MSW degree and Type 75 certification (Illinois Administrative Certificate). Bougdanos mentioned that although the high school is highly ethnically diverse, the majority of the student population is White. While Bougdanos interacts with many students throughout her work week, she mentioned that the students she primarily sees in her office are those from low-income or minority backgrounds.

I want to major in “Human Services”. By getting a master’s degree in human services you can become many different things such as a marriage and family therapist, human services educator, a drug and alcohol counselor, a school social worker, and many other things.

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

Majoring in Human Services/Social Work has always been a dream of mine. I have always wanted to help people who are in need. Life can definitely be rough, and can throw anything at any time, even when you aren’t expecting it. Whether it be financial problems, emotional problems, or mental problems, life can begin to take a toll on people. In particular, I am leaning towards working with children or adults who have mental health issues or have problems with substance abuse. With the possibility of possibly helping people who come from broken families or homes.

Ms. Apple is a 45 year old African American woman who has been a widow for about 4 years. Ms. Apple has three children, whose ages range from 5-12 years old. Ms. Apple has been struggling to keep her family afloat since the death of her husband. Ms. Apple convinced herself that she would not require the extra assistance. However, she realized in attempting to provide alone has not only become very strenuous, but also quite costly. Expenses have become overwhelming for Ms. Apple to maintain, since her husband took care of the finances and was the breadwinner for the family. Ms. Apple has minimal education as she is able to read and write at grade school level. Ms. Apple also has never been employed as she was a home maker. At this

My internship didn't go well and dropped out. I went back to community college to finish my general education when I took advantage of the changes done on the graduation requirements. A year later, I graduated with a G.E. in Social and Behavioral Science and transferred to CSU, Dominguez Hills. Why I chose human services as my major, it was after going through research and personal debate between psychology and social work. I chose this field for various reasons.

The purpose of this assignment is to Examine the extent to which social class determines life chances in contemporary Britain, and explore the relevance of the issue for students on a social work degree. Within this document I will identify and explore key concepts and approaches in the sociological analysis of social differentiation in modern society. I will then use these concepts and apply them to contemporary britain in order to explain how social class influences an individual 's life chances. I will also discuss and examine the value of these theories to students on a social work course.

John, age three illustrates tremors and cries uncontrollable. John look as if he is not speaking as he should for his age. His vocabulary is very limited as if he is behind for his age. He is at this time not walking on the level that he should be. John lived with both of his biological parents. In addition, John has not had much structure in his life because he did not have many rules to abide by. Due to the lack of structure, John did not have a set routine of what time to go to bed and he could wonder the house freely. John’s father has had several job. In addition, John’s father also stays out late at night, selling drugs and manufacturing methamphetamines within the home. Even though John’s father sold drugs, there is no reports on him using drugs. In addition, manufacturing drugs in the home may have lead John to be exposed to drugs, which can have an effect on the child’s development. Due to Johns father’s actions, he was arrested leaving John not having a father figure in his life.

I feel that I would be an excellent addition to your Masters of Social Work program due to my education and experience within the field of Social Work. As you may have noticed, I will have obtained my Bachelors in Psychology degree by May of 2017. While I know that there are many differences between the two field’s I feel that my background in psychology will be an asset and only add to my education within the master’s program at Washburn. While I was in the psychology program, I had the chance to learn about how various mental health issues impact the community, and how psychologists and social workers can work together to help those struggling with mental health issues and with the family members who are caregivers. In addition to my psychology courses I will have taken almost all the courses needed to satisfy my certification in the addictions counseling program by my May graduation date.

When I graduated from high school, I was admitted at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I enrolled in the School of Business. My major was Accounting. I did so to please my parents and what I thought would be the best fit. I was not very happy, and I must confess that I was bored to death. After two years of studying something that I did not like, I changed my focus to School of Social Work. I was taking elective classes in Social Work/Mental Health Counseling and realize that this field held my interest and really represented how I viewed myself and the world. I was out from College for 5 years. Working with the Department of Social Services and numerous nonprofit organizations. For the last 5 years I have been working as a Social Worker for Department of Social Service Child Protective Service Investigator. I actual love my job because it is customer (client) oriented and I got to practice my counseling skills indirectly and directly with my clients I encounter on an daily

For my Social Work interview, I interviewed Professor Lampen. She is a social work professor here at Cornerstone. She is no longer in the profession right now. Before she came to cornerstone to teach she worked as a social worker for about sixteen years.