Greetings my lovely readers. A general update on school. I survived my first week online. It is strange not attending a lecture hall or meeting my professors in person. The degree I am seeking is for a Masters in Social Work through Florida State part-time online program. It will take me three years to complete. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am back in school. I finished my undergrad degree in History from SMCM in 2006. Now here I am.. back at it. To give you an idea of what I’m up to. Here is a discussion board post I did today for my introduction to social work course:. I hope to look back on this post… compare it to my own growth professionally with time.

Some people pursue a career in social work because they receive help from a social worker while dealing with some of their struggles.

What are the good and bad sides of having had that experience?

                The benefit of having experiences that led to the inclination to become a social worker is having the ability to have “walked in their shoes.” One of my most vivid memories that first sparked my interest in pursuing social work was my experience with a hospital discharge coordinator. She connected me with resources that led me to discover the vast possibilities to help others living with serious mental illness with organizations such as NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). According to the readings for this week, social workers help promote personal or communal improvement. I believe the medical social worker did her best to advocate and coordinate things in her scope; however, when I left the hospital. What was next? The discharge coordinator couldn’t possibly follow my day-to-day or weekly progress.  I continued treatment for many years with therapy and medication management and furthered my pursuit to help empower those with mental illness.  People with SMI (Serious Mental illness) face a lowered life expectancy, limited or fixed income, unemployment, housing, wage or class distinctions, and religious, cultural, or racial diversities.  I think social workers should consider what we learned this week about the overarching goal of social work, not only to empower but to do our best to provide solutions and interventions and truly advocate for better outcomes for these individuals. 

The negative side of having personal experiences and seeing social work on the reception side of services is you feel the impact. You experience the frustrations and revolving door of mental health services and feel pushed down by the “systemic stronghold” that doesn’t want you to succeed. This is why it is imperative to be a social worker, as Suze Orman puts it, “intercedes not only by cases but causes.” Dr. Wilke mentioned in the lecture that we must have an ethical obligation to focus on intervention. To assess new strategies through research that investigates how new programs or practices can assist those living with SMI to find better employment through Peer Specialist certification or what new research addresses best practices for coping strategies. Having experienced social work’s good and bad sides, I hope to gain the professionalism and ability to do what is best for groups or individuals based on empathy and evidence-based practice. I hope to effectively advocate for others beyond providing an integral resource or support. My goal in becoming a social worker is broadening my scope beyond my personal experiences, increasing my understanding of different groups, and fine-tune my professional abilities to be that voice that challenges the arena.

If a client asks a social worker, “Have you ever personally dealt with a problem like this in your own life?” what is the best way to respond?

I struggle with this question. I think the personal drives my professional focus. In the week’s readings, I learned more about how to be self-aware and secure in my thoughts and values. When I reflect on this professional identity in social work, while the personal issue might drive you, it is essential to be confident in your values and how influential your professionalism is on the client or group. For example, working in Child welfare as a Guardian Ad Litem, I come across children and teens affected by various traumas. A personal connection or a story is often an excellent way to connect with the teen I am working with and aids with their ability to trust or open up. I find a time and a place where a personal vignette may work to help the client. I can make the unique reference professionally and believe the emotional connection will empower or help the individual. My goal as a social worker in the future, when addressed with this question, would be to respond in a way that shows that I am doing the best for my client by using empathy and developing my professional identity over time.

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