Social Work Observation Report

Social work is based on respect for the inherent worth and dignity of all people as expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights(1948) It is therefore of paramount importance that a social work professional should work towards promoting the best interests of individuals and groups in society. I very much recognize the contribution that social work brings to inclusion having worked alongside social workers during the course of my shadowing placement. I possess a real commitment to promote equality which I have had the pleasure of doing in a multitude of different roles. From academic journals as well as my lecture notes I now appreciate the central importance of using the fundamental principles of human rights and equality to underpin my practice, and the inherent need to promote justice in relation with the people I will work.

Social work professions need to understand the importance of how individuals interact both with other people and their environment, to have an understanding how individuals are affected by these interactions (Rogers, p. 2). According to Rogers (2016), “Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual development (p. 2). Their work with clients begins with assessments to evaluations of intervention and is based in and supports of the core value system of the profession.

As I observed the N.A. group, I compared Hepworth 's, Direct Social Work Practice, five stages of group development. The Preaffiliation stage involves observation and feeling out the environment of the group; members may be hesitant to speak or test out certain behaviors to see reactions from other members of the group or the facilitator (Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, & Strom-Gottfried, 2017, 2013). Returning group members greeted each other with hugs, handshakes, pat on the back, while newcomers sat quietly observing others. The facilitator provided an introduction and instructions for participation. Each member was instructed to introduce the first name, state "I am an addict" and take turns reading from the

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

As a social worker an individual must understand that diversity characterize and shape human experience. In diversity the key words that a social worker should pay attention to is cultural awareness, self-awareness, ethno-conscious practice and sensitivity. Having cultural awareness is being aware of individual’s cultural and values. Self-awareness is being aware of personal biases and values when working with diverse groups. Ethno-conscious practice is being concern with social justice and equality. Sensitivity is understanding the difference in assessment, intervention and evaluation when working with diverse groups.

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.

At around 0953 on June 8, 2017, I contacted Mrs. BV the director of the geriatric social worker who is in charge of older adults home, long-term and nursing facilities visitations in the community. She has few different ways of collecting her data, one of them is by interviewing residents face-to-face in their homes. She stated that this method has been efficient because she gets honest information from the residents by speaking to them directly. She also reviews long-term and nursing facilities including the city health department data to compare with her assessment findings. After evaluating all the data, community-acquired pneumonia was identified as the priority health problem due to the lack of knowledge on signs and symptoms of the disease.

The core values of social work are service to humans, desire to improve lives and understanding of needs of their clients and supporting them to the best of the social worker’s ability by following strict guidelines set by General Social Care Council (GSCC) Code of Conduct. Social justice is another value set to identify, help and protect the vulnerable clients, e.g. individuals with mental health illnesses, children, elderly people and victims of domestic violence that could be subject to either direct or indirect

In my position as a family facilitator working with families through their reunification process, I tried to decrease my power. I do by using power with methods for them to advocate for themselves, promoting their self-esteem, and embracing their self-determination in meetings with their social worker. I held clients prepare for case planning meetings by creating lists of concerns they had, questions they wanted to ask, sharing accomplishments they felt, and their plans for moving forward. Rather than dictating what I thought these were based on their case, and my observations all power was given to the clients in this regard. During the meetings, the client was in charge of the direction it went, and running it. As a facilitator, I did not create the agenda for the meetings, or

This can be challenging and a social worker is expected to seek the advice of their supervisor or even participate in their own psychotherapy to help them deal with any personal issues that may arise (Miller, n.d.). A social worker also needs to understand the inherent value of every human life, regardless of background or beliefs. They need to respect the differences between their personal beliefs and those of their clients, considering ethnic and cultural diversity. It can be a struggle to acknowledge the difference, but social worker should put aside their feelings for the goal of helping their clients (Miller,

I consider myself to be a novice student of racial justice issues. I feel that training sessions are important as it helps to build a better understanding of trauma, racism, white supremacy, privilege, guilt and shame. I firmly believe that as a master social work

“The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well being and help meet the basic human needs of all people with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty.” (1)

The populations served by social work practitioners typically include individuals who are marginalized and underserved. Although the ultimate goal is to help the client meet specific goals, an integral part of social work practice is the behavior of validation. Clinicians are expected to constantly confirm the experiences, emotions, reality, and identity of the individuals served. Identifying moments of marginality and devaluing in our own lives makes clinicians more aware of the experience and how that might have been for the client. This reflection increases our capacity to it with the client in their present situation validate how that may feel for them and empathize.

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).

Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. “Clients” is used inclusively to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and application, education, research and evaluation. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. They also seek to promote the