A recent study found that "Working for the government" leaves a bad taste in the mouth of eager young social work students. It is not clear how this unwarranted aftertaste got there, but few American citizens realize how much good their government does for society at large. The social changes being driven in today’s society are being powered by younger students wanting to make a change. Change comes about when individuals, working for a collective good, do whatever it takes to make a positive contribution — and moving for positive changes while working at a government job in a socially aware environment is one way to see those changes occur.
In the article “The Urgency of Social Worker Safety,” National Association of Social Workers (NASW) President James J. Kelly, PhD, ACSW, LCSW, noted, “In the past few years alone, we have witnessed the fatal stabbing of a clinical social worker in Boston, the deadly beating of a social service aide in Kentucky, the sexual assault and murder of a social worker in West Virginia, the shooting of a clinical social worker and Navy Commander at a mental health clinic in Baghdad, and the brutal slaying of social worker Teri Zenner in Kansas. These are only a few of the murders of our colleagues, which, along with numerous assaults and threats of violence, paint a troubling picture for the profession.”
Topics: social workers, social issues
Artificial intelligence has suddenly captured the imagination of the country's academic, business, government, and social communities. Everyone is startled and concerned that computers can now do the thinking for us and render the intelligence that once set humans above the entire natural world - superfluous.
This, of course, is a bit of an overstatement. Artificial intelligence (AI) is, in fact, the greatest leap forward in human ingenuity since the invention of the internet, but it is still the result of human ingenuity, not the replacement. Let's take a closer look at artificial intelligence.
Topics: Social Services Industry News, Technology Speak, social workers
Social workers who identify with the marginalized populations they are sworn to support are now caught up in a shifting social paradigm that has turned identifying with certain needy groups into dangerous divisive politics. This paradigm shift has been so gradual it almost went unnoticed until it finally crystallized into hard political positions. The last place that devoted, well-meaning social workers want to find themselves is being pushed to the hard right or the far left when it comes to identifying need and taking action to alleviate suffering. How did this shift happen?
Topics: social workers, social issues
Social workers, especially those specializing in counseling and psychotherapy often lean toward a career in private practice.
“I absolutely love being in private practice, everything about it,” says Barbara Groves, LCSW, who has a private practice in Charlottesville, Virginia. “The flexibility, for example, to write off copays for motivated single working moms and students from low-income homes. The variety of patients in racial, socioeconomic, and spiritual orientation, as well as gender and political affiliation is so rewarding to me. I feel that I make a difference every day in helping patients become more self-aware and to become enlightened stewards of their lives.” (The Challenges of Private Practice by Sue Coyle, MSW, Social Work Today, Vol. 23 No. 3 P. 10)
Topics: mental health, social workers
Case Management vs. Social Work: Unpacking the Differences
Human services are a broad spectrum with case management and social work as its strong pillars. They are often spoken of in the same breath, but they serve distinct roles, each with its unique purposes and methods. If you're in the field or considering a career within it, understanding the differences between case management vs. social work is crucial. In this post, we'll delve into the fundamental differences between these two critical aspects of support for individuals and communities.
Topics: caseworkers, social workers
Last week's discussion about the burnout rate of the young, well-intentioned social workers who choose Child Welfare as their area of interest excited feedback from all corners of the non-profit world. Both the CPS workers and the agencies had plenty to say in a follow-up article by Sue Coyle in Social Work Today.
Topics: social workers, Family and Child Welfare
Once a year we like to step back and take a look at the evolving Social Work profession. What began as a career almost strictly for women who were compelled to help their less fortunate fellow man, has evolved into a highly sophisticated profession often requiring advanced degrees that attracts both men and women from all walks of life.
Topics: social workers, what social workers do
Social Work Corner: The Dos and Don’ts to Know Before Your First Case
Stepping into the social services field is undeniably one of the most rewarding career decisions you’ll ever take. This industry allows you to bring a change in others’ lives while improving your professionalism and skillset as a social worker.
However, we'd like to familiarize you with the essential dos and don'ts of human services case management before you take on your first case. To learn some seasoned social workers' best recommendations, keep reading!
Topics: social workers
Why Case Managers Should Concentrate on Developing Soft Skills
There are over 700,000 social workers in the US as of right now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number is constantly on the rise in the country, with over 1.8 million social services rendering their services to a vast clientele across different sectors.
From juvenile justice to child welfare, senior service, veteran service, and mental health case management, caseworkers in the US are at the forefront of serving humanity. With long working hours, harsh working conditions, and often underpaid, social workers are truly doing God’s work in American society.
But while case managers in social service have a whole range of skills to boast of, not many understand the importance of developing soft skills. In this article, we'll explain why, as a caseworker, you should prioritize developing soft skills in addition to your casework expertise.
Topics: social workers