Mental Illness in the life of adolescents is continuing to rise. Many studies have been conducted on when and what triggers cause mental instability of youth. There are many factors that contribute to the illnesses that children and teens face. Adolescents have suffered due to societal problems in the community. Teens witness family violence, substance abuse, lower educational achievements, violence in schools, and it takes a toll on them emotionally. According to Karen Snedker distress in the community creates residential instability along with emotional distress (K Snedker 2016). Many children are stigmatized for having a mental illness and do not seek treatment. Per Elsevier B.V “Untreated mental illness predisposes to longstanding individual …show more content…
People have abandoned youth and they do not accept help easily. You have to build a rapport and engage with a client for them to recognize you are trustworthy and can help them. It is important to know where a client stands emotionally. The outer appearance does not always show what is going on in the inside. When dealing with adolescents the social worker has to adapt their style of social work to the problematic factors at hand. When working with mentally ill clients you have to be able to attentively listen, retrieve information, possesses non verbal behaviors, build trust, and diffuse conflict. Per Stacy Zeiger, a social worker cannot minimize what the client has to say. Even if the social worker wants to move on to something else they deem more important. It is more important to focus on the client’s agenda rather than the social workers, so the client feels as though they have some say. This is the role of the social worker. ( Zeiger, …show more content…
The Social Worker has to make sure the youth is going to school, completing therapy and meeting goals they have established. There are times the client will not meet their goals and as a Social Worker you will have to learn patience and empathy. Social workers provide resources for clients, help with psychological evaluations, and help with self care plans. A local social worker agreed to be interviewed to let me know a few of her roles in the social work field of mental illness. She does work with youth at a state facility. Her name has been left out for privacy reasons. Per the local social worker she advised the perks of her job is assisting people in need and helping them to get their life on track. She advised social work is a very rewarding job. Being an advocate for clients and helping to educate the community on the importance of mental health means a lot. She stated she is an activist in the community and she likes to focus on the poor communities and less fortunate individuals. There is a thick stigma on getting help when a mental illness is detected. She stated some clients ignore the beginner symptoms and wait until they are over bearing and out of control before they seek help. Seeing people from all walks of life helps understand the daily struggles that some people go through.” Mental illness is a disease that is at times swept under the rug and as social workers it is our job to
In the context of mental health, the social workers are important because they take the role of linking the services available within mental health and other services provided by the Local Authority. Due to their varied practical knowledge, they can signpost and guide the service users on different matters pertaining to their entitlement to housing, care, and other benefits.
Patel, V., Flisher, A. J., Hetrick, S., & McGorry, P. (2007). Mental health of young people: a
I think we should really value the mental health of our children in the society if we want to develop this great Nation. The psychological well-being of our children affects us both directly and indirectly whether we accept this fact or not. It is very important that we ensure that our beloved children have the capabilities to adapt to the stresses, working productively both in school and also contribute to the developments in the community. Problems associated with mental illness or health are very common in this society especially in the institutions of learning be it high schools, colleges or even universities. Some health problems associated with mental health include depressions, bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders and at time schizophrenia. It is therefore of vital importance to encourage and promote the improvement of mental health among our children.
Social workers are generalist practitioners that utilize various theoretical frameworks to assist in problem-solving for individuals, family, groups, and communities. They aim to provide interventions at any level based on the need of their clients. The generalist social worker assist with a broad scope problems and can be found in a variety of institutions. When assisting with adult clients who suffer with social development due to childhood trauma, social workers must know what trauma is. Trauma is prevalent in the social work community, almost every social worker has had a client that has suffered from trauma. In order to assist adults that have social development issues stemming from childhood there are The four-fold principles
Structural-functional views show the importance of being connected to friends and family to remain mentally happy and healthy. Symbolic-interaction shows us that we need to be proactive when it comes to youth and bullying and make sure that there is absolutely no tolerance for this behavior, because youth take to heart and internalize what others think about them. The social conflict perspective educates us on the importance that teens place on money and power and places socioeconomic youth at risk for many behaviors that can be linked to suicide and depression. Looking at teen depression and suicide through different sociological perspective provides an awareness and gives us valuable information that should be shared to make a difference in teen depression and suicide
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.
Mental illness is a lot like having a psychical illness, and more than sixty million Americans suffer from some type of mental disorder every year. Most people who suffer from a mental disorder are unaware that they even have a mental problem until they seek some type of medical attention. The evolution of Social Work in Mental Health, has been influenced by development of different types of psychiatric care. Mental illness causes a lot of emotional pain and that pain causes us to push for a solution. Social workers do many things some of the important work that social workers so is help people who have a range of issues that includes eating disorders, mental illness, financial problems, substance and mental abuse, along with marriage and
Youth and families found entangled within the justice systems, diagnosed with some form of emotional disorder, and / or have encountered trauma of some kind will have an emotional need to be met. Mental health related issues could be found at the root of many social problems that exist.
Social workers practice in a variety of fields but one thing that is consistent is the process in which we deal with clients. In the following scenario, I will explain the procedural steps that I would take as a social worker to help a client identify their concerns and to provide appropriate solutions. I have a client who is 30 years old who has a professional background in secondary education, and is very well educated. She reports to me that she has been hospitalized for depression and suicide attempts both recently and in the past. She is single, has no close relationships with anyone, is unemployed, and is introverted and withdrawn. The client reports that she has been seeing someone for help for a period of four months but is ...
Social workers play a very important role in many situations. Most people can only help an individual up until a certain point then they have no clue what to do to help the individual. A social worker comes up with a plan to help an individual that cannot help themselves. Without social workers many individuals will not know how to manage certain situations. They will come up with an idea that they believe is suitable and move on without thinking about it. Social work has come a long way from when it first began. Comparing then and now, social work is much better and very well organized. The people that are in need whether they are mentally ill or someone that cannot support themselves, are being taken care of properly. It is known that years
Children are a crucial part of society. They participate in almost all aspects of a society whether it is in schools, community activities, or in the workforce. However, not all children develop the same skills and are granted the same opportunities as others because of a mental illness. Mental illnesses are as serious as physical illnesses and they negatively affect a child’s life. There are a variety of mental illnesses children may have with different levels of severity; mental illnesses hinder childhood development, and they affect a child’s social and home life.
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).
The job of a social worker entitles being able to evaluate a client for different issues to see where they stand mentally, being able to analyze and notice behavioral issues and emotional distress. Not really diagnosing but being able to suggest help to people when it may be needed. A social worker also must have the ability to socialize and help their client to carry out ...
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 certificate 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 consoling for victims of
As our society becomes more challenging, social workers help bridge the gaps for people who face extraordinary challenges in their lives. The social worker’s scope of practice may include helping at-risk or overwhelmed individuals find resources, develop new coping strategies, resolve problems and conflicts, and secure opportunities to improve their quality of life. (Flynn, 2013) Although the scope of practice is basically the same, there are various types of social workers with various levels of education. It doesn’t matter if you are a medical, clinical, school, military, psychiatric, or community social worker, the goal is basically the same.