When it comes to working in the social work field I know and understand that there will be many amazing opportunities for me but I also understand that I won’t be able to help every person that does come to me for help. When a person comes for help whether it is voluntary or involuntary, the helper tries to do whatever they can to help them. I am sure many social workers will say that it’s a wonderful feeling knowing that the helped just one person and I can’t wait to feel the feeling myself but I think about what if I can’t be as effective to the next person as I was to the other one and that does weigh on my mind because then I worry if I said the wrong things to the client or if I used the proper skills to help this client. One of the things I have learned in my courses is that a helper or social worker can’t help everyone that they encounter. It would be a wonderful thing to do but it doesn’t always work out that way. I know that wanting to help people is important but I also know that it’s important for the client to do their part when it comes to helping and if the client doesn’t want help then I have to accept that and hope that they will want help one day but I also can’t let it stop me from moving onto the next hopeful person who needs help. Another thing that I worry about is the fact that two people can come to me with the same problem but they might require different solutions. For example, I have two clients who are addicted to illegal substances and for one client we resolve that he or she should go to rehab well that might not work for the next client because they might have already been to rehab and had an unsuccessful time with it and wants to know if there are other options. This part for me relates back to my excitement about working with different types of people as a social worker because it is interesting but it could also be stressful when it comes to coming up with different solutions for clients with the same issue. I also worry about getting to emotionally involved when it comes to clients. I describe myself as a caring and sympathetic person and I know those traits are important in the field I am going to be in but I also know that having these traits can be something for my clients to use against me.
Social Workers are very important to everyday life. They are the ones that help people in need when they have nobody else to turn too. Also, they provide resources and better understanding of predicaments that you could be experiencing. I will reflect on how the class has affected me, my own experiences and how some theories have connected to my life experiences, and lastly, if the class helped toward my major. This class is important for someone that wants to become a social worker and wants to learn about the different theories used. Also, learning about me during this process of completing this class is fun and a way to see if the social work profession is right for me. There was many theories explained throughout this class but many will not be said because it wasn’t the main points that I was trying to get across. There are two tools that are used that can help a social worker organize a client’s life: Bubble map and Briefcase exercise. There are so many different ways a social worker can help a client deal with their problems and come up with a solution. It is up to that social worker to identify the client’s problem and see what theory fits.
As we all know, there is a solution to every problem - but having the resources and support to resolve one of these could be the hindrance to a satisfying outcome for you, the worker. Often, one feels they haven't done enough to meet the client's needs, especially when you keep hitting road blocks, therefore you go above and beyond - often putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation in the long run. I can see these two concerns listed as being a personal challenge for any human service professional.
One of my biggest challenges is to separate my personal feelings from the client. There are times where I get my emotions too involve when my clients specially when working with children. During the Panhandle Promise Project Summer Camp, I had the chance to meet and talk to the children in the program. I deeply care for this children and their living situations, knowing that some of this children are in foster care or are living in poverty make me sympathize and involved personal feelings. This also impacts the boundaries that need to be set with the children and me because involving myself too much in their lives will not be healthy for either one. Continuing in working own myself will be a priority and easier to know if I recognize it and work on it before it becomes an
prime example of how imposing your own beliefs and values can cause ethical issues. If a counselor finds a client is challenging to work with there are a few different approaches they can take to get more out of the client. One important action a counselor can take is changing how the counselor interacts with the client. A publication on managing resistant clients found if counselors focus on organic interaction with the client and allow all course of actions to take place naturally this establishes a less resistant client and therapy is more effective.
Working with others and improving own learning and performance are highly essential skills in social work. In this essay I will reflect on how well I have developed these two skills and what I need to do to improve them.
As a social worker, you have to possess certain strengths in order to become a successful social workers. My strengths are helpful, non-judgmental, active listener, and compassion. The strengths are very important in the social work profession. Being non-judgmental, you must possess understanding even when a client is rude. I have work at the Department of Social Services in New York. There were people that came in from every walk of life. My supervisor explain to me that as much what media say about people on welfare or your initial thought about people on welfare. People that are seeking assistance do not want to be there. This is their last resort. I am not saying there are people that abuse system. However, people are there to receive
The social work core conditions- empathy, respect, and genuineness- are important concepts that allow for the acceptance and valuing of clients in a respectful and worthy manner. They allow for a open and helping relationship to be established. As Khaila’s social worker and as an operating collaborator to her case, I would emphasize my understanding of her situation by saying something like: “I’m sorry to hear all that you have experienced, and I understand that it must be extremely challenging to be in the position that you are in. I totally applaud your composure amid this situation, and if I were in your position, I would feel the same way. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me because I’m here to help”. Then I will address her
I am compelled to help others in need. Mentally, I know it is not feasible to help everyone, but that does not stop me from trying. In addition, when my clients are in pain, I am also hurt because I have emotionally committed myself to each one of them. I must learn to establish borders to emotionally separate myself from my clients and their problems. I can be compassionate and empathize, but when my workday ends, it ends, and my personal life begins.
One of the important things that I learn about myself is that I love to get involved in a profession or activities that allows me to help other people to reach their goals, especially in a mental health field. I also learned that each of the clients in mental health field has different problems and goals that they want to achieve. Thus, me as a future mental health provider will be faced with many different and unique challenges depend on the struggles of our clients. I realized that we have to always make decisions on the spot and also have to alter our ways on how to help our clients depends on their unique struggles. I learned this through working with my CIP clients/mentees. Both of them have their own different goals that they want to achieve. They also have their own uniqueness and differences. Even though we have to teach them the same things or material such as how to lead a conversation etc., we have to teach them in different ways so that it complements their need. Thus, my experience working with my mentees also taught me about some important clinical skills. One of the clinical skills that I learned is how to be flexible. As I pointed out earlier, each client will be different from one another—their background, experiences and therapeutic needs. So, it is important for me to have the skills of flexibility, such as the ability to change my perspective from one to
Being a social worker requires a lot of obligations to providing services to others no matter if you are working in macro or micro level. We tend to try to over extend ourselves to meet the needs of others. This can cause a spill over in our personal lives which is a sign of potential burnout. I once heard a professor say, “The ones that want to help everyone tends to need the most help themselves.” I agree, but in order to maintain functionality to serve we must start by caring for ourselves.
It will be hard to understand a client sometimes unless the social worker put themselves in the client's position. In most sessions, I will no doubt have to allow myself to experience situations from the client's perspective to make sure that I am able to help them. However, self-awareness between client and social worker is most important. Self-awareness needs to be constantly reevaluated since interactions and experiences in life will lead to a new understanding between client and social worker. The world today has a variety of cultures; so, it is important to the social worker to be aware of the differences in cultures to provide multicultural guidance of their
I was helping. Over time, I quickly learned how to set boundaries and the importance of practicing self-care. Burnout is very common in the field of social work, which is why I prioritize my well-being. My professional experiences have taught me how to become more emphatic. The ability to empathize with a client’s experience is one of the essential core skills a social worker should possess because it is an effective way to understand a client’s, emotions and behaviors.
What social work practice situations will challenge you the most to maintain personal and professional
As a social worker, one must supply the same quality of aid to all regardless of identifying factors. In order to be a successful social worker, one must immerse themselves in communities of the oppressed and underprivileged. During my time as a Bachelor of Social Work student, I took the time to become familiar with the struggles that plague some of our most needy communities and made an effort to provide assistance to the struggles they face. By taking the time to familiarize myself with their struggles, I was able to establish a connection and appreciation for their lifestyle and understand better their needs and how to assist them with services and aid.
As we have learned, social work is a helping profession as a result, it is vital that we as social workers are well adverse. Social workers most often are the first response team to clients. As a result, if we as social workers do not make a good impression by being empathetic, understanding, and supportive to our client’s needs; they are not going to return for services in the future. As social worker’s we are taught a set of skills (in which align to the NASW core values) that allow us to be successful and significant while provide assistance to our clients. This allows us to provide the appropriate treatment, resources, and have them readily available for the clients. It is our job as social workers to engage with clients