Social workers today play a large role in the American population. They are mediators to just about any problem that may occur in the world. When a child is in danger, a job is in danger, and a home is in danger a social worker is always called. These three scenarios are just a short list of all the things that make social workers a big part of today’s world. As a result of the high demand for social workers there are numerous ways one may pursue a career in social work. Some of the most popular are child welfare, hospice, and school systems. Each job differs and has their own pros and cons but they all have the goal of assisting their clients and improving their life situations. When looking at reviews one of the most difficult jobs in the …show more content…
field is working in child welfare. One may be in the field of child welfare when working for the Department of children services or an agency that contract with them. To receive more insight about being a social worker the best way would be to communicate with a person that has experience in the field. Interviewing is the best way to learn from social workers. During a interview one may ask questions such as what their job title entails and what the hardest part is about their job. Depending on the job their answers will vary, which help future social workers establish what social work field they would like to be a part of. To begin learning about one of the most common social work fields two interviews were held with a social worker from the Department of Children Services and Centerstone. Ms. Sonya Yarbrough is a case manager at Centerstone. Centerstone is one of the largest non-profit providers in the nation. They dedicate their time to offering services for mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and disabilities services. This agency also has a partnership with the Department of Children Services (DCS). Their contract with DCS includes their case workers assisting DCS clients in meeting the requirements for the plan created by their DCS worker. To start Ms.Yarbrough’s interview she was asked about her education. During her undergraduate experience she earned a double major in psychology and sociology from Austin Peay State University. Following she attended Belmont University to receive her masters of art in teaching. With that information being given the interviewer followed by asking Ms. Yarbrough what led her to the field of social work. In response to the question she shared that during her time at Austin Peay State University she took a lot of classes in social work.
In fact, she took so many classes that she was only one semester away from getting a social work degree as well. When taking these classes she realized that she had a great interest in the services that social workers provide. Since becoming a case manager her interest still increases and she would now like to be a therapist or counseling. To help herself achieve that goal she plan she is currently taking classes to earn different certifications, such as drug and alcohol treatment and also looking to be a part of social work masters programs. Until Ms.Yarbrough is able to accomplish her goal of becoming a counselor or therapist she works hard at Centerstone every day to manage her large case load of clients. Being a case manager at Centerstone includes providing community resources, ensuring clients receive medical attention, have food, and assist with getting a job if necessary. If she had to explain her job in one sentence she would say her job is to “empower clients to function normal by their selves.” She says that because she tells all of her clients it is her responsibility to give them resources but it is their responsibility to do work. Ms.Yarbrough has made
that her motto because she feels that one of the hardest parts of the job is giving a client a to- do list and they expect the case worker to do it for them. Having clients who do not want to work makes things difficult because their growth becomes stunted and it makes you feel like your time is being wasted. With that she mentioned how time is already one of the cons in working as a case worker. Case workers have such a large case load there is never enough time to complete each task given in a day. Along with that, case workers often times do not do not get recognition for all the work they do and she feels that is a con because she believes “ without case workers Centerstone will not be able to function.” One of the other cons that stood out was that at Centerstone there are few opportunities for advancement. If someone wanted to learn more and move higher up the chances of that is slim as a case worker and if case workers are there for more than five years it is likely that they will get stuck in that position for a long time. Despite the cons Ms.Yarbroigh did mention that a pro of her job is being able to see her clients succeed. The best part of her day is hearing about clients who were homeless getting a place to live or getting a job and being financially stable. Client success is the one thing that most case workers seem to have in common when it comes to job satisfaction. Not only did Ms. Yarbrough find joy in being able to make a change in her clients work but so did Ms. Shana Vika at the Department of Childrens Services. Ms. Shana Vika is a Case worker in the Social services department. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology. Ms.Vika puts her education to use as she works as a custodial service worker (CSW) for DCS. Being a custodial worker she spends her time with children who are in state custody and have may be in custody for a long period of time. The duties within being a CSW include her doing court reports, facilitating family team meetings, doing home visits, and more. As mentioned above Ms. Vika finds satisfaction in being able to make a change in others’ lives. She decided she wanted to be a part of the child welfare field because of her own family experiences. She has a soon who has experience having poor social workers. The workers did not focus on his progress they were just concerned about the checklist. With the issues her child was having many times the decision made did not benefit him and became a hindrance to his progress. As a result she grew the desire to be a social worker and change how children’s experiences are while in custody. Social services was something enjoyed but being in the social services department did affect her perception of DCS overall. Her perception formed from working in social services is that DCS is willing to reunite all children with their family but they need a better policy. The current policies remind her of why her son’s workers were bad. Their policies are created from a checklist and not passed upon the child’s best interest. The checklist does not show an adequate view of the child’s current state. There has been times were a child is still showing signs of needing more assistance but the checklist shows they are. What happens during these times is that those children tend to return to their beginning state and have to start over again causing more problems for the child. Along with her perception of how DCS handles cases led to her cons of being a CSW. For Ms. Vika the case load was just too large to adequately serve each client. To balance out the cons she did say that she could have a flexibile schedule as a CSW. Overall she feels that there are no major complaints it is just the nature of how the job has been developed in order to follow protocol. As a worker in the Department of Children’s services she learns something new every day. She says that if she could give any advice to a future social worker it would be to manage your time. Time management is important and she recommends to make a schedule ahead of time in order to stay up to date. Other advice given from social workers are, to be flexible and learn to back off when needed. This advice was given from Ms.Yarbrough. She recommends to be flexible because if time and the different roles that you will play. When different roles are mentioned she believes it is import to know sometimes you may feel as if you are playing the mother of your client or being a teacher. In order to do this you must be adaptable which includes knowing when you should not continue to force your clients to complete task. As a case worker one may find times that they are working harder than the client. In this case you may want to step back and only do what is you have to. The reason being is that clients have to want help in order to see results. Doing the interviews with Ms. Yarbrough and Ms. Vika a future social worker could learn about the different pros and cons of both working with an agency contracted with DCS and working directly with DCS. Going in one may believe that it is easier working for an agency but after the interviews that perception may change. Working with a contracted company a future social worker will still experience the issues with their check list as their client must have to complete their plan. Each job title consist of differs in its own way and as a future social worker it is important to realize some issues cannot be avoided in this field. If there was a simple message given from both interviewees it would be have time management skills and be adaptable. Each interviewee was great and the advice given will be help in the future of a social work student.
The social safety net has grown to include and protect a diverse group of people of all ages. Social workers have become vital to older persons who need long term care, persons struggling with addictions, and communities that are devastated by natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and violent tragedies
I knew I loved to help others but it was not until I was an emerging adult that I knew what my calling was. My devotion to improve the quality of life for those who are disadvantaged is one of the reasons I have chosen to pursue a Master’s in Social Work. After obtaining my masters, I plan on diversifying my masters by getting licensed and becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I would like to study social work because I feel it will lead me directly to one of the most emotionally fulfilling careers available, as well as giving me the chance to combine helping people 's mental well being with their physical
By the end of my sophomore year, psychology had captivated my interest. It was not until my senior year that I realized exactly which direction I wanted to take in the pursuit of this discipline. I focused my interest into the realms of social work; where I could develop intervention strategies (“IS”) that may help alleviate stressors, promote motivation within the classroom context, and facilitate better child-parent and student-teacher relations. My interests and experience make me a uniquely qualified candidate for, and asset to, the Masters in Social Work Program at the University of Washington. I feel the pursuit of this field will give me the knowledge and skills I need to be a high quality school social worker.
Choosing a career is a very important aspect to people’s lives. One goes to college, usually around the age of eighteen, and by the time they leave they are expected to have decided on the career that they will have for the rest of their lives. Being a psychology and interpersonal communication major, I have always had an interest on relationships between individuals given certain stimuli presented to them. I want to have the ability to touch people’s lives by helping them understand themselves and why they behave the way in which they behave. Relationships are such an important aspect to the process of human growth, and they impact each and every one of us. Due to this assessment of myself, I have decided to go to college to pursue my goals of being a clinical social worker.
Kris became a social worker because she has a passion and needs to help people. Her passion comes from years of abuse and neglect when she was younger. She stated, “It feels right to be a social worker. Although there is no thank you cards and the work may be meticulous at times, seeing smiles is a great reward”. I have learned most social workers enter this career due to personal experiences and they were to help make a change. I am one of them. Although I know I cannot change the world, I know I can make a difference in the lives I touch. I too will find the smiles of my clients
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.
Social work can be very rewarding in a number of ways, but challenges do exist before the reward. One challenge I may encounter if I was to become a social worker is becoming attached to the victim. I think I would feel emotionally connected and want to save them. Before taking the class, I had the mentality that it would be easy to help people and guide them to a better life, but this class has made me realize that it is not always that easy. When speaking to victims, I could see myself feeling sorry for them and wanted to give them everything to make themselves feel better. I feel like I would allow my personal life to interfere with my work life, where I would constantly be thinking about the clients and their health instead of focusing
The journey to becoming a social worker is not one that happens overnight. Many years of difficult decisions get theses amazing caregivers to the ultimate goal. In addition, years of studying and exposure of the field allow these workers to be accurately prepared for their future careers. Ms. Bauer’s education, work experience, and difficulties have all brought her to the remarkable position she is in today.
This paper will explore what the primary mission of social work as a professional means to me. Through self-reflection of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, I will delve into why I chose social work as a career, the type of social worker I want to become, and ponder what challenges and obstacles may impede my chosen path.
A career in social work is one of the most difficult and emotionally strenuous professions in the human service industry. Social workers are vital to their communities and play a critical role in supporting families and children while ensuring safety, wellbeing, and permanency. Social worker retention has been a primary problem for child welfare agencies and is a complex issue that requires multi-dimensional solutions. The typical time span of employment for a child welfare social worker is less than two years (Johnco, 2014) and it is common for the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to have a fifty percent turnover rate per year across the United States (Murray, 2014).
For years, when I thought of Social Workers, I imagined a person coming into a client’s home and taking their kids away for neglect. Later, I found out that social workers could go into so many dimensions, such as clinical social workers, case mangers, and even administrative positions in agency settings. Furthermore, I realized that I was maturing into an adult. For example, when I began telling people of my decisions to become a social worker, a lot ...
My background, my values, my beliefs, my dreams, and my hopes are the reasons I have selected to pursue the social work profession. I genuinely want the best for those who surround me, and more so, for the future generations who will follow in my footsteps. Someone with wise words, once said, “this degree does not define you; it’s who you already are.” As most social workers are, I’m in this profession, to assist others in enhancing their lives. My whole life goal is to make a difference in the life of a variety of kids.
Education is of great value to me and I take it very seriously. To be given the opportunity to study further is of great importance to me and I intend to go as far as I possibly can with it, with the aim of going on to do a master’s degree in the future. My reasoning behind deciding to pursue a career in social work stems from my seemingly innate desire to see others succeed in fulfilling their potential. Although it feels somewhat of a cliché, my passion and desire for the field of social work originates from a genuine wish to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
The work of a social worker is complex and all encompassing. Social workers work in many capacities seeking justice, liberation, and equality. There work is global, as they work to put policies in place to govern practices. To keep up with societal shifts and generational changes there learning is continuous. As new questions rise so does the need for the continuation of research, not only to answer these questions but to implement into
The social work profession is defined as “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people (ISFW, ‘Global Definition of Social Work’, 2016).” The definition may be true about the profession but it is more in depth than just that. To me, the profession’s primary focus is to help others through life as much as we can while letting them make their own choices and guiding them. In society, social workers are utilized in many different nonprofit and government roles. They serve the community in many different ways from monitoring parent visits to helping people through mental illnesses. Human beings are so complex and things that happen