The Social Work Profession - Personal Statement Example

? ment of Purpose ment of Purpose The social work profession involves working with socially excluded persons, especiallythose who may be experiencing crisis situations. The core role of social workers encompasses providing the required support, which will assist the service users to make positive changes in their lives. In the practice of social work, a social worker has the ultimate obligation to maintain professional relationships with clients (Zastrow, 2009). The clients served by social workers range from families, individuals, and groups in the community. Social workers work closely and coordinate with social care staff as well as policy makers within the public sector. The settings of social work practice may include hospitals, the homes of service users, schools, and other voluntary organizations (Horne, 1999). In my human service experiences and interactions with others, I have incorporated the values of social work in numerous ways. In the practice of my profession, I have paid significant attention to the social work values of service, dignity and worth of the person, social justice, integrity, importance of human relationships and competence (Sue, 2005). I have always held dear the social work value of service based on the reason that the primary goal of my profession is to help those in need to address the social problems, which they may be facing. As the social work value of service to clients purports, social workers should volunteer some of their professional skills with no expectation of financial return. I have successfully done this since I have assisted most of my clients without any expectation of getting returns from them. Another core social work value includes social justice, which is based on the ethical principle that social workers should challenge social injustice (Vass, 1996). In my experience and interactions with others, I have pursued change on behalf of the oppressed and vulnerable persons in society. While working with diverse groups of persons, I have realized the need to acknowledge their ethnic, as well as cultural diversity. In the practice of social work profession, social workers should respect the dignity and worth of the person. As such, social workers should aim at treating clients and all persons in a respectful and caring manner (Turner, 2011). I have held this value to the latter; I have always promoted the self determination of clients in the decisions they make. In a socially responsible manner, I have sought to resolve the conflicts between client interests and interests of the broader society. Integrity can be regarded as one of the core values in the practice of social work; social workers have the obligation to behave in a manner that seems trustworthy (Shardlow, 2004). In my experiences with clients and interactions with people, I have always acted in line with the mission, ethical principles, values, and ethical standards of social work. I have acted responsibly and honestly; I have achieved this by promoting ethical principles and practices of the profession. In my human service experiences and interactions with people, I have recognized the significance of human relationships. I have assisted clients to understand that the relationships they have with people play an essential role in change. Moreover, I have strived to strengthen the relationships between people. This has allowed me to enhance, restore, and promote the wellbeing of families, individuals, and social groups. In my interactions with people and human service experience, I have successfully become competent in the field of social service. This has allowed me to enhance and develop the professional practice of my profession. Competence has increased my professional skills as well as knowledge; I plan to apply these in practice. I have had significant life experiences and relationships in giving help; these experiences motivated me to pursue social work. Social work entails working with clients at various levels, especially the needy, in order to improve their lives (Reamer, 2006). In the past, I managed to change the life of a friend who highly depended on drugs and alcohol. He was highly dependent on alcohol and could rarely attend classes. This adversely affected his grades at school; his performance deteriorated due to the high dependence on alcohol. I engaged him in conversations aimed at enabling him to change his life. I convinced him that there was a need to quit the habit of excessive alcohol intake as it would only worsen his life. Consequently, he managed to quit his drinking habit; with such successful intervention, I had the conviction that I can make it in the field of social work. Apart from helping people faced with issues of drug abuse, social workers are in the forefront in the fight against child abuse (Limberly & Postle, 2007). Before I entered the social work profession, I managed to assist a child who had undergone abuse from her caregivers. The mother of the three year old girl was irresponsible and paid little attention to her daughter. Being a single parent, she had the sole responsibility of caring for her family. She worked in a nightclub and could leave her daughter at home alone. One day, I heard the little girl crying in distress and notified the relevant authorities who came to her aid. This encouraged me to enter the field of social work so as to help such vulnerable children. For one to work as a social worker, he/she has to possess some qualities, which will enhance proper and efficient service delivery. For instance, a social worker should put aside their prejudices (Dominelli, 2004). As a social worker, I do not have personal prejudices, and I take clients the way they present themselves. This has enabled me to be able to deal with clients appropriately and help them deal with their problems. As much as I have personal beliefs, I do not employ them while dealing with clients. I also listen carefully to what my clients have to say regarding the problems they have. Listening has enabled me to understand the clients, what problems they have, and the best ways to deal with their problems. The other quality I possess includes the ability to create rapport within a short time after meeting and interacting with the client. Working with populations different from my own has enabled me to gain exposure to the various cultures existent across the society (Gambrill, 2006). The diverse populations I work with enable me understand the varying causes of problems faced by clients. Diverse populations enable me to have the feeling that I am serving my clients wholeheartedly (Fook, 2002). As a result of working with various populations, I have gained significant expertise in the practice of social work at various levels. Populations different from my own have enhanced the feeling of professionalism in the practice of my profession. Social welfare encompasses the well being of the entire population, which makes up a society. The social welfare areas that interest me most include issues of crime levels, environmental preservation and protection, child abuse, the availability of key social services, welfare of the aged, and drug abuse (Wilson, 2011). The social problem that concerns me most, which can be addressed with an MSW, is drug abuse. This stems from the fact that drug abuse has become a common vice in the society (Barsky, 2009). Many youths have fallen into the trap of excessive of drugs, the most abused drug being alcohol. This has considerably affected their career prospects as many of them fall victims of this vice. To a large extent, parents have been taken their children to rehabilitation centers. Thus, drug abuse is one of the social problems worth addressing with an MSW (Devine, 2012). In my undergraduate academic experience, I managed to complete a Bachelors Degree in Occupational Education. Throughout my study, I was able to gain experience in the teaching profession; this expertise provided me with knowledge on some of the problems that people face. Some of my academic strengths included self motivation and sheer determination. Self motivation enabled me to achieve considerable success in my academic work (Cournoyer, 2010). The other academic strengths I had included dedication and hard work in my academic work. However, I had some weaknesses coping with new instructors, especially when the changing of lecturers occurred suddenly. During my first year in the university, I faced some challenges in concentrating; as a result, I did not perform well in some of the subjects I took. Therefore, some of my grades during my first year were low as I performed poorly. However, I worked extremely hard to improve the poor grades. I became more dedicated to my studies during my second and subsequent years. Although graduate education can be both costly and rigorous, I have made plans that will enable me excel in this experience. First, I am prepared by familiarizing myself with the expectations of the graduate school. I have done through preparations on how I will conduct my graduate studies, research, and field work. Therefore, I have anticipated what I will experience in the graduate education. There are no any physical limitations or health conditions, which may impact my participation in field work and graduate study. References Barsky, E. A. (2009). Ethics and Values in Social Work: An Integrated Approach for a Comprehensive Curriculum. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cournoyer, B. R. (2010). The Social Work Skills Workbook. London: Cengage Learning. Devine, E. T. (2012). Social Work. Washington, D. C: Nabu Press. Dominelli, L. (2004). Social Work: Theory and Practice for a Changing Profession. New York: Polity Press. Fook, J. (2002). Social work: critical theory and practice. London: SAGE. Gambrill, E. D. (2006). Social Work Practice: A Critical Thinker's Guide. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Horne, M. (1999). Values in Social Work. London: Ashgate. Limberly, M. & Postle, K. (2007). Social Work: A Companion to Learning. London: SAGE. Reamer, F. G. (2006). Social Work Values and Ethics. Columbia: Columbia University Press. Sue, W. D. (2005). Multicultural Social Work Practice. London: John Wiley & Sons. Shardlow, S. (2004). The Values of Change in Social Work. London: Routledge. Turner, F. J. (2011). Social Work Treatment: Interlocking Theoretical Approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Vass, A. A. (1996). Social Work Competences: Core Knowledge, Values and Skills. London: SAGE. Wilson, K. (2011). Social Work: An Introduction to Contemporary Practice. New York: Addison-Wesley Longman Incorporated. Zastrow, C. (2009). The Practice of Social Work: A Comprehensive Work text. London: Cengage Learning. Read More