Essay On Social Work

In order to broaden my perspective on health care, I decided not to interview an occupational therapist. I wanted to hear the health perspective of another professional, therefore I chose to interview a social worker. I believed it would be interesting since social work is one of the disciplines that influenced occupational therapy. Claire Fultz was able to give me a glimpse of the social work profession and corresponding background during our interview. Fultz is a psychiatric social worker employed at Mindoula Health Inc. who began working in the human services and social work field back in 2001. Prior to her professional work experience, she completed two Master’s programs while majoring in four specializations. She explained how her experience

Much like occupational therapy, social workers incorporate theory in their field to increase the understanding of human behavior and the delivery of exceptional service. The profession of social work follows the code of ethics, core values, and guiding principles of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Fultz described how the principles of service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence guide her clinical practice by strengthening her commitment to her client centered services. Although Fultz incorporates theory into her clinical experience, she addressed the challenges that occur when trying to apply theory. She believes that since each client is unique to themselves, not all theories may be helpful to all individuals. However, she continues to use theory due to the fact that it is evidence based and ensures that health professionals are using the most efficient and up to date treatment

Although the experience was nerve-racking, I believe that I did a very good job. I was able to collect the majority of the information that she was telling me while asking follow up questions. However, it was more to balance than I had expected. It was difficult asking questions and attempting to record enough information to complete my assignment. As the conversation continued, I got interested in her life stories and professional examples and noticed I had stopped taking notes. I also felt the need to make constant eye contact to show I was alert and aware of what she was saying, which brought challenges to my note taking. This interview process made me feel excited for the future. It was an intriguing opportunity to know that one day I will be able to positively impact lives the way Fultz does. To improve my interview skills, I would ask if I could record the conversation. This will allow me to interact more with the health professional while also consuming a maximum amount of information. I wish I had thought about recording this conversation prior to the interview, because Fultz spoke beautifully about her passion as a social worker, and I wish I was able to directly quote her in this