Social Worker with Unfamiliar Ethnic Group - Essay Example

Social Worker with unfamiliar Ethnic Group Social Worker with unfamiliar Ethnic Group Attending to social issues in the society requires dedication and selflessness in order to offer services to the society. Many social workers have to stoop low to the demands of the society, provide a listening ear to the clients and develop an objective approach when handling their clients. Social workers face different challenges when handling clients because of the ethnic, social and personal differences. The duty of a social worker is multitasking, exhausting and demanding.

Sometimes social workers find it hard to hand clients who prove to oppose the direction provided by the social worker. This paper explores the approach that a social worker should take when handling a person from another ethnic background. Social work encompasses activities such community mobilization, counseling, providing for the sick or the old in the community among others. The care and the attention that a social worker should give to the clients rely on ethics of social work. In many cases, human inabilities that result from human reactions influence the conduct of a social worker when handling a client.

The guiding principle in social work should act as a guide when handling clients. Social background, ethnic differences must be set a side when handling any form of client. Boundaries will help the social worker to handle the client without any fear or regret. The attitude of the social worker towards the client should not be influenced by personal emotions or family problems. Work ethics of social work dictate that personal or social problems should not form part of client’s problem. A person who belongs to another ethnic group has equal rights to acquire the services of social work.

It is sad to discriminate against persons based on their social, ethnic or economic background when offering services as a social worker. The social worker should prepare psychologically to meet the needs of the person who belong to another ethnic group. Psychological preparation will help the social worker to forget the ethnic differences between them and offer services to the client. Apart from psychological preparation, the principles of equality and first class service to the client should dictate the attitude of the social worker towards the client.

When the social worker views the client as a first class client, offering social services to the client will not be difficult. In most cases, the complication comes in due to the prejudices that a person develops against the other ethnic group. Burying of the social prejudices is another important preparation that the social worker should make before handling the client. The social worker should explore the reasons that support and criticize his actions against the client (Hepworth, Rooney & Rooney, 2009).

This examination would help the social worker to evaluate the impact of his action to the client and himself/herself. The social worker should seek the attention his colleagues in handling the problem since it is advisable to seek the help of the colleagues whenever a person is uncomfortable with a client. The decision of the social worker should identify the person who will benefit and the person who will lose. Social work ethics bestow a lot of concern on service delivery to the clients and it would be inappropriate when the social worker is unable to uphold to the ethical working standards.

Dealing with discomfort, that result from social work is very important. Social work entails handling people. Sometimes a social worker has to deal with a client though uncomfortably. In such situations, the social worker must let the job ethics rule over his/her personal interest or feeling. Personal emotions should not influence the work of the social worker. When the work is not comfortable, the social worker must evaluate his role in the society. Evaluation of the role would help in burying personal discomfort against the client.

Effective approach to the client would make the social worker feel free to handle the client. When social workers take a positive approach towards their clients, they find it easy to address issues that influence the lives of the clients. Values of the social work should always act as the mirror that guides the attitude of the social worker. Sometimes the social worker may be forced to consult the working ethics and values in order to uphold the standards of work. ` Personal prejudice influence the nature of service that social worker would give to the client.

The social worker may adopt the following guideline when dealing with prejudice. The social worker should appreciate the effects of personal prejudice. This will help the worker to feel free when handling the client. The social worker should confront the stereotype that he/she has developed. Confronting the feeling would help in appreciating the client’s ethnic group. The social worker should join supportive groups that address issues of ethnic biasness. This will help the social worker to see the need for coexistence in the society.

In conclusion, handling of clients by social workers requires personal dedication, selflessness and open mind. Setting personal, ethnic and social differences aside helps in handling clients. References Hepworth, H. D., Rooney, H. R. & Rooney, D. G. (2009). Direct social work practice: theory and skills. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.