The phrase “Thank You”can alter a person’s life forever. Whether you are the one offering or receiving a genuine “Thank You” the recognition of appreciation will always remain with you.
Growing up, I was fortunate to be a middle class African American. Statistics suggests that to be both African American and part of the middle class is unprecedented. However, the portrayal of the American Dream, encompassing the perfect middle class family, stopped at my front door. Domestic violence was a permanent tenant. “Thank You” were the words my five year old sister at the time said to me every night as I protected her. In 2015, “Thank You” were the words I said to my family, friends, teachers, co-workers and clients after graduation for giving
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The population of at risk and hard to place girls I worked with on a daily basis reinforced my interest in supporting youth through counseling and developing plans and programs that could support their needs long term. My position as a Youth Support Counselor then lead me to ask the very question of what services and programs are there in place to support my residents’ families. This is when I transitioned to becoming a case planner for underserved families and communities.
As a Case Planner, working closely with families and both city and community agencies, I began to expand my knowledge on the various services that are offered to my families. In my work, I came across limited resources and lack of education on the services that are available. Families are affected by more than one social justice issue, which makes is very difficult to navigate the system that is in place to assist them. Consequently, it is the system that is allowing many families to remain stagnant. Policies and program mandates contribute to overworked employees and the consistent question of how are we creating social change?
Understanding the foundation of social work I believe is essential to becoming successful in addressing pressing issues affecting people’s everyday lives. For example, the rates of incarceration in the United States have increased dramatically, six to ten times greater than other countries. Mass incarceration is an epidemic that is
The national problem over the Brown v. Board of Education court case had come to an end as integration of public facilities was beginning. People were mostly being excepted, Many things were still separated out of national control like water fountains, bathrooms and much more, even though they were accepted they still were not ‘accepted’ into the white society’s eye. Not only did they have to work harder but these under privileged members had to earn what they did and now their “Progress is…[apart of the] largely suppressed story of race and race relations over the past half-century. And thus it’s news that more than 40 percent of African Americans now consider themselves members of the middle class. Forty-two percent own their own homes
In our world today, many individuals are faced dealing with oppression, exploitation, social exclusion, and injustice. As a result, this makes it hard for those same individuals to prosper. It leaves them powerless, hopeless, and at a disadvantage. It’s said, “These individuals generate a sense of blame, distrust, alienation, vulnerability, and disenfranchisement” (Dubois, Miley, & O’Melia, 2015, p. 83). It is up to social workers to empower these individuals, give them a sense of hope and bring forth their strengths that society fails to uplift.
Some communities wonder why the middle class has nearly faded away, and what has caused this depletion to initiate. To discover why this dissipation has occurred, research on this topic must ensue to further explicate on the situation at hand. Historically, Time Magazine states that the current “middle class comes from the post-World War II era. The 1944 GI Bill provided returning veterans with money for college, businesses and home mortgages” (Suddath). This provided a way for the returning military to attain a proper life after returning from war. Then in the 1950’s, some African Americans were able to move into the middle class status marked by the civil rights movement, which banned discrimination exclusively based upon race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Before reading the first two parts of "Til Death Do Us Part" I knew that domestic violence was a growing issue in the United states, but it was a surprise to find out that the state that we live in for more than fifteen has been place in the top ten nationally in the rate of women murder by men (Pardue, Smith, Hawes, & Hauff, 2014). The first part gave the statics on how many victims were turned away in 2012-2013 from shelters around South Carolina which was a total of 380. The reason why this was done because there was no rom they said (Pardue et al., 2014). Since this information was taken there should have a increase in the number of shelters in South Carolina, but there is only 18 domestic violence shelters. There is about 36,000 incidents of domestic abuse in our state. That number is shocking, many people wouldn 't have thought that there were that many incident. The national statistics on domestic violence given by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence states:
It has been recorded that approximately “2,000,000 injuries, and 1,300 deaths are caused each year as a result of domestic violence” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). This harm to and loss of life is due to the negligence of all Americans, in regards to the monitoring and managing of domestic violence in the United States. In order to combat the blatant disregard for domestic violence victims, Americans must support, aid, and assist those who fall victim to this crime, as well as educate those who are oblivious to the matter at hand. These actions will be essential in the eradication of domestic violence, as well as the preservation of the health and overall safety of all American people.
Intro: The American Dream attracts many people from all over the world, people have an image that living in America grants them the life of their dreams, but does living in america really grant people the perfect life? The Case For Reparations by Coates explains how African Americans have struggled in the past with racism and discrimination. He goes on to talk about their lives during slavery and post slavery, and how African Americans are unemployed and undereducated. Aja ET AL.’s essay From A Tangle Of Pathology To A Race Fair America also talks about the lives of African Americans, the discrimination, segregation, and unemployment. They both go on explaining how Blacks are always discriminated against and are not given equal
“The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well being and help meet the basic human needs of all people with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty.” (1)
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a national association of educational programs and individuals that confirms and improves the quality of social work education to become a professional job. CSWE puts in a countless amount of effort to strive for this mission by setting up a bachelor's and master’s degree programs in social work. On the other hand, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with approximately 132,000 members. To be more specific, NASW has a determination to intensify the maturity and developmental process of its members. The main goal is to retain professional standards and to create fair social policies. NASW progresses
Domestic violence is a trauma that unfortunately affects families of all income levels (Sampson, 2006). Although Socioeconomic Status (SES) does not determine if domestic violence will occur in a specific community, those in low SES communities have a much greater chance of experiencing domestic violence (Imbery, 2014). Sampson (2006) reports that men and women who are young, African American, from low-income communities, are renting their hoe or apartment, and are either divorced or separated are at the highest risk of domestic violence. It is reported that in low-income communities, there are more frequent reports to police in terms of domestic violence when compared to higher-income communities (Sampson, 2006). Of these calls to police, the reports from low-income communities are typically more violent and require police enforcement to dispute resolution between the victim and offender. Not only do the survivors of domestic violence in low SES communities face issues in their homes, but also this plays an important role in their success at work and their ability to receive medical attention. These men and women rely on the little money they receive from work and each other and feel trapped in their situation because of their lack of financial resources (Imbery, 2014). Survivors of domestic violence do not receive proper medical and psychological care because they cannot afford the treatment and time off from work. Some states have banned cities from passing paid leave
Domestic violence is something that happens every day around the world. Young, old, rich or poor, this is an issue that we must look at to better ourselves as a country. One of the things that we look at is how domestic violence relates to the different social classes of the country, this being upper, middle, and lower. Some would thing that it would be more common in lower classes, but the reality of it is domestic violence is a problem across all social classes. In this paper I will discuss different articles about domestic violence and its relation to social class. It is clear to see that many of the articles on this topic focus around women as victims and men get put into a category of the only ones committing violence. From different
For this reflective journal, I have decided to draw parallels between approaches to social work that I have learned in my placement, and what I have learned during my academic career at Carleton University. Placement thus far, has been an eye-opening and rich experience, which has taught me about the profession that I aspire to be a part of. I am a third year student, and much of my time spent at Carleton, has been studying theories, and becoming exposed to different schools of thought. Theories are incredibly beneficial, to teach and inform the practice of the next generation of social workers. However, placement has provided me with the opportunity to apply theoretical ideals, to real life social work practice.
In this position, I provided case management for a diverse group of HIV+ clients who were experiencing homelessness and psychosocial challenges. Meeting with clients on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, together we would create an Individual Care Plan (ICP) to determine their needs, and set small, obtainable goals for them to achieve. I also collaborated with social workers, nurses, food suppliers, nutritionist, and other community services to assist in increasing each client’s ability to reach their goals. This position ended this past April due to anticipated cuts in HIV related grants. Thereafter, I accepted my present position as a Social Work Coordinator (SWC) and Direct Service Provider (DSP) at Enriching Lives. As a DSP, I work one-on-one with individuals with developmental disabilities and assist them in reaching their social, financial, personal, and educational goals. As a SWC, I work with family home providers, regional center coordinators, health providers, day program staff, consultants, and the California Department of Social Services as an advocate and liaison for individuals with developmental disabilities and psychosocial challenges.
When working in a field of expertise the experts in that area need to know what defines that field. Social work, with its roots over a hundred years old, started out simply offering assistance to others, has grown and changed, and is currently reconnecting with its roots (Bisman, 2004). Bisman (2004) emphasizes the importance of being an advocate of justice and keeping the field focused on the “social” part of social work. This push to keep social work focused on the needs of others defines social work today. Social work focuses on providing aide to the needy and increasing awareness of those that are oppressed.
In America most cases of Domestic Violence are never actually reported, many times these cases go unheard and the victims suffer in silence. The worn out cries of a battered woman as she lays on the ground clutching herself and begging her significant other to just stop. The bruises and cuts that remain unreported due to the victim claiming they accidentally fell yet again. The abusers tend to make the victim almost entirely dependable on them. An abuser will do this to gain control and to create a weaker victim, “behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other” (Par. 1, Definition). Control. The abuser seeks control over their victims. When their control is threatened they act out in ways harmful to others. Domestic
Social Work’s core philosophy and values are centered around social justice and social well-being. Oppression, injustice, discrimination, and violence are antithetical to the social work profession. Social Work believes in strength-based approaches and the person-in-environment perspective to cater the needs and welfare of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society at large. Generally, the target populations for social work are vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed people; however, social workers provide services to people with a wide range of problems, such as poverty, addiction, mental illness, etc. to empower them to meet their own needs. Historically, the social work profession started its operation by providing neighborhood