I personally view social work as a structured, multi-faceted platform that provides necessary, practical assistance and aid to those who direly need it. This comes in numerous different forms and reaches across all walks of life, but ultimately, the unequivocal similarity that all social workers in any branch of social work share is the ability to plant and foster seeds of positivity and growth in even the darkest, bleakest of places. I have experienced the transformative power of this very work firsthand and, frankly, I believe social work to be one of the most admirable and necessary professions to exist. As the late journalist Alexander Chase so aptly put it, “Social work is a Band-Aid on the festering wounds of society.” It is the role of social workers to clean up, to the best of their ability, the mess that is left behind in the lives of so many people because of social, economic, familial, or systemic shortcomings. While it is impossible for social workers to wholly rewire the system or entirely eliminate pervasive social problems, they are the ones who are on-site after the damage has been done, toolkit in hand, first-aid kit in hand, prepared to dirty their hands, ready to work their magic. And I am interested in becoming one of those workers and doing just that for families of addicts, trying my absolute best to enable others to flourish into the person they are meant to be, which they would not otherwise have had the luxury of accomplishing. I am interested in
The purpose of social work in the contemporary society is concern for the individual. The function of social work is to help solve problems in human relationships for a better quality of life and to protect them from harm and from harming others which will enhance well-being. I have decided to pursue social work as a profession because I am at the point in my life where I want a sense of fulfilment. I care about people, I want to help others. I want to make the world a better place to live. I want to be the change I want to see. I want to serve the people in society who are physical, mentally, and socially less privileged than I am and make them feel loved and accepted. I will work with all groups of people but I have a strong interest in working with children and people who suffer from mental illnesses and addiction. I am interested in social work because it is a career with lots of flexibility in an ever-changing field allowing me to work in different settings, with different goals and challenges, but with a shared purpose of serving the common good of people.
Walker developed a passion for social worker after her mother and brother-in-law passed away from substance use. Mrs. Walker stated her mother’s drug addiction negatively impacted the family dynamics because a large portion of her time and energy was spent, obtaining drugs instead of attending to their emotional and physical well-being. Mrs. Walker stated this was a very stressful time in her life because she was the person responsible for making decisions about her mother’s well-being and treatment options. This experience gave her unprecedented insight into the social service field which served a catalyst to her career choice. As a social worker, she hopes to improve the lives of the underserved population especially those suffering from addiction to substance
The “Grand Challenges for Social Work” are important because they promote: the well-being of people and families, a strong social fabric, and a just society that fights exclusion and marginalization, creating a sense of belonging, promoting trust, and offers pathways for social and economic progress (“American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare”, 2017). The 12 Grand Challenges help continue the transformation of society through social work. As a social worker, you are put able to make changes in the lives of those who need help, and the presented issue needs help. As stated in the Preamble of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being
It wouldn’t be an unknown fact that America is greatly populated by the Hispanic culture. Whether that be a mix of European and Hispanic races, there is no doubt that there is a strong Latino presence in the United States. Because of immigration in the 1800’s, and the overrun of the European and Hispanic countries onto American soil, thick cultural history was buried into the American melting pot. And though both European and Hispanic cultures came into America, Hispanics gravitated toward the west coast, because of its vicinity to the Mexican border. Their culture is greatly represented in America through their art, their identity, and their relationships with others in places like Texas, California, and Nevada.
The class SW 6030 Human Development and the Social Environment has brought new insights and makes me see some topics in a different perspective. The critical reflection paper number one will integrate different concepts that I learned so far in this class.
This paper explores the world of a Drug treatment Social Worker from an in person interview. The Interview with Melissa Rios Malave(LMSW,CASAC)(2015) demonstrated how much of an impact social workers can have on a person/community. Melissa Rios Malave specializes in drug treatment; prior to this interview I thought drug treatment was a waste of time and waste for government funding. Mrs. It is essential that social workers know their clients and know their cultures even better. Malave gave an in depth description of the role of a social worker in the drug treatment department. This paper examines the sights and sounds of a social worker.
I recently conducted an interview with a Social Worker by the name Kathryn Schley. She has her Masters of Social Work, she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is currently the Homeless Services Program Manager. The company she works at is called Southlight, a private non-profit health care organization. SouthLight’s mission is to, “meet the holistic needs of individuals facing addiction, mental illness, and chronic health challenges, by delivering compassionate and coordinated behavioral healthcare with successful outcomes” (SouthLight, 2012). Throughout this interview she provides advice, personal experiences, and tips for success in the Social Work profession.
For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to pursue a career in social work. Helping others is something I have always been passionate about and I hope to be able to make a difference in the lives of those around me. Throughout my life, I have always been the person my friends would go to when something was wrong and they needed to talk. Growing up, I also experienced close family members struggle with addiction and mental health problems. I have seen how damaging these experiences can be on an individual. I have also witnessed the effects these experiences can have on family relationships. My personal occurrences have instilled in me a further desire to become a social worker.
qualified to wait until I have obtained my certificate and have the tool of higher education under my belt. The specifics of what exactly I hope to accomplish by jumping as far as I possibly can in my professional life are to simply be the best social worker for addicts and their families that I can possibly be. The issues plaguing these people and their families are catastrophic, and I understand firsthand how damaging and divisive the effects can be. If I can help even one family understand and shape their family environment into a safer and more constructive one and to give back to even just a single individual who needs the kind of guidance and support that I needed (and thankfully received), then my life will be more than well-lived. However,
Social workers have long worked with people who abuse substances, beginning in the 1800’s with sobriety houses and inebriate asylums, to settlement houses in the profession’s beginnings to developing self-help, consumer-driven programs, designing inpatient detoxification programs, and to applying youth-oriented prevention and education programs. As an addictions counselor, the social worker is a part of a specialized profession that began with the wounded healer tradition of abstinence-based movements of the 18th century (White W. L., 2004). Social workers regularly encounter individuals, families, and communities affected by substance use disorders. Many social workers specialize in the alcohol, tobacco,
Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is an impairment in cortisol/aldosterone production.(1) Common manifestations of the disease include hyperpigmentation, hypoglycemia, lethargy, fatigue, muscle weakness, weight loss, dizziness and hypotension.(2) Biochemical criteria for AI diagnosis include very low serum cortisol levels (200 pmol/l).(2, 3)
My vision of the social work field is being able to help people in need and being the person that people can look back on and remember as a huge help in time of need. I think my core values and beliefs will help me be an effective social worker and help me succeed in this field. It is in my belief that a person should never be knocked down when they are going through hardships, and rather empowering them. I also believe that not everyone could be a social worker because it takes a certain kind of empathetic and self-aware person. I truly believe that my upbringing has humbled me to understand and not be judgmental of people’s issues since I’ve seen a lot in my short twenty-one years.
Social workers who work in the area of substance abuse concentrates on specific clients that have an addiction problem and those who are abusing different drug substances. Social workers who are working and dealing with cases of substance abuse can help clients on their journey to rehabilitation by being supportive, offering encouragement, and making the path to restoration a slightly easier. Social workers in this field use their knowledge and abilities to comprehend the needs of the client in relation to their substance abuse problems. The social worker measures the client to understand the severity of the substance abuse in order to know how to deal with the client. Social workers experienced in substance misuse and addiction often work as part of a team with other specialists, particularly licensed alcohol and drug therapists, doctors, and nurses.
Firstly, this essay will examine the fundamental concept of gender. According to West and Zimmerman (1987), the concept of doing gender is all about the routine people accomplish in their everyday lives. However, gender is not about what a person is, but it is something a person does in the process of interacting with others. West and Zimmerman (1987) argue that gender is something we do everyday, all the time, and it is an ongoing activity, so we cannot stop doing it. However, people do gender knowing that they will judge by other. By this they have been held accountable for their gender performances. Deutsch (2007) mentioned that doing gender has had an impact on the study of gender relations. However, this concept has social interactions
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