The Importance Of Social Work

This piece of writing is going to demonstrate an understanding of diversity, difference and also discuss the implications for social work practice. It will include an understanding of theories and concepts in relation to diversity where it will address the needs of diverse communities, individuals and groups, exploring differences in relation to culture, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality, social class and economic wellbeing. It will also demonstrate an understanding of principle of working in an anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory way.

Social workers routinely make important decisions concerning ethical issues or dilemmas. Sometimes the worker has time to weigh all possible problem-solving options available to them. However, most times the workers are on their own in finding the best solutions for their clients. The social worker should do everything in their power to make sure that the client receives the maximum confidentially as well as privacy, whenever afforded by law. Workers should assess all the

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

In our growing society we have to worry about our peers. We need to consider that there is going to be people just like us that needs someone to go to. I want be that person. Our senior year is coming to an end and we have to be prepared to become a freshman again. We have to make the choice to further our schooling or go straight into the working field. There are many that are going to go to the work field right away but I have decided that I want to further my education in the social working field. In my decision in furthering in school I have to pick the school I want to attend. In choosing between Indian State University (ISU), University of Southern Indiana (USI), and Vincennes 10

As of now, I have learned a lot of new information. I have also expanded on some of my knowledge, as I have taken Human Behavior with Kathryn last semester.

Social work is such an important part of the communal functioning of society. I believe there is a great need that policies and laws often neglect to address. I am pursuing a degree in social work because I wear the face of vulnerability. I am a young, black, and educated woman living in a time where discrimination is still apparent. If everyone was given an equal chance and the opportunity for change, I believe we can create a powerhouse of knowledge and greater awareness for the human in humanity. My background is in criminology and I wanted to pursue a degree outside of my field in order to take a comprehensive approach to how I saw and understood the world. Social work is such a diverse field which speaks to the diversity that is representative in society. My values align very much with what it means to be a social worker. I believe in positive change. As a future social worker, I want to be that voice for those that do not have a voice, and make changes in the Microsystems which would inspire change at the Macro level. For me, it all started with a dream, developed into a passion, and manifested into action. I believe it is our civic responsibility to ensure that no one falls between the cracks.

I must admit before taking this class I only thought that a Social Worker’s job involved helping kids. I had no idea of the different ways a social worker’s role played in different situations. This class has made me think outside the box and look at every scenario in a different light. I especially enjoyed the discussion questions and the feedback that was given back. They taught me not to be so judgmental and always look at each situation from a different perspective.

Setting a boundary is an important core value in social work. Social workers are generally compassionate people, but they also need to recognize that they have to set limits. They need to accept that they cannot be available to serve everyone’s needs and wants. This was the case when I worked as an adjunct instructor and provided individual tutoring to a student who happened to be related to some of my family. For new social workers, this kind of reflection may be helpful as they define their roles professionally, as well as personally. During my experience with a student, who was connected to my family, I learned how important it was to set boundaries.

Initially, my view of social work was that the most impactful pillar of our work maintained dedication toward social justice. That was cultivated more specifically into what Heidemann, G., Fertig, R., Jansson, B., & Kim, H. (2011) stated “Social workers are mandated, through the profession's Code of Ethics, to challenge social injustice and pursue social change with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people” ( 37). Initially this seemed like an overwhelming undertaking, one that put me in a malaise because, where could I have impact that was impactful. Of the multiple levels of practice from which a social worker can focus, I was determined to make my mainstay on the micro level. Working with individuals and families impacted by oppression, the aim would be getting them to a better place in life or rather trying to improve their quality of life, as they defined and that seemed attainable. Selfishly, I believed the work would reward me a more rapidly with a sense of accomplishment that came from a short-term plan and goals. My interpretation of social work was supremely flawed, the scope of what was needed, to my embarrassment, was one dimensional.

I would like to become a student of the Masters of Social Work because I have a significant background in this area working with adults of both sexes as a Substance Abuse Counselor. In this context, many social experiences in my life have helped to shape this desire. Below are described some of the activities I have participated in that have influenced my decisions. For instance, after finishing high school I attended a secretarial school for a year where I graduated, found a job as a secretary, and start working in a place where I had to deal with numbers, accounts, and billing; therefore, I thought accounting would be the career I have to pursue. After having attended the accounting career for a year I changed my mind and me met with a friend who talked to me about the social work career, her passion, and her knowledge about social movements, and how important it is the role of the social worker for people in disadvantage; I decided to pursue the social work career, and I did it. While I was studying the social work career, I found a job in a non-profit organization where I got a lot of experience working with a female population who lived in the belt of poor neighborhoods, most of them were unemployed, illiterate, living in poverty, and also having to put up with domestic violence. Once I have graduated from the social work career, I continued working at the same place for several years until I move to the City of Chicago. Being part of a team of social workers, a

The very purpose of the social work profession is to promote both community and personal well-being. It is apart of this professions ethical obligations to help people in need, to address social problems, to challenge social injustices, and to respect the dignity and worth of the people that they serve (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). These duties are highly imperative because we have seen an increase in the prevalence of mental disorder diagnoses over the years. A recent study found that nearly 43.5 million US adults had been diagnosed with a mental disorder (Charara, Bcheraoui, Kravitz, Dhingra, Mokdad, 2016). This means that nearly 1 in every 5 people in the United States have a mental health disorder and could be seeking help from professionals. Pediatric mental disorders are not included in these statistics and are found to affect 1 in 5 children, with the most serious disorders occurring early in life (Campo, Bridge, Fontanella, 2015). These statistics highlight the importance of the social work profession and guide the discussion upon how vital mental health accessibility is.

Becoming a social worker has always been my dream as child. I do believe that what influenced me were parents and my childhood. I grew up in a home where everyone was welcome. I remembered my mother made sure who ever that came to our home no matter the time and even unannounced must eat something before they leave. It was tradition l grew up with. I learned to help people at my early age.

Setting boundaries is an important core value in the field of social work. According to the Social Work Code of Ethics, “Social workers should provide and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience” (Code of Ethics of the NASW). Professional social workers are generally compassionate people, but they also need to recognize the value of setting limits. This was the case when I worked as an adjunct instructor, which included providing individual tutoring. My relationship with Sara Towns (name changed), a student and distant cousin, evoked the possible clouding of boundaries. For new social workers, this kind of reflection may be helpful as they define their roles. Through a series of professional and personal experiences with Sara, I learned that boundaries must be maintained to foster a positive relationship and prevent potential conflicts.

To be honest I was quite shocked that around 87% of “the variability in therapeutic outcomes is associated with client and external or situational factors” (Cournoyer, 2017, p.32). After reflecting on this I realized how embarrassed I was of my ignorance, for I feel as though it implies that I thought, albeit unconsciously, that I inherently had more power than my future clients. This conflicts with my enduring stance against the word “helping” when it comes to social work practice, because I feel as though this word implies that the social worker is better than the client, that the social worker is doing the client a favor. I prefer the words “working with” the client, because I believe this establishes a mutual, respectful relationship between the social worker and client, which in turn will provide better outcomes for both individuals involved. Therefore, I vow from this moment on to never ignore the person-in-environment principle when working with and on behalf of clients. Acknowledging and understanding the external environmental, both physical and social, that the client operates in is essential if we wish to bring about positive social change.

Since I was 15 years old I knew that social work was the field that I wanted to pursue. As a lover of diversity, natural servant leader, and a caring person, this was the only career that fit my goals and values. Because of this, I always knew that I would be in contact with people from all walks of life. My college career definitely served as a time for me to develop relationships and understanding with individuals that I knew I would one day work with; interfaith dialogue, LGBTQ+ advocacy, internships, social justice clubs, and personal experiences as a minority served as a way for me to develop a foundation. However, as I reflect on what situations would be difficult for me to work with, I realize that working with mandated clients makes me the most apprehensive.