Social Work Academic Mission Statement: Purpose and Goals

Understanding Social Work Values and Social Justice

My understanding of the social work profession has developed over the course of my lifetime. Having been involved as a client in social worker–client interactions from a young age, I understand, at the most basic level, that a social worker's job is to help people dealing with circumstances that fall outside the norm of daily existence. To me, the core values of social work include service, social justice, recognition of the dignity and worth of every person, a focus on the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.

The idea of social justice is particularly important in the field of social work, though it can be very difficult to define. Social justice refers to the idea that every human being should be treated as though they have the potential to do good things and should be afforded the same opportunities. Social justice goes beyond the idea of surface equality. For example, social justice is not fulfilled simply by giving all students access to an equal education when those students are struggling with vastly different backgrounds and circumstances that make it impossible for all of them to utilize resources in the same way. Therefore, social justice does not mean that things are equal, but that they are just. It is just for some people to have access to greater resources than others in order to provide them with a fair opportunity at meaningful equality.

Personal History and Motivation to Serve

I am almost hesitant to describe the significant relationships and life experiences that have motivated me to enter the field of social work, because I fear that an honest response may appear to be seeking pity. However, I would be disingenuous if I pretended I was not significantly motivated by my own personal history to try to help others. I grew up in Jackson, Michigan, an area with a high crime rate and a high teen pregnancy rate. My mother struggled with both drug addiction and alcoholism, which significantly impacted her parenting abilities. I experienced sexual abuse as a child, which resulted in my becoming pregnant at the age of thirteen. There was no meaningful intervention in my life, even though a pregnant pre-teen should have been a clear indicator of serious problems at home. I believe that social worker involvement earlier in my childhood may have prevented my abuse and pregnancy.

I witnessed many family members become involved with the social work system, and many were removed from their homes and placed in foster care. Their outcomes were not always positive, but these placements did appear to have meaningful positive impacts for some of those individuals. The personal characteristic that will serve me best as a social worker is that I am an optimist. I grew up under circumstances that lead many people to give up hope and turn to substances for comfort. I witnessed firsthand the impact of those choices on the people around me, and I determined that I would not follow that path. I joined the military, where I worked hard and advanced through the ranks as an avionics technician. I refused to allow the negativity around me to define me, and I chose to define myself instead. When I gave birth to a child at thirteen, few people would have predicted that I would build a successful military career, much less pursue a master's degree. I believe that optimism is the personal quality that will best equip me for the social work profession.

Working Across Diverse Populations

I also incorporate that focus in my professional life. I currently work for the County of San Diego's Department of Child Support Services. One of the greatest travesties of modern American life is the absence of parents — most often fathers — from the lives of their children. One consequence of this absence is that single-parent homes are disproportionately impoverished. While the government cannot mandate direct parental involvement, it can mandate that non-custodial parents pay child support. I believe that helping enforce those laws helps bridge some of the economic inequities that affect single-parent households, though I also recognize that child support enforcement is a stop-gap measure rather than a permanent solution.

One of the things I have come to realize as an adult is that my decision to join the military was beneficial on many levels. Perhaps most significantly, military service gave me exposure to a wide variety of people from varied backgrounds. Moreover, military life placed me in close quarters with these individuals — many of whom I never would have encountered in civilian life. Therefore, when asked about my experiences working with populations different from my own, I find the question somewhat less daunting than others might. As a social worker, I will be called upon to work with people who have a real need for help and compassion, and I believe that these underlying human needs far outweigh the differences between people.

I do understand the need for cultural education, so that I can better understand the perspectives of potential clients. Behavior that is maladaptive in one cultural context can be positively adaptive in another, and I cannot appreciate those differences without studying the underlying culture. However, I do not believe it will be inherently difficult for me to relate to other human beings in need, as I was once in need myself. It will not be hard to empathize with someone who is frightened, intimidated, and feels completely alone — because those who should have been trustworthy have betrayed them. To me, that describes a significant portion of the population with whom a social worker will engage.