Question

Prepare a 300-500 word essay on the RESEARCH of a Social Worker' s job. This is for Customer Services Course

Answer 1

Social work is a practice-based profession that promotes social change, development, cohesion and the empowerment of people and communities. Social work practice involves the understanding of human development, behavior and the social, economic and cultural institutions and interactions. Social work professionals working with families and institutions have helped to provide and advance the following social impacts:

• Civil Rights
• Unemployment Insurance
• Disability Pay
• Worker’s Compensation

• Reduced Mental Health Stigma
• Medicaid and Medicare
• Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

Social workers are professionals who aim to enhance overall well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of communities and people. Social workers work with many different populations and types of people, particularly focusing on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.

Depending on their specialty, job title and place of employment, a social worker may be required to participate in legislative processes that often result in the formation of social policies. They lean on social work values and principles, as well as academic research to carry out their work.

Social workers are educated and trained to address social injustices and barriers to their client’s overall wellbeing. Some of these include poverty, unemployment, discrimination and lack of housing. They also support clients and communities who are living with disabilities, substance abuse problems, or experience domestic conflicts.

Social workers often fine-tune their practice with a focus on a level of interventions and types of communities they wish to serve. A clinical social worker, for example, focuses on diagnoses, treatments and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral issues. On the other hand, a social worker may focus on research and development for small or large scale programs to help the community, like medicaid.

The job of a social worker is often considered both rewarding and emotionally taxing. Having strong interpersonal skills, exercising empathy, and being an effective communicator, listener and critical thinker, may lead to big wins on the job.

The roles of a social worker include many diverse specializations. Here are some common responsibilities of social workers organized by different specialty areas:

Child, family, and school social workers help children, school staff, and family members resolve problems. In some instances, this may mean placing children in foster care. Child, family, and school social workers may also connect struggling parents with resources to help better care for and raise their children. They work alongside students and teachers to address bullying, learning disabilities, and other impairments/barriers.

Medical and public health social workers help the seriously ill and those with chronic health problems to find adequate care, access public resources like Medicare and Medicaid or locate services such as in-home nursing care. They often play a critical role in supporting clients as they navigate the numerous healthcare and public service systems that coordinate healthcare.

Mental health and substance abuse social workers support people with mental health or substance abuse problems. Therapy is one common intervention used by social workers to help clients address these problems. Assisting people to find financially accessible rehabilitative programs or long-term mental healthcare is another service that is offered. Mental health and substance abuse social workers may also participate in outreach and preventative programs that seek to address problems before they become exacerbated.

Social workers can be found within a wide variety of employment settings. Specializations often determine where and how they work. Some spend time in an office, although visiting clients off-site is also common. Those working within the child, school, and family positions may experience schedule changes and will generally need to travel more than their healthcare counterparts who tend to be more fixed in their roles.

The field of social work allows for a variety of focus areas dedicated to helping others. You can find dedicated social workers within hospitals, mental health clinics, prisons, military barracks, senior centers, corporations, and public social agencies. Out of the public eye, licensed social workers can also set up private practices that specialize in relationship problems, mental illness, personality disorders, or mental illnesses.

Each social worker employs a diverse set of skills to do their work. But as we discussed earlier, there are certain skills that can be particularly useful to those in the field. Below are some examples:

• Empathy. This skill enables the social worker to put themselves in their client’s shoes. Having empathy can offer a social worker a deeper understanding of their client’s problems.  
• Organization. With the many daily responsibilities they have, social workers need to be extremely organized. The amount of paperwork and caseloads can add up from networking, calls, billing, and organizing services for everyone.
• Communication. Social workers should be clear, concise, and transparent with clients and their families or care providers, and colleagues. Strong communication can help to mitigate misunderstandings and break down other communication barriers.
• Problem-Solving. No case is the same and a social worker is often working hard to find the best solution in a difficult situation. A good problem solver can help clients obtain the best services and support needed.
• Patience. As a social worker, you will work with diverse clients. Maintaining patience and understanding clients from different racial and socio-economic backgrounds is a core component of social work practice.