Social Worker Essays (Examples)

As the number of dementia patients with end-stage illness is increasing; a higher number of social workers will be required to treat them in the future. It is important to evaluate the behavioral patterns of social workers dealing with such patients. The main purpose of such research is to identify the possible causes for such behavior so that necessary measures can be taken to reverse the situation.

ole of Hospice Social Workers

As shown by the statistics presented by NHPCO, 2005, although more than 81% of end-stage dementia patients are adults over 65 years, only 8% are found to be treated in hospice settings. Since dementia lists under the top five illnesses causing death in elderly patients above 65 years, this equates to only a fraction of the thousands of patients who die annually of dementia receiving specialized end of life care provided by hospice programs (Simons et al. 2011).…

Social Worker Ethics

Ethical dilemma:

Privacy and Confidentiality

One of the most difficult situations for a social worker is when he or she must deal with confidentiality issues regarding a minor. For example, if a social worker is counseling an adolescent girl with an eating disorder in the context of a family intervention, the girl's understandably concerned parents may wish that the social worker disclose what the girl says during private therapy sessions. However, the adolescent must feel as if he or she can speak freely, to fully benefit from the sessions.

At the beginning of the session, the nature of the private counseling sessions should be defined, according to the social worker's code of ethics: "(f) When social workers provide counseling services to families, couples, or groups, social workers should seek agreement among the parties involved concerning each individual's right to confidentiality and obligation to preserve the confidentiality of…

She stated that she frequently refers to Social Work Codes of Ethics and Values. When HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) came into effect, protections regarding the privacy of individuals became more stringent under law regarding information stored electronically. The social worker must ask for consent from the client when disclosing information and ensure that all information is kept secure. The social worker must at all times be legally and ethically compliant with current law and the tenants of her profession.

On an emotional level, keeping a professional sense of distance while maximizing the efficacy of the profession can be challenging. A social worker must often strike a delicate balance between acceptance of the client, and honoring the client's innate dignity and worth, while still striving to push him or her forward. The social worker said that empathy was a core component of her practice. Listening and acknowledging the…

Social workers are not in great demand in the United States because of rapidly emerging job opportunities that require the services of someone with educational degrees and experience in social work. It is widely believed that professional social workers are now the most highly paid individuals in the field of public service.

This paper presents an in-depth study of the emerging field of professional social workers and focuses on every important aspect of this career choice.

SOCIAL WOK

DUTIES AND ESPONSBILITIES

Social work has recently been gaining tremendous attention as a career option because there apparently is a serious dearth of qualified social work practitioners in our country. Apart from this reason, another important factor, which has contributed towards the evolvement of social work as a profession, is connected with emerging branches of various fields, which require services of social workers. We need to understand that social work as a…

Social Worker Practices -- Family Support

There are many issues to take into consideration for the social worker when in the process of offering the best possible services to families. For a student who plans to enter the field of social work, there are important matters that must be understood and planned for. ecause of the diversity that social workers encounter in terms of clients' ethnicities, and the need for sensitivity, thoroughness, and full professionalism for all clients, it behooves a student entering into this field to learn all he or she can about the emerging realities that are out there. The need for competence and awareness has never been greater than today in this field. Hence, this paper focuses on those high quality practices that help support families.

The Literature -- Family Support and High Quality Practices

Through his referencing of a quote from The New York Times author…

Being bilingual, I would like to focus on social work in multicultural settings. Facilitating meaningful dialogue between various cultures within a society is something I would find especially rewarding; it is my belief that a little compassion and understanding can go a long way, and sometimes it takes little more than a calm voice to provide a solution. I have excellent communication skills, and would love to employ them to a truly good end.

I am strongly committed to the principles of the NASW Code of Ethics: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Taken as a whole, these principles require dedication to something higher than oneself. I believe that humanity possesses a greatness that is sometimes hard to see in individual human, and I believe it is the job of the social worker to find that greatness in any circumstance,…

That said, if the U.S. House of Representatives cooperates with the U.S. Senate and passes reform legislation to offer those 11 million immigrants an opportunity toward citizenship, that will change for many of those people. Hence, acculturation will become -- and is now -- an important issue in how the majority population should relate to those immigrants.

For social workers (and other professionals in healthcare and welfare-related agencies) acculturation should mean a kind of "moving and mixing" within the larger U.S. culture rather than simply expecting immigrants to go from culture a to culture B, and basically become like Americans of European extraction, according to an article in the peer-reviewed journal Human Development (Bhatia, et al., 2001).

hy is the history of American immigration policies relevant to social workers today? That question can be answered by using Bhatia's research, which reflects that due to the "diasporas" in "First orld" communities…

Social Worker

Social work is significant aspect of the society as it helps in caring for those in need. Those in this profession need to develop awareness of the underlying knowledge associated with the key principles of social work. Social workers need to illustrate their ability to apply knowledge and skills, values via case studies. It is important for social workers to demonstrate awareness of the skills needed to establish relationships with other service users as well as colleagues by communicating effectively.

Empathy is a critical characteristic required for those who are pursuing career in social worker. Empathy comes in handy as this work involves interacting with people in crisis predicaments seldom meeting their clients once the issues are resolved. A social worker is expected to rise above sympathy and must have true empathy for those they engage with. Gerdes and Segal (2011) in a journal article explain that epathy…

Social Worker Skills

What Makes a Good Social Worker?

The qualities that make a good social worker include many of the qualities that indeed make a good person, such as: being a good listener, having compassion and empathy for those less fortunate, giving of one's time and talent unselfishly, and avoiding any semblance of prejudice or lack of understanding of those persons who are in ethnic minority communities or are challenged emotionally, socially or physically.

But beyond simply being a good person, a professional social worker must be up-to-date with all laws and regulations regarding those receiving benefits and assistance; a social worker must be willing to get the training and develop the skills that will assist him or her in truly providing help to those in need, whether they be physically handicapped, victims of domestic violence, mentally handicapped, or in other ways "out of the mainstream" of society.

Good…

social worker has been continually evolving. This is because they are being called upon to perform a variety of tasks. The result is that a shift has occurred in how they deal with challenges and the strategies they are utilizing to meet the needs of stakeholders. To achieve these objectives Lawrence Shulman discusses select ideas utilizing a new approach. This offers insights about the value and limitations of using his strategies in the real world. Together, these elements will highlight specific steps that must be taken to ensure they are reaching out to various segments and the best tactics for incorporating them as a part of their practices.

Describe the interactional approach to helping, the value or limitations to such an approach. Include a list of key concepts and definitions.

The interactional approach is designed to offer social workers with a new way of looking at the situation and analyzing…

Social Worker's Dilemma

A Social Worker's Moral Dilemma:

The Kantian & Utilitarian Approach

A Social Worker's Dilemma:

A Kantian & Utilitarian Approach

While Philosophy is the investigation of the ultimate questions of life, e.g., Is there a God?, or How do we know what we know?, Ethics (also called Moral Philosophy) is the philosophical investigation of questions about morality (Gensler & Spurgin, 2008). In our everyday lives we are faced with moral dilemmas and sometimes we must quickly judge what decision is the best based on our contemporary principals of knowledge and methodology regarding the circumstances. Occasionally, we are faced with an issue where no amount of sound reasoning completely justifies an action and leaves us asking ourselves, "Did I make the right decision?" While both Kantian and Utilitarian modes of thought have developed criteria for making such decisions concerning morality, they vary in that each model has a different…

social workers being trained with sufficient coursework and field-level research assignments as regards the alcohol-related issues some of their future clients will be challenged with? Are college and university faculty -- those instructors that train and prepare social workers -- including pertinent coursework in the curricula that adequately prepares social workers vis-a-vis the alcohol-related problems they will invariably encounter in the future? Is there a gap between what social workers are learning in masters-level classes (MS) and what they will actually need to know in terms of their ability to achieve success with problem drinkers? The answer to the first two questions -- based on the literature -- is a solid "no"; and the answer to the third question in this introduction is "yes" (Richardson, 2008).

The Literature and Relevance to Social ork Practice

In the Journal of Social ork the author reports on a 2005 study of 89 masters-level…

The reason why is because, Michael has not engaged in any kind of behavior that is considered to be a crisis. If there were other underlying issues that he was wrestling with (such as: drug abuse, alcoholism or uncontrolled rages), then this kind of technique would need to be utilized. as, this will help the social worker to: intervene in those situations where the behavior of the individual is declining. (Michael a Gay Son 1980)

Systems Theory Approach

The system theory approach states that society and the workplace are similar to a large family. What is happening in these situations is that, the same kind of: rules, regulations and social norms will apply to these different sub-groups within society. This can have an impact upon the behavior of an individual, as they are often influenced by: the various social perceptions inside these groups. This can be problematic, as this will…

human Services clients and the specific helping skill that can be used with clients.

The range of problems facing human services clients and the specific helping skills that can be used with clients

"Human services tend to be as broad as the needs and problems of the client base" (Helping those in need, 2011, BLS: 23). Problems faced by the clients of social service workers are often called 'problems in living' or problems with families and commitments; seeking an education, adapting to a new culture; caring for others and other life cycle-related issues (Woodside & McClam 2011: 6). Problems may have psychological, social, or environmental dimensions. The world is in a continual state of change, disrupting traditional relationships and ways of life and additional support is often necessary for a wide range of clients.

Social service workers may offer assistance in the form of social control (such as for children…

Family Members

Main Issues the family Members face and the sorts of strengths

The construct of social work is directed towards correcting existential social abnormalities to engender better living environments. Social-work functions both at the individual and societal levels to infuse better living conditions, especially in communities where turbulence marks the order of the day. Social work, in as much works on the principles of human rights and social justice (McEntyre, 2010). A social worker gains insights from theologies, practiced norms and individual experiences to correlate the socio-cultural and ethnic fundamentals towards normalization of individual and societal well-being (Connolly & Harms, 2009).

The primary aim of social work is to ensure sustained human well-being. In this pursuit, social workers aim to address the disconcert in social groups and communities. The main areas of attention they then seek to address are those of recognizing the human potential for development through the…

role of a social worker and evaluates their contributions to the drug court team on the basis of the ten key components of Drug Courts. There has been research on the role of social workers role in drug courts. However, there has not been so much focus on the effectiveness and process of the activities by social workers. Therefore there is need for a further evaluation of structural and process characteristics and hence need a qualitative research to clarify the findings of quantitative studies.

The research method used involves an in-depth descriptive explanatory case study. The subject is a social worker in a Midwestern country court which occurred over the course of two years. The data was collected through a series of interview with the social worker as well as observation. The case study gives a description of how a social worker implements the ten key components of the drug…

Ultimately, the answer lies in the fact that eating disorders are mental disorders, or disordered ways of viewing the world and one's own body. One suffering from an eating disorder has an illness just as does someone with diabetes. As such, an individual with anorexia should be treated in the same manner, and treatment should be given without consent, if one is not competent to refuse. Just as one would provide aide to someone in a diabetic coma without their specific instruction, so should one provide treatment, including force feeding, to someone suffering from anorexia who is unable to make a rational choice due to his or her disorder.

According to the National Institute of Health, Doctors are unsure if being subjected to force feeding effects the chance of overall success of treatment. Force feeding tends to come at a point in a the disease where the individual is in…

Conversation With Indigenous Social Worker

his assignment consists meeting a person aboriginal community Canada. I chose meet social worker Kahnawake reserve, I time. I've included part assignment I submitted teacher's comments, idea required, rest invented story I'm running ideas,'s reason I request services.

Conversation with indigenous social worker on Kahnawake reserve

For my conversation, I decided to speak with a social worker on the Kahnawake reserve, an area traditionally inhabited by the Mohawk people. I chose this subject for several critical reasons. First, I felt that a social worker would be able to provide a unique insider/outsider perspective on the problems of the Mohawk. On one hand, as a member of the tribe, he would still be 'of the people' and able to offer an insider's point-of-view, on the other hand he would also have the distanced perspective of someone who had studied some of the social problems faced by…

Social Worker

The National Association of Social Workers defines social work as "...the professional activity of helping individual, groups, or communities to enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and to create societal conditions favorable to this goal."

Most social workers understand this goal, but the best social workers have a true understanding of why their role is so desperately required in today's society. This understanding comes through an appreciation of history as well as real-life working and personal experiences that underscores the lessons of time.

ritish sociologist Nigel Horner cites changes that emerged in the mid nineteenth century as a result of industrialization that have led to social upheaval and the resulting need for social work. These include mass urbanization, high levels of labor migration, extreme exploitation of labor, religious turmoil, high levels of illness, disease and infant mortality and the disintegration of traditional social relations of mutual…

How School Social Workers Help ChildrenIntroductionThe problem of interest to the proposed study concerns the various reasons students need assistance from social workers, which typically include a lack of financial or academic resources and/or lack of a family support system in the home. Children that are enrolled in school today are not only faced with the entire panoply of challenges that have long been associated with an early academic career (Dealey, 2017), they are also confronted with a life-threatening global pandemic that has them and their parents validly concerned about their safety (London, 2020). Moreover, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has also significantly disrupted normal school attendance across the country, in some cases for lengthy periods of time, and these young learners will be forced to play catch up with their unaffected peers for the foreseeable future when and if they are able to return to a normal classroom environment. Likewise,…

Personal Statement

What are the reasons and experiences that led you to choose social work as a profession?

I have chosen social work as a profession because social work affords me the opportunity to help others in times of challenge. Social work is by no means easy -- by definition the job means that you are working with people in need -- but it is rewarding. My own personal circumstances have convinced me that this is something I want to do. When I was 11, my mother became disabled. I saw what professionals were able to do with respect to helping people, and the difference that it made in her life and in mine. This experience that I had growing up is something that has always stuck with me, and for me having the opportunity to help others is something that drives me. In my present role, I am a…

Social Work: Creating a Self-Care PlanAccording to Birkenmaier & Berg-Weger (2018), personal self-care is very different from professional self-care. On a personal level, of course, it is very important to set aside time to relax in a relatively unpressured setting (versus having to arrange a formal outing for the family). But professional self-care specifically relates to setting boundaries. It is not enough to merely take a nice bath or have a nice dinner after a hard day of work, if there is still the pressure to check messages and communicate with the office. Self-care can be defined as the self-initiated, proactive behaviors that are intended to maintain your physical, emotional, and social health (Birkenmaier & Berg-Weger, 2018, p.1).Self-Care PlanTime ManagementA good example of professional self-care, for example, is setting a specific time after which individuals cannot call and letting individuals know they cannot always expect an immediate response to emails…

Social Worker SupervisionEffective Supervision-Social WorkersSupervision in social work encompasses emotional support, administrative management of cases, professional development and mediation, and learning from and reflecting on practice. Effective supervision refers to giving a social worker the responsibility to work with another social worker or worker to meet the intended goals. Professional supervision is key to achieving effective social work. It plays a significant role in the general functioning of the social care organization. It is essential for social workers, both leaders, and managers, to manage and deliver effective supervision. Poor supervision is a barrier to effective and good social work; hence there is a need for supervision to be incorporated in each department as far as social work is concerned (NASW, 2012).Effective supervision is an essential mechanism necessary for social workers, particularly within a society with many vulnerable individuals. Whether one is a newly qualified social or support worker or an…

Field Class- Macro Social Worker 21. As critical thinking is not just thinking, but thinking which entails self-improvement, discuss how your judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making has improved since your understanding of the application of critical thinking to your learning and practice of social work.With the knowledge of critical thinking, I have since developed the tendency to analyze every piece of information before conceiving them to make proper decisions and judgments. I have to think creatively, logically, and deeply to understand issues better and make sound conclusions while solving any problem (Mathias, 2015). As a critical thinker, I usually ask many questions whenever faced with any problem or decision before making any form of judgment (Brown & Rutter, 2008). For instance, I mostly begin by asking myself such questions: How do I know what is happening? What do I know currently? To get a better knowledge and perspective of what I…

Harry Hopkins

FDR and his trusted advisor Harry Hopkins

(Photo credit: www. GustavoPiga.it) Social orker, Presidential Advisor to FDR, Administrator of New Deal Programs and Noted Diplomat Representing American Values & Security

Biography

Harry L. Hopkins was born on August 17, 1890, in Sioux City, Iowa, and was the fourth of five children raised by David Aldona and Anna Picket (Georgetown.edu). During his childhood Hopkins lived in Chicago and Nebraska, but at the age of 11 his family returned to Iowa and after high school he attended -- and graduated cum laude from -- Grinnell College in Iowa. That was 1912, and in 1913 he married Ethel Gross; between 1912 and 1933 Hopkins engaged in the field of social work, his passion. hen orld ar I began, Hopkins served as head of the Gulf Division of the American Red Cross, helping the families of soldiers that were sent to war…

Introduction
The strength-based perspective is rooted in the idea that individuals have strengths and resources that can be used to assist them in their recovery process (Climie & Mastoras, 2015). The idea behind this approach stems from notion that human beings are resilient and capable of self-determination. According to Maslow’s (1943) theory of human motivation and the hierarchy of needs model that he proposed, individuals can attain a quality of self-actualization so long as they have their lower level needs met first—such as food, shelter, security, love, friendship and esteem. Each of these lower level needs provides a support for the person as he or she climbs up the ladder of development towards self-determination. This paper will examine the issue of heroin addiction and show how a social worker can apply the strength-based perspective to help the heroin addict deal with and overcome the addiction.
The Strength-Based Perspective
Part of…

Social Work JusticePart AArticle SummaryUsing a different approach towards justice, Newark Community Solutions offers better and personalized sentencing options to reform and not punish the offender. The normal sentencing options punish and lead to increased crime rates in the community. The Newark Community Solutions employs what has been learned from community courts and works towards implementing the same in the Newark Municipal Court (Center for Court Innovation, n.d.). The goal of increased sentencing options is to reduce crime rates, strengthen connections between courts and communities, and improve compliance with sanctions. A problem-solving approach to low-level cases in Newark ensures there are better methods for dealing with low-level cases, avoiding sending the offenders to prison.The sentencing options offered to the judges include community service, educational assessments, short-term group counseling and treatment readiness classes, and monitored placement in community-based treatment. These alternatives focus on reforming and offering assistance to the offender. Fines…

.....ending skills. Ending skills allow social workers to successfully conclude working relationships with clients (Cournoyer, 2013, p. 477). Ending skills comprise of reviewing the process, a final evaluation, saying goodbye and sharing ending emotions, and finally recording closing summary (Cournoyer, 2013). Along with the ending skills, the author includes the four most common kinds that are referral, transferal, client discontinuation, and termination. The client discontinuation form differs from the others in that it is exclusively client initiated. Although it may seem simple to end a working relationship with a client, it may be difficult to accomplish because of the varying factors that comprise a working relationship.

Just like ending a personal relationship, a working relationship may bring up feelings of loss and sadness, along with a myriad of other emotions. From the clients' perspective, the reactions may be even more intense. Clients share their personal lives, and at times make…

Social Work: Spiritual Assessment
Instruments for Spiritual Assessment
One of the five instruments for spiritual assessment is the spiritual history. This is the only verbal instrument. A practitioner using spiritual history obtains a client’s spiritual information using two sets of questions. The first set of questions seeks to help the client tell their story from childhood to the present. The second set helps the practitioner elicit spiritual information from the client by assessing the dimensions of the soul (cognition, will, and affect) and the spirit (intuition, conscience, and communion).
The second instrument is the spiritual life map, which is a diagrammatic or pictorial account of a client’s relationship with God. It shows where the client is coming from, where they are, and where they are going in regard to their relationship with God. The client sketches their spiritual journey from birth to the present, and continuing to death and the…

Anti-oppressive practice should not negate the risks posed to the child. Intervention based on anti-oppressive practice incorporates a risk and needs analysis of both mother and child (p. 237).

The authors also state that anti-oppressive practice must move beyond descriptions of the nature of oppression toward more dynamic and creative ways of working. Numerous theorists and authors have addressed these issues and show ways I which the social worker can develop a more anti-oppressive approach for certain specific tasks and in a general way for all social work practice. Hugman and Smith (1995) consider the idea in terms of ethical considerations, and clearly oppression itself is an ethical issue and anti-oppressive practices should serve as a more ethical construct and guide for the behavior of the social worker. A major concern has been the tendency for social workers to be affected by race and racism, as Barn (1993) notes with…

While the term "addiction" used to relate primarily to chemical addictions (i.e. drugs and alcohol), Straussner reports that social workers now also deal with "process addictions" such as gambling and anorexia. Furthermore, the responsibilities of the social worker toward addicts and their families have become expanded to the point where social workers are now involved in program and policy development, administration and scientific research. I believe that all of these expanding roles and responsibilities will help to solidify addiction as a significant part of the social worker's job description.

Some of the new and expanding roles of the social worker in regard to addiction even extend to other disorders or illnesses that often occur in conjunction with addiction. For example, Straussner reports that social workers have become increasingly involved in the fight against AIDS, the management of methadone treatment programs and mental health disorders that are often a result of,…

Whitney M. Young Jr. was born in 1921 in Lincoln idge Kentucky and lived until 1971. Young is most notably remembered as a black American civil rights leader and administrator of social work, and was considered one of the most influential civil rights leaders in America during the 1960s. His career as a race relations expert began when Young served as a go-between for white officers and African-American enlisted men in a segregated U.S. Army company in Europe during World War II. Young obtained a Master of Arts degree in social work from the University of Minnesota, after which he worked for the Urban League and later became executive secretary at one of the organization's branches. He was named Dean of Atlanta university's School of Social Work when he was only 33, and later became executive director of the National Urban League. In this director position, Young secured training and…

social issue that I want to discuss is that of illegal immigration, particularly where it pertains to families. Undocumented migrants face numerous social and legal challenges in America, but first and foremost they are human beings, and they are only here to seek a better life. Yet, the conditions under which they come are often trying. Many are virtual slaves, others struggle with the lack of access to public services, housing, and employment. In many instances there are children involved. There is also an element of social advocacy with respect to this issue --one need not look any further than protests in the past year or two in border states that targeted undocumented children to see how vulnerable this population is. Politically, the issue of undocumented immigrants might be highly-charged, but for the field of social work it is a human issue. These are people, after all, and the challenges…

ural Social Service Disparities and Creative Social Work Solutions for ural Families Across the Life Span." It is found in the Journal of Family Social Work, volume 16, issue 1 from the year 2013 and is written by Melinda Lewis, Diane Scott and Carol Calfee.

This article examines the role that social services performs in rural regions and why its role in these areas has been "historically" something of a challenge for social workers (Lewis, Scott, Calfee, 2013, p. 101). A number of factors present themselves as barriers to social workers attempting to reach individuals or families in rural communities: some of these barriers are multicultural, religious, social, economic, and even political. Each of them represents itself as a bias towards outsiders, such as social workers, who appear to have a foreign agenda. This lack of understanding of what the social worker is about is a cause of fear, alarm…

Group Process

Social workers deal with many different types of people in many different situations, but probably the most common interaction is with some type of group. The job of a social worker is to be an advocate for whomever the individual is working with and to find resources that the individual or group did not know existed. This work can either be difficult because the worker in question does not understand the dynamics involved in the work, or it can be made easy by focusing on the objectives of the particular assignment. When working with a group of people it is essential to remember what type of group it is, know the roles the different participants can take, and have the training required to adequately facilitate the group.

Understanding the type of group is the first step. The study guide (Maidment, 2010) lists the different types of groups that…

Group Coaching Program

You must know your niche. Beginning with the business value proposition, develop a clear idea of what the business has to offer that is unique and solves a problem for the customers. Identify the target market through market research. The business value proposition is to provide means for the social workers to maintain high levels of motivation during the course of their daily work. Market research will be accomplished by conducting email surveys of members of the Association of Social Workers.

Once the social workers have completed their preparation and acquired positions, they do not have access to a professional group on a weekly or monthly basis. The work is grindingly difficult and it is extremely easy for social workers to become jaded and overwhelmed -- feeling like they are bailing out a sinking boat with a sieve.

Have a system and adapt that system for this…

Racism

There have been several well-publicized incidents of blatant racism in the news lately, including the bigoted remarks by the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, and the racist rant (suggesting that blacks were better off as slaves) by Nevada rancher, Cliven Bundy. Meanwhile other nationally known figures have also made statements about racism, including billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team, who claimed he, too, is bigoted against African-Americans (especially when he sees a black youth in a "hoody"). These remarks -- and the media's coverage of the verbally expressed racism -- have piqued my interest in the subject. So I have in this paper referenced the position of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) on racism, and have also presented some of my own views as well.

Section One: What is your person opinion on racism and what led you to this…

Social workers often have commitments to specific policies, laws, or funding of programs that are vital to the population they serve or an issue that they strongly support. Such commitments often lead social workers to become involved in political issues and the campaigns of specific candidates. Being a social worker, such campaign experiences, the outcomes of your efforts, and how effective you felt you were may affect your view of the political process and the likelihood of becoming involved in similar campaigns in the future. Social workers' involvement in political advocacy is usually influenced by the impact of politics on social work practice. Through advocacy and lobbying in the political arena, social workers seek to promote changes in legislation and policy to enhance social conditions and promote social justice towards meeting basic human needs. In essence, social workers' participation in political advocacy is geared towards protecting individuals' rights and enhancing…

Social Work Exercises

Preparing for 3 Clients

Mrs. Nancy Cannon telephoned from her place of work ( the Capital nsurance Company -- phone [HDDEN] She sounded concerned. She said that on the previ-ous Saturday night, her 14-year-old daughter Amy had come home after her 9: 00 p. m. curfew, smelling of alcohol. She says that she " grounded" her daughter but now wants to talk with a social worker about the situation. Mrs. Cannon requested an appointment for herself alone, indicating that she wanted to sort things out with someone before she dealt further with her daughter.

Mrs. C. reported that this was the first such incident. She said, " 've never had any trouble whatsoever from Amy. She's been a wonderful child." She stated that she had not sought pro-fessional help before and that this was her first contact with any social service or mental health agency. She indicated…

This in turn generates a kind of societal morality. As a consequence, social order becomes an incorporated trait of everyday life. According to the theory, what people see as standards are indirect behavioral rules. Infringements of the standard lead to diverse amounts of punishment depending on how common the standard may be. Chastisements can come in the shape of being disqualified from one's social group, critical looks, or imprisonment in the case of harsh infringements like killing or assault (Jeanty, 2010).

As sociologists and historians examine social work, they often see a profession the spirit of which is social control. For them the language of therapy, assisting, or even empowerment masquerades a coercive center. Various recent literature of the vocation, conversely, has confronted the attitude of those researchers who depend on case reports as proof of what social workers in fact do in the field has highlighted empowerment in the…

Cradock's 2004 study of a correlation between population categories and child abuse lead to the development of an assessment tool that allowed social workers to determine when children were at risk for child abuse and when to intervene and what actions would be seen as an over-intervention. By using this assessment, social workers will not only know how to identify the serious danger of child abuse and what children are at-risk for being abused, but also the assessment makes it possible for social workers to determine when intervening in the situation may be dangerous or unnecessary for the children involved. Of similar importance are the tools developed to assess and evaluate those convicted of both child physical and sexual abuse. In Milner and Murphy's 1995 study, the methods of assessment and evaluation are discussed and critiqued. These methods, including interview, observation, personality tests, and offender-specific assessments, are all studied in…

While he supported me in my endeavors, he raised many questions, >Why do you want to enter social work? How do you think you are going to provide for your family and the lifestyle you are accustomed to?" Deferring to socialization pressures that still impel them to fulfill the "breadwinner" role and avoid feminine characteristics, they may segregate themselves from women in the profession, selecting specialties or positions that society deems as more appropriate for men (Williams, 1995). They too may emphasize the masculine aspects of their jobs to "reduce the dissonance between their professional and gender identities" and to justify their career choices (Christie, 1998, p. 506). Thereby, male social workers adhere more closely to the social definition of masculinity" (ritton, J. & Stoller M., 1998).

The young people who are trying to enter into a social work profession "hope to advance research and social work services for men…

Social Work

oger Plachy's 1986 book When I Lead, Why Don't They Follow? distinguishes the difference between a manager and a leader. The book also offers specific tools and techniques to improve effectiveness at being both a manager and a leader. A core tenet of When I Lead, Why Don't They Follow is that leadership entails the expression of values. Leaders inspire because they mirror the values held by their followers. Plachy suggests that when followers subsequently empower leaders to advocate on their behalf, the leader becomes a "leader-manager." Similarly, when a person in a designated managerial role begins to express the values held by subordinates or colleagues, that person becomes a leader-manager. The hybrid leader-manager role is one that characterizes the social work profession.

Social workers straddle the line between leadership and management because of their role as guides, helpers, and advocates. These multiple roles make some social workers…

social workers find themselves in the position of being primary care coordinators. This is especially true in situations like the Parker family's, in which there are multiple interrelated issues affecting the family and those issues require input from a wide variety of diverse healthcare workers. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) stresses the importance of developing and maintaining cross-disciplinary partnerships and partnerships across different organizations that can "enhance access to and continuity of care for social work clientele," (p. 33). Therefore, the most important thing to address whether in public policy or administrative procedure is to have protocols and standards in place for coordinating care across various disciplines and agencies.

The Parker family is dealing with several interrelated issues that include mental health issues but also gerontological ones. More effective coordination of care would help increase and improve access to mental health services for Stephanie while also addressing Sara's…

Social work history displays that the desire of social justice is both a task and a myth for employees and their immediate predecessors in organizations. This study provides a critical analysis of Janet Finn's and Maxine Jacobson's work titled "Just Practice." The great focus is on the first and the third chapter where their contributions and critical omissions are identified. Finn and Jacobson have worked hard to illustrate the historical development of social work, which was largely premised on charity for the poor (Finn, & Jacobson, 2003). In both chapters, they have elaborated in length on how social work came into being. Ideally, social work history revolves around the industrial revolution and the way the rise of capitalism created a gap between the rich and the poor. In the first chapter, the role of Charity Organization Societies and Settlement House Movement as the pioneers of social work has been elucidated…

Social Work Informatics in Child Protection

Social Work esearch

The research design for this study utilizes mixed methods in order to identify variables that function as benefits and inhibitors of the use of technology by child protection case workers. Surveys that are a hybrid of quantitative (correlational survey techniques) and qualitative approaches will be conducted with case workers (Creswell, 2009). Survey questions that will permit inclusion of qualitative data in this study are considered to be essential by this author as they yield data that provides depth and detail from which to create understanding of the phenomena under study and the lived experiences of the survey respondents, which in this instance are case workers who provide child protection services (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Accordingly, the survey will contain both close-ended and open-ended items, such that quantitative data is available for analysis of correlations and qualitative data is available for grounded…

Social Justice

Improving social justice for women has been identified as one of the building blocks of social change. Population control, education, and the eradication of domestic violence are all interlinked. "UNICEF estimates that worldwide, some 117 million school-aged children do not attend school, 62 million of them girls. Attendance rates are lowest in sub-Saharan Africa, where only 57% of girls are in school, and just 15% of these go on to secondary school" (About us, 2011, Women's global education fund). Women's education is not simply a feminist issue. Higher rates of female education are linked to lower birth rates and better health outcomes for children as well as women.

Women who are educated are more empowered to take control over family planning and have more resources to take care of the children they do have. "Educated mothers limit their families," says Dr. Yasmin aashid, a leader in obstetrics and…

Social Work Research -- Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

Bowie, S.L., & Hancock, H. (2000, Fall) African-Americans and graduate social work education: a study of career choice influences and strategies to reverse enrollment decline. Journal of Social Work Education, 36(3), 429.

hese experienced researchers have reported on the influences of black MSW graduate careers. Demographics were taken into consideration in relation to social work program enrollment influences. Black MSW graduates were found to be most influenced by advancing their careers, acquiring new skills, and maintaining a professional status. he author further suggests recruitment strategies for attracting black students to graduate social work programs. he overall motivation for the minority MSW student is important when considering the affect of receiving public assistance on the desire to work with the poor and homeless.

Cozzarelli, C., & agler, M.J., & Wilkinson, A.V. (2001). Attitudes toward the poor and attributions for poverty. Journal of Social…

Identify each phase of the GIM Model that you are engaged in.
Empathy: “Weddings can be hard because they’re an occasion to pause and reflect how your own romantic relationships are.”
“It’s never easy suddenly learning there’s a family member you didn’t know about.”
Positive Regard: “You were brave just to attend the family reunion, let alone to see your sister the next day.”
“That’s wonderful you decided to write to your uncle.”
Congruence: “I agree. Most people would not have been able to go back to work so soon after that happened.”
“You’re right. It does take a lot to approach someone you don’t even really know.”
Paraphrasing: “So it was because you were away from your family so long that you became sad?”
“I see. The time away contributed to your feelings of depression.”
Summarizing Phase: “Overall, it sounds like you’ve been experiencing symptoms of depression including alienation…

Social ork History

Like America, Canadian social work has always been about helping the poor and distressed citizens of the nation. The ideas from England had migrated to America and Canada. Both countries are based on migrants from other countries. There were many movements that developed and promoted social work and the ways that social work was implemented. The industrial revolution had left many unemployed without proper job training for the new work. Migrants were migrating from country to country and from rural areas to the cities causing cities to be overcrowded with unemployment, low wages, and homelessness.

One area that differed from American social work and Canadian social work was the way the poor and disadvantaged were viewed and the systematic investigation approach in Canada. The poor were viewed negatively by other citizens. It was felt the problems the poor had were a result of a weakness of character.…

In the case of disclosure to harm oneself or others, the social worker has an ethical responsibility to refer the individual for further evaluation and possible commitment to a psychiatric facility equipped to aid the individual and potentially avert any future harm. The social worker must then use his or her professional judgment to determine if such goals or proposed actions pose a serious and imminent threat to self or others. The NASW code identifies this need to disclose as the social worker's ethical responsibility to larger society. (National Association of Social Workers, 2008)

Additionally, as part of the NASW Code the social worker is ethically bound to aide in the individual's self-determination and to help them give voice to and even codify their goals. (National Association of Social Workers, 2008) Ultimately, it is the primary goal of the social worker to help clients identify potential problems in social functioning.…

Therefore, today's society in the United States is diverse, which is something a social worker needs to understand and know how to deal with each diverse group. Furthermore, through research, it has been discovered most ethnic groups that live in the United States consist of young people, which means by staying in this country, they grow accustom to their surroundings. Once they have grown accustom to living here, they feel like this is their home to start a life with their own families. This continues the growing number of ethnic groups in this country.

Due to the educational accommodations that schools and college campuses make for students that have ethnic backgrounds, there is not enough prejudice of one group to let a Holocaust to occur in the United Stated. Furthermore, this country believes in freedom of speech to allow one ethnic to be isolated from the rest and condone any…

(Huff, Social ork, 2000, Chapter 1, p.3)

Private efforts were not enough to treat the ills caused by the unchecked capitalism of the Gilded Age, however, an age that brought tremendous wealth to some Americans and tremendous poverty to others. During the first depression occasioned by this split between the haves and the have-nots in 1890, private relief organizations could not cope. "In Mulberry Bend, the heart of the Italian district, one-third of all babies born in 1888 died before their first birthdays. Traditional agencies such as the Children's Aid Society and the Salvation Army were overwhelmed, incapable of meeting the demands placed on their services." (Huff, Social ork, 2000, Chapter 1, p.4) "The old shibboleths commonly accepted as the major causes of poverty, low character, indolence, and intemperance, were replaced with more systemic theories," that sought economic and social causes as the cure, rather than moral reform. (Huff, Social…

Social workers try to help people make the most of their environment, their relationships, and any struggles they might have with money or family. A lot of social workers deal with people who face life-threatening circumstances, such as criminal activity or substance abuse. Other issues that social workers try to tackle are inadequate housing, unemployment, illness, disability, or difficulties around childbirth (Social Work Professions: Summary of the Social Worker Fields, 2010).

There are various social work specializations, but the larger categories include child, family, and school social workers, who provide social services and assistance to children and their families; medical and public health social workers who provide support for people with illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, or AIDS; mental health and substance abuse social workers who deal with people who struggle with psychological issues; and social workers who deal with the intricacies of social policy and planning (Social Work…

The stopping of treatment is the primary reason for this early intervention. This tactic has been extremely successful for many years and should be

Once the induction interviews are complete, the client and the social worker can move on to treating the patient. Once the treatment has started it is vitally important that the social worker pay careful attention to eliminating communication patterns that are counterproductive. Social workers have to be careful not to get stuck in unproductive type of communication that serve no purpose and do nothing to assist the client.

In addition if a social worker must examine the family functioning and diverse family and cultural contexts. This simply means that the social worker is responsible for examining the home situation of the client and assisting the client based on this environment. There are several different family structures that may be present including single family homes, blended families…

Those values include the fact that I am very socially conscious and am very aware of my responsibilities and obligations as a social worker. I constantly strive to comprehend and understand the theories of human behaviors and social systems, and in doing so I strive to employ that understanding in order to promote the positive aspects of society and mankind. I am very apt to assist someone in solving the problems faced in their life or lives, and oftentimes see simple solutions even in the most complex scenarios. My strengths are that the values and beliefs I hold dear are the same values and beliefs that will hold me in high regard with the clientele I am most likely to interact with.

Humanism in particular plays a pivotal role in my values since I have always cared for my fellow humans and will continue to do so for as long…

One of the primary concerns was multicultural relationships -- the recognition that ethics were relative to specific cultures and that each culture had to be understood according to its own functions, has to be respected for what it is, and had to be addressed in light of its cultural history and practices so that its people could best be helped. Social work had come a long way from attempting to squeeze all citizens of America in the model of the 'perfect American' as it had done in the 1920s. Nowadays, it is well-recognized that immigrants have many problems that deter them from receiving the rights that all Americans should receive optimal beneficial medical care and healthy living accommodations. Suffering from handicapped language skills and ignorance about the ways of their new land, immigrants are often exploited by an unjust and insensitive system as well as by willful individuals. This is…

Social Work has often been criticized as being a non-Intellectual discipline and yet much of this work requires strenuousness that other professions lack.

Social work requires the creativity and willingness of being able to see and craft a story from various angles. As Fook (2002) discusses, the social worker has to have the capacity of being able to frame the situation in various ways, which match the discourse of the group to whom the problem applies. Each of the various members see, and experience, the problem in a different way, and the social worker has the challenging task of having to step into each of these perspectives and craft the story form his or her vantage point. This means letting go of power and assuming willingness to adopt a new language, and identity that echoes that of the other. By doing so, the worker changes from one who recommends and…

al., 2009).

Part 5 -- Use of reframing

eframing refers to the manner in which something is said, or the actions one takes in introducing certain elements to clients -- perhaps a new way of looking at an old problem, of themselves, of a clinical issue. In the case of Mrs. O., we would ask that she look to the expansion of her universe through developing language abilities, or helping to find her translation assistance. The reframing stage would also be indicating that her cultural privacy issues about the effects of her medical problems might be contributing to her pain and suffering over them. Instead, reframing the issue would allow us to find a way to solve the problem, while still slowly moving within Mrs. O's comfort zone. eframing, in fact, is applicable when the fixed attitude constitutes a fundamental part of the issue -- in this case, a cultural…

Social Problem Related to Human Services

Social justice implies citizens’ equal entitlement to the self-same services and rights. In this paper, the inequalities in providing various human services to different societal groups in the nation will be addressed.

Beginning with education, a fundamental human service, it is a highly concerning fact that the nation’s educational system continually fails unwanted, abused and neglected children. Also, foster children totally at society’s mercy for survival are largely ignored. As children don’t have any avenue for voicing their views and demands, and cannot finance political campaigns, protest for improved services, or lobby elected representatives in order for being heard, it is the responsibility of society’s adults to speak for this faction of society. Attempts at organizing an effective child welfare system can be traced back to the late nineteenth century, when the nation’s contemporary system of foster care was established and Charles Loring Brace…