The Major Challenges Of Social Work

The National Association of Social Workers states “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty” (NASW, 2017, p. 1). Social work has always been around due to the constant reality of poverty but was not an actual job title until Jane Addams a Quaker woman in 1889 opened up her organization the Hull House. She began drawing attention to the needs of people in America by getting involved with politics with the goal of introducing laws that would help people in need. Before Jane Addams brought attention to the issues, churches were doing their best

The “Grand Challenges for Social Work” are important because they promote: the well-being of people and families, a strong social fabric, and a just society that fights exclusion and marginalization, creating a sense of belonging, promoting trust, and offers pathways for social and economic progress (“American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare”, 2017). The 12 Grand Challenges help continue the transformation of society through social work. As a social worker, you are put able to make changes in the lives of those who need help, and the presented issue needs help. As stated in the Preamble of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being

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.

This paper will discuss the contract and barriers for John that might interfere with him completing his goals. In addition, this paper will address the questions if the caseworker is working harder than the client, concerns about John completing his goals and what they maybe, any resistance from John, possible barriers that may conflict with John completing his goals, and any value conflicts that might be present. Furthermore, the ending of this paper will suggest recommendations for treatment for John and some long-term goals that could be added at a later time to help my client.

The class SW 6030 Human Development and the Social Environment has brought new insights and makes me see some topics in a different perspective. The critical reflection paper number one will integrate different concepts that I learned so far in this class.

qualified to wait until I have obtained my certificate and have the tool of higher education under my belt. The specifics of what exactly I hope to accomplish by jumping as far as I possibly can in my professional life are to simply be the best social worker for addicts and their families that I can possibly be. The issues plaguing these people and their families are catastrophic, and I understand firsthand how damaging and divisive the effects can be. If I can help even one family understand and shape their family environment into a safer and more constructive one and to give back to even just a single individual who needs the kind of guidance and support that I needed (and thankfully received), then my life will be more than well-lived. However,

Setting a boundary 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 helpers 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. 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.

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

Social work with families and individuals began when volunteers from charities or churches provided help for those in need1. After the war, many families were poverty-stricken. Families had no homes & they had no food to survive. Social work with individuals and families began when volunteers from different organizations, like churches or charities, aided families who were living in poverty2. Later, this process was soon to be known as social case work. Social case work is when the volunteer who is helping the family, collects information about the family or individual and helps find a way to solve their issue3. Mary Richmond was the first person to have the idea to gather the information about families and individuals4. Mary believed that when you gathered the information & shared them with other social workers, you’d be able to communicate about that individuals circumstances & help find a solution to their needs5.

Working in the world of Social Work can be many things; educating, adventurous, and at times emotional fulfilling and or draining. Every person brings their own contributions as well as their own strategies and problem solving techniques that are set by the social work guidelines. Getting into the world of social work can be intimidating, stressful and many questions are often internally asked. As an aspiring social worker I have had the opportunity to meet up with Tracey Hodgins; a micro social worker who has been in the industry for 15 years, and has had a Bachelor of Social Work Degree for 13 years. She is the mother of a friend of mine who agreed to let me interview her. Currently she is Adult probation officer; she deals with managing

I think kids have the ability even better than fashion designers to know when someone is poor. I worked really hard to not show anyone how much my family was struggling financially. Kids whose parents were on welfare often got mad fun of because of how they dressed. I remember being on free lunch at school and often bringing change extra so I could get slightly better food. My parents drove around one car that they shared and it was really beaten up. I used to be so embarrassed to ride in it. Everything they had were gifts or hand-me-downs from their parents. I did not need for everyone to tell me we were poor, I lived it and knew it.

The practice of social work requires knowledge of human development and behavior, of social, economic and cultural institutions, and of the interaction of all these factors. Social workers help people of all backgrounds address their own needs through psychosocial services and advocacy. Social workers help people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges: poverty, discrimination, abuse, addiction, physical illness, divorce, loss, unemployment, educational problems, disability, and mental illness. They help prevent crises and counsel individuals, families, and communities to cope more effectively with the stresses of everyday

Theory informed practice during my first internship at Teen Court. Educating parents and teens regarding the developmental stages help both parties to understand reason for behaviors. Many parents share they have minimal knowledge of the basics of biological development. Furthermore, communication between the parent and teen improved once the basic knowledge of brain development was explained. In chapter one of the text Applying Theory to Generalist Social Work Practice, the author talks about an important key element within any relationship, which is resolution can occur when there is understanding (Langer & Lietz, 2015). A common trend observed facilitating groups is the breakdown in communication due to lack of understanding between teen and parent.

As social workers we are required to know the Council on Social Work Education’s core competencies and practice behaviors. We are advised to not discriminate against religion, races, sexual orientation and gender. Before the course diversity I never had to think about my own race for example white privilege. Within this class I put aside every bias I had so that could grasp the concepts without my negative input. Throughout this course my knowledge about the different minorities has transformed how I perceive race and ethnicity.

My vision of the social work field is being able to help people in need and being the person that people can look back on and remember as a huge help in time of need. I think my core values and beliefs will help me be an effective social worker and help me succeed in this field. It is in my belief that a person should never be knocked down when they are going through hardships, and rather empowering them. I also believe that not everyone could be a social worker because it takes a certain kind of empathetic and self-aware person. I truly believe that my upbringing has humbled me to understand and not be judgmental of people’s issues since I’ve seen a lot in my short twenty-one years.