Reflective Account On Social Work

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Recommended: Sexuality, sexual identity and sexual orientation

Introduction As we have learned, social work is a helping profession as a result, it is vital that we as social workers are well adverse. Social workers most often are the first response team to clients. As a result, if we as social workers do not make a good impression by being empathetic, understanding, and supportive to our client’s needs; they are not going to return for services in the future. As social worker’s we are taught a set of skills (in which align to the NASW core values) that allow us to be successful and significant while provide assistance to our clients. This allows us to provide the appropriate treatment, resources, and have them readily available for the clients. It is our job as social workers to engage with clients …show more content…

Assistant this client would remind me of the challenges my child-hood best friend faced in regard to his sexual orientation and gender. Through junior high he was teased, bullied, and often made to feel as if he was not worthy. He attempted suicide multiple times and participated in self-harm activities such as, cutting. Many individuals often ignored him including local school staff and failed to seek professional help for him. His sexual orientation was not welcomed in our community and they believed in the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” phrase. As a result, supporting this client across their journey I would see many attributes relating to my friend, that could possibly trigger my own emotions. This could cause me to become over empathetic, take on a “sisterly” role vs. a therapist role, and cause a state of …show more content…

Researcher Milford suggest, when working with members of the LBGT community, as social workers we need to acknowledge the vast discrimination this group of individuals has faced as well as, how it has impacted and shaped their life. (2015). As social worker’s it is vital we have an understanding of – aging, sexual orientation, and gender identity. According to an article written by a group of professional social workers, incoming helpers need to understand the client system and how a firm understanding can only be understood through its environment (Goldsen, Ellis, Goldsen, Emlet, & Hooyman, 2014). These professionals suggest this population of individuals receive treatment within their own families, groups, and

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