Should Social Workers Be Paid More Essay

Starting my education path in social work, a front four classes are required upon entrance into the social worker program. One of the front four classes is introduction into social work (SWK 2000). Reflecting on the class SWK 2000, I have gained great knowledge on the social work profession. The knowledge I gained is in relation with the job descriptions of social worker historically and in modern times, where they work and what populations they encounter, the issues social workers face in practice, and lastly, the presentation of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (NASW).

It is clear that social workers play an important role in society; it would therefore make sense to ensure that the working conditions of social workers are kept to a high standard. Without these good working standards it is likely that social workers might be affected by the job related stresses that are inherent to jobs dealing with troubled people. These high job stresses may lead to greater turn over and unwillingness amongst students to become social workers. Consequently the methods by which social workers and their respective employers have been discussed in this essay and include things like being given greater autonomy over their own scheduling and how they choose to deal with clients. Social workers may also be able to improve their

According to (Dulmus & Sowers, 2012, p.106), the history of social work is one of an old religiously grounded ethos of offering, aid and comfort. This shows that social work has been around for quite a long time, helping the unfortunate and it has developed more throughout these past centuries. The profession was largely shaped by Westerns idea and events. (Chenoweth &McAuliffe, 2015, p.32). The ideas and events included could have been war, poverty and other social reforms. That is when social welfare was needed to give aid and help solve these issues. Social work largely expanded in England in the 16th during the Elizabethan poor laws and later on in America between 17 and 18th century (Dulmus & Sowers, p.6). This essay is going to focus on how social work has evolved or changed for the better from the 1960s till present.

Abstract The roles of a social worker are many and although it may be seen to most as a simple profession, it is of great value. A social worker has to broaden his or her horizon to see things in a new perspective. One must be able to understand, empower and help individuals, families or groups to overcome some of lives most difficult obstacles. As a social worker you are supposed to be able to appreciate the perspectives of all parties involved.

I have yet to encounter a social worker who entered the profession for acclaim or prestige. It is a demanding career with long hours and ceaseless paperwork. Social workers are frequently overburdened in addition to being underpaid. Occasionally, they witness agonizing tragedy, fundamentally changing them. Having worked in social services for a number of years, I have had these experiences.

Social work is a professional and academic discipline that works to improve the quality of life and enhance the wellbeing of individuals, families, couples, groups, and communities. Heather Holland is a Social Worker at Uniontown Hospital who has over 12 years’ experience in the field. She explains that a typical day on the job is far from easy. “Days in this career are crazy, busy, and mostly, undetermined” Holland explains of her days on the job. Social work is a very important job. Social workers work with clients who are vulnerable and in need of serious help. It is so extremely important that social workers are properly trained and are always giving their best in their work because client’s lives often depend on it. Social workers are

Social workers assist individuals, groups or communities restore or enhance social functioning through creating living conditions favorable to their goal or need. Social workers are trained professionals that help people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges such as poverty, discrimination, abuse, addiction, physical illness, educational issues, mental illness, disability, unemployment, etc. They accomplish this through counseling individuals, families and communities; teaching them how to cope with the stresses of everyday life. From a political standpoint, social workers spend time and money on campaigns that elect public officials that are committed to social work values. Sound public policies enable social workers to meet human needs, be fairly compensated and promote social justice. Overall I perceive social work as a “take action” profession. Often times, we as human beings complain and talk about what needs to be done but do not do anything beyond that. Social workers are hands on. They are not just talking about what “should” be done but they are doing something to better our communities. Social workers are about making a difference in society by helping others out that are in need for various reasons. If you are very sick and in need of assistance to perform normal, everyday functions, social workers can assist

In this paper, I will be discussing of an organization that caters social services and contributes to the social work field. In addition, I will go into details where the organization is financed from and what is the mission of the organization. Moreover, I will discuss the structure that the organizations conduct to accomplished their missions and explain the organization 's different services provided under their organization 's umbrella. Furthermore, I will discuss of the organization accountability to their services, overall impact, and the power in the organization. Lastly, I will explanatory the workers role in the organizations and discuss of my overall experience referring to my future social work profession.

Social workers are responsible for human physical and emotional well-being. In order to help people, social workers have to make their decisions based on strong moral and ethical values. As claims DuBois B. (2009) “Social Work is a values - based profession. Values reflect preferences and inform choices” ( p.105).

Social workers play many roles in aiding to serve low income persons. A big part of social work is working with the low-income individuals by advocating for income, employment and social policies in hopes to make a difference in families and individual’s lives (Wheeler & McClain, 2015). Advocating in social work is a big part in helping promote economic justice and overall wellness of everyone in society (Wheeler & McClain, 2015). Through the years social workers have remained strong advocators on affordable and safe housing for those in need (Mizrahi & Davis, 2011). Social workers have been the ones who consistently advocate that housing is a need and a basic human right.

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.

Have you ever wondered if you raised your voice and who will it effect, or what difference it will bring into others’ lives? As we learn what social workers go through and what problems they come across while working in this field. Just imagine yourself in that same position, or in a situation where someone comes for help. These three ladies have shown sincerity towards their work and how it has affected them from normal life, to the life of problems that others face in everyday life including: behavior towards others in need, children who are suffering from poverty, not being able to get health plans. The issues of social work are very important for our society to know and how to act upon.

The role of social workers in international scene has become more significant as their competencies become just as in demand. The proliferation of local social problems has spread internationally while globalization continuously changes every aspect of human life. For this reason, North America social workers must be alarmed if their current expertise matches with the demand of international concerns.

The strength of the Social Work Reinvestment Act is the acknowledgement that social workers are under paid professionals and awareness of the unfavorable workplace conditions social workers may be subjected to work amongst which includes high risk situations that can be highly emotional and physically involved. “Social work salaries are among the lowest for professionals in general…Social workers who earn lower salaries are more likely to work in challenging agency environments, serve more vulnerable clines and leave the profession” (H.R. 1466, 2013).

Now this work will attempt to examine the different approaches that feminists apply to social work. According to Collins English Dictionary, “social work” means “social services that give help and advice to the poor, the elderly, and families with problems.” (www.collinslanguage.com). It is very hard to define social work as its work is so varied and sparse within society today. Feminist social workers tend to work more with women and help them to understand and alleviate their problems. Dominelli (1997: 246) postulates “ I define feminist social work as a form of social work practice which takes gendered inequality and it’s elimination as the starting point for working