Social work is an academic discipline and profession that concerns itself with individuals, families, groups and communities in an effort to enhance social functioning and overall well-being. Social functioning refers to the way in which people perform their social roles, and the structural institutions that are provided to sustain them. Social work applies social sciences, such as sociology, psychology, political science, public health, community development, law, and economics, to engage with client systems, conduct assessments, and develop interventions to solve social and personal problems; and create social change. Social work practice is often divided into micro-work, which involves working directly with individuals or small groups; …show more content…
They assess patients’ social, emotional, interpersonal, economic, and environmental needs, along with their strengths, to develop an effective treatment plan. Social workers support patients suffering from psychiatric illness to manage family relationships, employment, and other affected parts of their lives.
Using individual counseling, group therapy, and family therapy, they connect psychiatric patients to hospital and community resources and plan for successful discharge, transitioning patients back to their families and communities. Most psychiatric social workers work in hospitals and residential treatment centers, but others work in outpatient mental health centers and substance misuse treatment facilities providing similar services to
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The only Social Work that she has done has been in long term care. She also has plans on going back and getting her Masters in Social Work. Sharon enjoys her patients and talking with their families. Sharon’s most refreshing part of work is when she knows that she made the patient and families satisfied. The most upsetting part of her work is when the patients leave to go home or expire. Her timesheet does not reflect the time she spends into the job. At times she spends a lot of time off the clock with residents and doing paperwork. Sharon is the voice for the
In the context of mental health, the social workers are important because they take the role of linking the services available within mental health and other services provided by the Local Authority. Due to their varied practical knowledge, they can signpost and guide the service users on different matters pertaining to their entitlement to housing, care, and other benefits.
Clinical social workers represent the largest group of behavioral health practitioners in the nation. They are often the first to diagnose and treat people with mental disorders and various emotional and behavioral disturbances (NASW, 2005). Clinical social workers are essential to a variety of client centered settings, including community mental health centers, hospitals, substance use treatment and recovery programs, schools, primary health care centers, child welfare agencies, aging
Social Work is the study of people and how they interact with the systems in their environment and other people. Social Workers use theories, sets of ideas or concepts, of human behavior and apply them within their professional social work ethics to the problems facing clients in order to help them gain balance in the systems in their lives. Theories help to organize knowledge enabling social workers to help make sense of problems. There are many different theories. They have been grouped into broad categories called theoretical lenses (Rogers, A. 2013).
Social Workers are very important to everyday life. They are the ones that help people in need when they have nobody else to turn too. Also, they provide resources and better understanding of predicaments that you could be experiencing. I will reflect on how the class has affected me, my own experiences and how some theories have connected to my life experiences, and lastly, if the class helped toward my major. This class is important for someone that wants to become a social worker and wants to learn about the different theories used. Also, learning about me during this process of completing this class is fun and a way to see if the social work profession is right for me. There was many theories explained throughout this class but many will not be said because it wasn’t the main points that I was trying to get across. There are two tools that are used that can help a social worker organize a client’s life: Bubble map and Briefcase exercise. There are so many different ways a social worker can help a client deal with their problems and come up with a solution. It is up to that social worker to identify the client’s problem and see what theory fits.
First off, clinical social workers work one-on-one with individuals by utilizing psychosocial casework to improve their client’s lives. Social workers at the micro level typically provide case management by coordinating and monitoring services, developing a treatment plan, advocating for new services, providing psychoeducation, and by helping clients learn more about their specific disorder (Marx). They also provide psychotherapy through three major therapeutic approaches- psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic (Marx). When it comes to the mezzo level social worker work with groups and families. They may initiate therapy groups, support groups, psychoeducational groups, and socialization groups all in order to uplift their clients about their mental disorder (Marx). On top of that, social workers also offer family therapy with the goal of helping families learn and function effectively by meeting the needs of a family member with a mental illness (Marx). Finally, social workers also work on a macro level through advocacy and policy changes, and in an administrative setting. Through advocacy, social workers may lobby for policy changes on a local, state, or national level in order to promote positive
The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people. Particular attention is paid to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. Social work is a profession based on enhancing the capacity of people to participate in society and enhancing the capacity of society to include all people in it. Social workers address problems related to social, political, and economic
The subfield Social Work in the Medical Field (Medical Social Work) encompasses different arenas, such as, hospitals, hospices, long-term care facilities, community health agencies, and outpatient clinics. Within the area of medical social work, there are numerous opportunities for a social worker to further specialize in order to serve a medically vulnerable population of interest. Different sub-specialties, for example, pediatric medicine, Cancer centers, hospitals, home health,
Clinical social workers in the community strive to enhance and maintain psychosocial functioning of individuals, families, and small groups. They also focus on prevention of psychosocial dysfunction or impairment, including emotional and mental disorders. The perspective of person-in-situation (psychosocial context) is fundamental to clinical social work practice (Austin, Barr, & Coombs, 2006).
Social work as a profession strives to help the welfare of those within the community whether its persons or families through advocacy. Often times clients are those who may be vulnerable and disadvantaged. Social workers aim to help people fulfill basic needs in their everyday lives and assist them by providing beneficial resources and intervention counseling. They do more than just help them in their current situation, it’s about helping them to survive and set attainable goals to live a fuller and better life for themselves, and most time for their families.
Social workers are concerned with social problems such as world hunger, domestic violence, child abuse, adequate benefits for veterans and much more. The profession of social work is necessary because without it, there would not be people dedicated to helping other individuals in our world. To dedicate your profession and life to one specific problem in regards to the social work field, is something very few have the will to do. Therefore, social workers are necessary to keep the social justice system afloat. Social workers must have educational background in social work, in order to be familiar with the types of settings they will be exposed to. Social workers must embody excellent social skills, as well as communication skills. Being able
To conclude, the public’s definition of social is inaccurate. However, I believe that with the right skills and positive attitude a person in this field can help change this negative perception. Although, I am aware of the challenges people in this profession face I am eager to face them and become an excellent social worker.
The social work profession is defined as “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people (ISFW, ‘Global Definition of Social Work’, 2016).” The definition may be true about the profession but it is more in depth than just that. To me, the profession’s primary focus is to help others through life as much as we can while letting them make their own choices and guiding them. In society, social workers are utilized in many different nonprofit and government roles. They serve the community in many different ways from monitoring parent visits to helping people through mental illnesses. Human beings are so complex and things that happen
families, and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social workers are change agents and because of that, they aim to help people develop their skills and abilities to use resources provided to them to strengthen and improve their lives and communities to resolve problems. One of the main goal of social workers is to improve the well-being and lives of the most vulnerable populations, fight against poverty, unemployment, domestic violence and the underserviced population by emphasizing on the person-in-environment and social justice model. The social work profession, considerers the individuals’ internal and external struggles, while working with the individuals to examine their relationships, family, work environment, community, and other things that might impact them and identify ways to help address problems and challenges.
Describe your understanding of the social work profession and its core values. How have you incorporated social work values in your human service experiences and interactions with others? What significant relationships and life experiences have you had in giving or receiving help that have motivated you to enter the field of social work? What personal qualities equip you for the social work profession? Discuss your experiences and feelings about the working with populations different from your own.
Social work is a profession which promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and enhance well-being. It is important to acknowledge the history of social work and the purpose of social work and why it exists. Social work is a questioned theory with different perspectives on what it is and how it should be practised. Social work helps people to deal with personal and social problems so that people can overcome or adjust to any personal difficulties. Social work is a combination of social stability and social change. Social stability promotes individual and social welfare and social change seek to change negative aspects of society. Values are implicit within the law and policy and these tend to reflect the values within society. Personal values can influence the way social workers interpret and implement their profession.