Health and Human Services Essay

In this paper, the role of a social worker will be addressed. A Human Service professional has, in its hands, the responsibilities in the life of the clients and families they meet. The tremendous and arduous responsibilities they take on include, but are not limited to, the well-being and care of people and their communities. Such roles can be helping others manage the care of a family member, assisting individuals experiencing problems with family relations and conflicts, dealing with changes that come with growing old, aiding those suffering mental illness and or those individuals struggling with addictions. Briefly

Identify clients behavior, see for what it is and be able to deal with it appropriately

Generally, social work is affiliated with the younger population or topics of abuse and neglect in the home. While this can be a vital part of the job description, social work is a diversified field with many other career opportunities. A social worker’s ethical job responsibilities are outlined in NASW Code of Ethics (1999). The following sections will review these responsibilities in relation to aging populations and a social workers practice.

Self-care in social work is very important to me. I know from experience that no one is immune to compassion fatigue or traumatic stress of any kind. Being able to work in a profession that values its employees and their mental and physical health is essential to me. Singing and using music to unwind is

Social workers form relationships with people and assist them to live more successfully within their local communities by helping them find solutions to their problems. Social work involves engaging not only with clients themselves but their families and friends as well as working closely with other organisations including the police, local authority departments, schools and the probation service.

I also gained experience working with and serving the LGBT population. I enjoyed learning about the various cultures of my clients, and strived to deliver excellent service to all participants.

I have chosen Aging as my field of practice. Modern day social work with the aging is also called gerontological services. Social work that is performed at the micro level is mostly done in community facilities. Examples of these are hospitals and long term care facilities (LTC). Under LTC facilities fall nursing homes, assisted living and adult foster homes. Other locations where social work is performed at the micro level is social services and mental health clinics. In these facilities social workers work with individuals with chronic health conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular problems, mobility limitations and loss of senses. Social workers also work on interdisciplinary teams involved in hospice care and through social service agencies provide case management services. In social service and mental health clinics social workers address depression, dementia, anxiety and substance abuse and help with social psychological issues such as living in an aging family and bereavement. Social work at the macro level is focused on understanding and advocating for the well-being and health of the elderly. Advocating may be done for changes in the Older American Act, Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. Macro social work also includes developing programs to ensure services to all seniors at the community level. There is a professional organization dedicated to aging, The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) which is an organization devoted to research, education, and

When working in the human service field there are many different aspects to the work that is done. Everyone involved whether a professional member or the client holds a important role to the organization. The role of the client is to allow for the organization to be able to help them in the best way possible and, to be open to making the changes needed to thrive in everyday life. The role of the professional is to provide the client with the best help that they could possibly receive. In order for the professional to complete the role that they have they must start the process in the best way possible they must collect the appropriate information from the possible client in the beginning.

Social Care Worker plans and provides professional individual or group care to clients with personal and social needs”. (Share, 2009).

The National Association of Social Workers says, “According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), social work is one of the fastest growing careers in the United States. The profession is expected to grow by 19% between 2012 and 2022. There are more than 650,000 people that currently hold a degree in social work” (“Social”). Social workers aim to help those in need. There are many positive and negative opinions about social workers. For example, some think that social workers only help people that live in poverty, and others think that all social workers have a heart for children. There are several myths about social workers such as all social workers take children away or that social workers are underpaid. Another myth that is said is that most social workers are women. Although these myths contain a little truth, they are still myths.

Many experts call social workers the “jack of all trades” of the modern society. This comes from the fact that these professionals assist their clients in almost every accept of life. For one thing, they promote good mental health since they can help patients with psychological conditions and substance abuse problems. They can also help in improving physical wellbeing since they can guide their clients to the right healthcare facility and assist them in obtaining financial help to fund their treatment. Of course, they can help people who are going through socio-economic difficulties by steering them to organizations who can best assist with their financial needs.

Social workers are activist for the helpless and exposed populations whom are fighting the prejudices and discriminations of today’s society. Social workers assist individuals with coping skills when presented with poverty, abuse (child/elder), addiction (drugs/alcohol), loss of employment, educational complications, disability, trauma, and mental disorders. Social workers are trained to provide individuals and families with counseling (individual/group), housing assistance, case management, food, health, and linking individuals with the necessary tools and resources which should empower them to regain stability.

Caring for those with long term illnesses before the 19th century was seen as the families and church’s responsibilities SocialWorkLicensure.org (2011-2015) indicated that social workers 100 years back were mainly supporting veterans that had been distressed in the World War one. Whereas in today’s society social workers have broaden to work in different sectors such as hospitals, health clinics, hospice, schools and many more social service organizations. They work with people who are sick and those who are disadvantaged and offer counseling.

had worked in child care so that is where I focused my efforts. I had also started on courses in

Social work practice with older adults encompasses a broad range of functions. Social workers in gerontology must be knowledgeable about unique legislation, policies and social programs that affect older adults (Greene, 2011). In addition, they must be knowledgeable about the aging process and the issues older adult and their caregivers face, adept at accessing resources for clients, and strong advocates who champion their rights (Greene, 2011).