Placement Proposal Prospective field agency in social work:

Child, Youth & Family Services Department of the Government of Newfoundland, Canada

My decision to enter the field of social work is directly related to my personal experiences. I am a First Nations person and currently live on a reservation in Newfoundland, Canada. First Nations peoples strive to retain their cultures while still interacting with the rest of Canadian society. I believe that when dealing with problems relating to healthcare, child services, job placement, and other areas with which social workers can be helpful, there must be cultural sensitivity to the perspective of the individual who is being assisted. I believe that growing up as part of a bi-cultural environment will make me uniquely attuned to the needs of my future clients. I grew up with a profound need and belief that I was put on the earth to help people, and the profession of social work will provide me with a platform for doing so, and give a structure to my personal sense of mission.

My passion revolves around helping children. I truly believe that young people are the future and that every child has a right to a safe, healthy, and supportive environment. That is why I want to work for the Child, Youth & Family Services Department of the Government of Newfoundland, Canada. I know the area, I know the communities that are in need of support, and I can use my personal and professional experience to be of aid to me in my profession.

My initial learning goals...

I hope to gain greater understanding of the mission and evolving role of the Department. For example, one priority of the new department is to develop a more proactive child protection system. I would like to bear witness to how to handle this sensitive issue, so that children are protected without being further traumatized. Finding homes for at-risk children is a critical part of the Department's work. The Department also strives to provide support for families in need of services that enable them to care for their children. For those who cannot care for their children, the agency also provides adoptive services. All of these are highly individualized missions and must be tailored to the needs of the specific child as much as possible to prove truly effective. Through my initial education and observation, I hope to hone my sensitivity and so I can work with such difficult cases.
"The objectives of field education are the development of practice competence and the preparation of a professionally reflective, self-evaluating, knowledgeable and developing social worker (CASWE Standards for Accreditation, 2008, p.9). To work in an emotionally demanding field like child protective services requires intensive exposure within this specific subspecialty, and thus I believe this placement is essential for me to become the type of social worker I wish to become in the future. Understanding the needs of…