Humans of Social Science

November 09, 2017

⇥SOCIAL WORK⇤

by: Rachelle Maglonzo

NATURE

In the state of the current society, it can be observed that the involvement of social work and its volunteers are necessary or essential to bring forth welfare to the people, particularly to the marginalized or the people who experience or suffer from poverty. It provides a variety of services that also serves as a duty and responsibility of the social workers in specific areas. Social work services can be acquired through public and private child welfare agencies, school campuses, general and psychiatric hospitals, health and community centers, and even inside jails or prisons. However, social workers and their designated jobs are often critically disparaged, perceived and compared to other professions due to its amount of hands-on activities and minimal working benefits. Nevertheless, social work is still a significant occupation that deserves more recognition and acknowledgement in the field of humanities and social sciences because of its goal to help and serve the people who needs assistance for the development of their overall well-being.

Jane Addams Ellen Gates Starr

Social work originated from the 19^th century where poverty was observed to be a risk of danger among different or various societal backgrounds and contexts. In accordance to this, governments began to implement and administer a system wherein the necessities of the marginalized that are needed to be sustained are sufficed. In addition to this, social work is also a platform to promote social justice, compassion, and servitude to individuals, families, or groups who have experienced several types of societal problems like illegal migrations to other countries as results from war, diseases, prostitution, mental heath, and many others.

Moreover, Jane Addams, who was also know as the “mother of social work” founded the US settlement house with her co-founder, Ellen Gates Star, which later on became the biggest and well-known settlement house in the United States. With this, she supported and guided the United States to address and raise awareness towards mothers, children, and world peace.

On the other hand, the professionalization of social work started in the 20^th century. The construction and building of houses in poor urban areas have also started called the “House Movement” in order to research, reform, and educate the marginalized based on their backgrounds and context. In accordance to this, the contexts in social work involve Charity Organization Societies (1877) which aims to discover the cause of poverty and Settlement Movement (1887) which advocates fro better neighborhood, services, public health and the like.

SETTING

Social workers can be found in multiple settings within the society. According to www.socialworkguide.org, social workers can work in office jobs, however, most of the social workers often serve in institutions or facilities like hospitals, medical clinics, nursing homes, community mental health agencies and substance misuse clinics,

state and local governments including child welfare agencies and departments of health and human services, schools and other youth-serving organizations, military bases and veterans affairs clinics, correctional facilities, and private practices.

METHODS

Social workers utilize different methods to their clients based from there backgrounds and contexts. According to http://www.indiansocialstudy.com/, the methods used in social work are classified into six major categories:

1. Social case work

2. Social group work

3. Community organization

4. Social action

5. Social welfare research

6. Social welfare administration

Social case work is a strategy which helps by advising the individual to impact better social connections and a social change that makes it conceivable for him or her to lead a wonderful and valuable life.

Social group work is an action which takes an interest in the exercises of a gathering for their intellectual, emotional and physical development and for the achievement of the groups’ alluring objectives.

Community organization is the way toward arranging and creating social administrations with a specific end goal to meet the well-being and welfare needs of a group or bigger unit.

Social action is a group process that is organized to tackle about general social issues and promoting social welfare destinations by administrative, social, well-being or financial advancement.

Social welfare research is a methodical and fundamental examination of inquiries in the social welfare field with the reason for yielding answers to issues of social work and of broadening for the most part upon the idea of social work.

Social welfare administration process is to sort and coordinate a social office or agency.

ROLES

Social workers have specific roles to meet the needs of their clients. Dubois and Miley (2008) stated that elements in social work that provides a path or direction towards professionalism in the said field were mostly perceived as role rather than functions. The role according to Dubois and Miley (2008) are the following:

§ Enabler- One of the roles of a social worker is to help people to acquire solutions and answers to their problems. This role is more focused on individuals and families.

§ Facilitator- One of the roles of a social worker is to provide assistance for professional and organizational development. This role is mainly focused on groups or organizations.

§ Planner- One of the roles of a social worker is to coordinate or manage outreach programs for the education and literacy of the community within their surroundings. This role is more focused in the community itself.

§ Colleague and Monitor- One of the roles of a social worker is to improve socialization and the professional adoption of culture-based behavioral patterns of individuals. This role focuses on the social work profession or to individuals who are practicing the methods of social work.

COMPETENCIES

Social work is a field where establishing relationships and initiating communication with other people is important. Social workers who are serving and guiding individuals who experience or suffer from societal or health problems must have the capabilities or the skills to empower their clients for the client’s sake in return. Some of the competencies a social worker must possess are the following:

§ Execute empowering processes- A social worker must know how to perform or conduct empowerment to individuals and families for their growth and development.

§ Perform crisis intervention- A social worker must know how to offer short term methods that help individuals who have experienced or is currently suffering rom difficulties or risks.

§ Good computer literacy- A social worker must possess computer or technological skills to improve professional background as well as to connect to other funding networks.

§ Use practical methods- A social worker must know how to maximize the use of pragmatic techniques as one of the expertise of being a social worker.

§ Link client systems with needed resources- Social workers must know how to establish connections within the resources needed by the clients.

§ Communicate effectively- A social worker must have the ability to communicate effectively to be aware of the community’s needs and to be the voice for the people who can not voice out their requests to the authorities.

§ Think critically- A social worker must think critically since being a social worker is being a planner as well to successfully conduct outreach programs without any complications. If any problems may have the chance to occur, a social worker must critically think of solutions fast that can improve the situation right after.

§ Build and sustain relationships- A social worker must know how to establish relationships and handle them without violating the code of ethics against building human relationships.

§ Do social planning- Social workers must know how to build and contribute plans or ideas for the community to utilize in times of casualties.

§ Analyze policies- A social worker must know how to analyze policies when conducting research or building plans for the community to avoid misinterpretations.

§ Strong cultural and intercultural competence- Social workers must have the skill or capability to initiate strong expertise within cultural and intercultural contexts.

§ Conduct research- Social workers must be knowledgeable on making or conducting research to uphold professionalism and sophistication in the field of social work.

CONCRETE EXAMPLES

Photo by Rory Truell

Dr. Rory Truell ineracted with the social workers in Tacloban after it was struck with Typhoon Yolanda. According to Truell, some of the key roles done by the social workers is to assessing the damage in the community and advising rescue and medical teams for the injured. The social workers focused mainly on the food and medical supplies and services that will be distributed among the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. Furthermore, they will assist and help authenticate the legal paperwork, birth certificates, and residential permits of the victims so that they can restore their dignity with legal documents.

One of the top-noTchers in the 2017 Social Workers Licensure Exam named Paramisuli Aming from Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao addressed the war that has been happening in Mindanao. The 20-year old have experienced war in their island since she was young. As an impact of this experiences, Aming was encouraged to be a social worker to help the people in Mindanao to receive psychosocial attention from the government. Right after she topped the exam for social work, she stated that she will be advocating for unity and that the first thing that she will do is to help her fellow Muslims and countrymen against the conflicts and chaos happening in their island.