Yetta, What a week you had a field placement. Your supervisor made an interesting comment, “stay in Social Worker role”. I had to reflect upon this statement and wonder if this meant to stay professional and not to allow emotions effect the situation. Just as you, I have no way of knowing what was meant by this confusing statement. When the events of this week calm, will ask your supervisor what was meant by the statement or will you opt to leave the situation alone? I am familiar with and intrigued with the Johari Window model, yet have never utilized the model. One of the key components of the model is build trust by disclosing information about yourself to others. I, personally, I have a difficult time opening up to strangers or others
There are several goals that I hope to achieve by pursuing a graduate degree in Social Work. Pursuing a MSW will provide me with the knowledge, tools, and skills-set that will be fundamental to the achievement my career goals outlined below.
This particular client was very withdrawn, quiet, fearful of telling the truth, fearful of mother reactions to services and not familiar with working with lighter skinned people. This client was hesitant initially with treatment and services and seemed to not be aware of the unhealthy situation she was in. She did not have ambitions, plans, or hopes for the future. The client was compliant to the mother’s requests, and did not stand up for herself when being attacked verbally or physically. This all presented a challenge for me as her social worker to make connections outside of the obvious fact that we were from completely different worlds. Building trust with this client seemed impossible at first.
Choosing to pursue this education to become a Social Service Worker has been a life long passion; living a so called “roller coaster” of a life and being subjected to many things, enjoyable and regretful has helped me in many ways to comprehend what it is to truly have human empathy and compassion for others. A veteran at life in its lowest and highest forms, and feeling completely alone and hopeless at times; being subjected to sexual and physical abuse, seeing what alcohol and drugs do to families, how poverty effects children and loved ones. Fortunately there were a few individuals that reached out, bring me up out of the darkness. This is something that I feel in my heart that needs to be given back, for me to provide someone the empowerment that others have given me, to show that there is hope and give reason to keep going, individuals who feel desperate, help to raise their chances, dreams and the basic needs of life. Having the knowledge of education to give these resources for expert referrals to assist people in desperate times, so they can live the life that is deserving and fulfilling to them, therefore this is my ultimate goal!
Alot of people do not notice the mammoth problem drug abuse is in the United States, and how fast it is increasing in our society. Billions of dollars are spent each year to combat drug treatment but more are spent on buying and selling narcotics. Many people think they
The changes that Social Workers have to face today is somewhat similar to that of Industrial Revolution because we are still dealing with economic change. We no longer need to look at the short term and temporary availability of the social welfare system, but as well as the long term. In which has been going unnoticed because our focus is no longer on every issue that needs assistant but only on ones that we feel that are important to address unlike the Industrial Revolution when every problem was being addressed and being handled. Because most problems that individuals experience stem from their environment, which we do not seem to care much of anymore because most Americans would rather stay in poverty than to actually go out and find jobs. This wasn’t common in the Industrial Revolution time because Americans were willing to work because they knew it was the only way they could provide for their family. But in today’s world most Americans would rather get government assistance than to actually provide for their family themselves and most of them now abuse it unlike then when you were grateful for being able to get the assistance. Social Workers are still providing the services but rules have developed since
REPORTER: The reporter/SW Intern (Nakesha) and Social Worker (Crystal) called with concerns for the victim, baby boy Wilbanks (DOB: 09/09/2015). On today (09/09/2015), Lacey and the victim tested positive for amphetamines, opiates, and benzos. The victim is doing well, and there were no reports of withdrawal as of yet. The reporter said Lacey’s prenatal care was poor, and she only saw her Doctor (Dr. Hsu) once, throughout her entire pregnancy. When Lacey found out she was 4 months pregnant, she was incarcerated (4 weeks) and there she saw the nurse and Dr. Simpson. The reporter said mom is on Valium, Adderall, and Subutex. The Valium tested for benzo; the Adderrall tested for amphetamines, but the Subutex would not test for the opiates. Lacey
I began college in 2014 at the age of 58 years-old. I want to change my line of work and do something that is far more interesting to me, working within the social services field. I am sure the fact that I was brought up by two extremely dysfunctional parents and the engaged in relationships that were of that same caliber, has much to do with why I believe I have something of positive significance to offer today. In short, I married at 19 years-old and had 5 children. I married an alcoholic and abuser of all forms and although I knew he drank and was abusive, I did not understand what I was dealing with back then in 1975; I did not understand abuse then as I do today. I grew up in it; I was very accustomed to it, it was normal to me. Ten
Social workers is a particularly hazardous profession due to high burnout rates, anxiety, substance use, depression, and suicide (Shanafelt, Boone, Tan, Dyrbye, Sotile, Satele, Oreskovich, 2012). Studies have found that there are two key factors were identified as relevant to social work burnout: age and setting (Brewer & Shapard, 2004; Schwartz, et al. 2007). The team found that younger social workers reported lower personal accomplishment, higher psychological strain, and higher levels of depersonalization than older social workers (Schwartz, et al., 2007).
I was in grade 10 when I thought of becoming a social worker. As social worker practitioner the fields that interest me to work in is domestic violence and child abuse because I want to make change to the society. Also Mahatma Gandhi was my major inspiration through this quote “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”. Than an idea came to me, why not involve my contribution to the wide variety of communities. My communication with school counsellors and social workers has impacted my choice of desiring to study social work. I realised that if I have had a chance of seeing a social worker when I was young, things would have been much easier and less stressful. I want to provide opportunities that I did not encounter to other people. This essay will reflect my past experience, motivation and why I want to be a social worker, values, beliefs and theory of practice.
Choosing to be a social worker is a tremendous responsibility and career rewarding choice, with a definite purpose. The National Association of Social Workers (1999), Code of Ethics, defines the purpose of all social workers “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”. Social workers worry about the welfare of their clients; enabling them to restore their functionality in society. The field of social work highlights the important of interactions between people and the institutions that impact a person’s ability to achieve personal goals. It is more transparent than ever before on the Islamic culture is scruitned and labeled overall as a unloving primitive religion. Also, other minorities in the United States of America are disproportionately targeted by police officers because of their skin color. Additionally, the educational system enforces state testing for students, requiring them to understand vocabulary words that are uncommonly used in one’s culture, causing them to fail and become debilitated from the academic courses in the schools. These unjustifiable acts can cause a huge flow of anxiety in people’s lives. Ultimately affecting one’s relationship with his or her co-workers, friendships, and family member’s.
Growing up as a child should be the most memorable time in a child’s life. Growing up I was well taken care of and never mistreated, I could not imagine a child having to deal with the thought of being molested on a daily base. My dream job has always been a social worker because I absolutely love helping others in any way I can. My biggest fear going into this field has been assisting a child molester. Severe damage is done to a child, I feel somewhat uncomfortable around a molester, and feel that there is no excuse for any adult to hurt a child in such a manner. Some people will say that touching a child is not harming them, but I disagree so how would I be able to help someone that I do not feel needs help but needs to be punished.
There are many social issues in America such as abortion, freedom of speech, illegal immigration, etc. Those are all very important issues but there is one that has always been brought to my attention which is drugs. Drugs are an international issue that effects many people.
Working as a clinical social worker in the Washington, DC area with patients with life-limiting illness such as Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Lou Gehrig ’s disease (ALS), has taught me to be eternally dedicated to a person-focused approaches to therapy supports with these patients and their family. I had considered this concept as broad theory in the past that held me to standard of consideration of the patient’s ideas. Now I am even more convinced than ever that the patient is my most salient guide in their own treatment. My work with patients has taught me to listen and learn from each patient, and let them determine their treatment goals as a practice.
Law has come to play a very important part in social work practice. It can be said that the understanding of law underpins and provides duties and power, whilst understanding the statutory legal requirements is essential for effective, fair, anti-discriminatory practice (Brammer 2007). Due to the shear amount of laws and legislation that have been passed or updated over the last decade, the role of the social worker, metaphorically speaking could be said to have become somewhat of a chameleon, forever adapting to their legal environment, whilst trying hard to remain true to the traditional values of the role of a social worker. It is this conflict between law and social work values that will be analyzed in this paper. From looking at the values that underpin the modern day social worker and then looking at some of the main legislation relating to adult services such as the Mental Health Act 2007, the Community Care Act 1996, Mental Capacity Act 2005 the relationship between these Acts’ and how they sit with social work values will then be discussed.
Of all the typical needs in the readings Becoming a Helper, the two needs that most motivated and influenced me to become a Social Service Worker are as follows, making an impact and caring for others, these two needs are important to me because they are part of who I am as a person. Hence, applying these needs in the field of a Social Service Worker will allow me to make an impact by addressing various areas of needs a client might have. Such as, homelessness, unemployment, depression family violence, and child neglect. Thus, using these quality needs will surely help me to bring-about positive changes and finding solution to these issues while working as a Social Service Worker.