Stress: A Career As A Social Worker

It is clear that social workers play an important role in society; it would therefore make sense to ensure that the working conditions of social workers are kept to a high standard. Without these good working standards it is likely that social workers might be affected by the job related stresses that are inherent to jobs dealing with troubled people. These high job stresses may lead to greater turn over and unwillingness amongst students to become social workers. Consequently the methods by which social workers and their respective employers have been discussed in this essay and include things like being given greater autonomy over their own scheduling and how they choose to deal with clients. Social workers may also be able to improve their

Social Work is a helping profession that strives to help the community on micro, mezzo, and macro levels. It is an investment of self to offer services and help to those in need. Areas of service can include, but are not limited to, traumatic situations, family situations, and child protection. As in most social service professions, the field of social work can often times take a toll on the emotional and physical stability of a social worker. One side effect from working in a helping profession is compassion fatigue. As a result, the National Association of Social Workers stresses the importance of self-care and its vitality in ensuring the social worker does not get burnt out by the profession.

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.

With a master 's level education in social work, I see myself envisioning clients’ health and well-being. As a student, I will study and practice techniques, beyond a generalist perspective, that will allow me to give clients hope and the ability to see something greater than what they are facing. Upon completion of a Master of Social Work direct practice degree and certificates in gerontology and mental health programs, I intend to become a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I will competently incorporate specialized skills in different professional settings while developing my knowledge of a wide range of social issues and professional standards. With commitment, I wish to develop skills that will enable me to create or find hidden resources and services for my future clients, create platforms through counselling for victims of trauma.

Social workers deal with intense situations daily. It is important that social workers are aware of how they are affected by these interactions. Priscilla Dass-Brailsford explains in her book, that countertransference, vicarious trauma (VT), secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue and satisfaction, and burnout are all different ways that counselors can be affected (Dass-Brailsford, 2007). This is where it is important for social workers to have a plan of self-care and stress management resources to use.

According to the National Association of 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. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s focus on individual well-being in a social context and the well-being of society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.”

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).

Identifying the problem statement is the first step in determining what the issue is and why it is important for research. Once that has been determined formulation of the problem can been done which helps lay the groundwork for writing a research paper. In addition, the problem that has been chosen as a topic for research is, Are social workers at a higher-risk for burnout and compassion fatigue because of job stress? The problem statement is will educating social workers about burnout and fatigue decrease the possibility of burnout. Furthermore, this paper will discuss the scope of this problem such as the background and what the differences are in compassion fatigue and burnout and the purpose of why this research study is important in social work practice.

Social workers are best known to work with clients who have experienced a form of trauma or crisis at one point in his or her life. As social workers, we help and support clients who have experienced unfortunate incidents in their lives such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and often natural disasters. Experiencing traumatic events is in great amounts in the general population, yet it is even higher amongst the population in which social workers serve. As a result of surviving traumatic events, clients often experience high levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Secondary stress disorder, also known as the acronym STS, is a disorder in which an individual experiences symptoms similar to PTSD. This often occurs as a result of engaging with individuals who have experienced crisis or trauma. The study that is being described in this critique is called Prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers and it was written by Brian E. Bride. The reason why I chose the article involving this specific study is because I find it important to identify what some of the effects of being involved with clients on a daily basis can have on myself as a social worker.

When dealing with stress as a social worker working in a nursing home setting can be difficult and challenging at times because of stressors such as high caseloads, low pay, and not enough time to get things done, and not enough staff to help. In addition, in the text it states, “observe how social workers in your agency deal with challenges such as high caseloads, potentially modest salaries, unmotivated and difficult clients, funding cuts, and the stress of dealing with deeply emotional and painful situations on a daily basis” (Garthwait, 2014, p.205). When looking at all the things mentioned almost all of them apply in a nursing home setting because clients and families can be difficult, funding

It is evident that the relationship between work stress and mental health has been established by numerous research studies. As discussed in Koesky (1993), the fact that all jobs involve some degree of stress makes it all the more alarming as to the level of stress experienced by individuals working in the human services. That is, given that these individuals are heavily involved in the lives of others, they often develop mental health symptoms that are characteristic of work-related stressors. In fact, “This involvement, which requires caring commitment and empathic responding, places workers at risk for a special type of strain commonly referred to as 'burnout'” (Koesky, 1993, p. 319).

This study aimed to better understand the varied factors that contribute to social worker subjective wellbeing using Positive Affect Negative Affect Scoring Sheet (PANAS) to get a sense of the stress level and develop an intervention that may reduce it in this single subject design study to improve positive self-care outcome.

A social worker has a very important job. Social workers help children and families in need of food, homes, and health care. They help children have a brighter future. There are many different types of social work. There are mental health, child and family, elementary, and high school social workers.

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 Work’s core philosophy and values are centered around social justice and social well-being. Oppression, injustice, discrimination, and violence are antithetical to the social work profession. Social Work believes in strength-based approaches and the person-in-environment perspective to cater the needs and welfare of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society at large. Generally, the target populations for social work are vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed people; however, social workers provide services to people with a wide range of problems, such as poverty, addiction, mental illness, etc. to empower them to meet their own needs. Historically, the social work profession started its operation by providing neighborhood