Helping The Community Rise- Becoming A Social Worker

It is but a noble profession; social work is all about making a positive impact for the community at large. If that sounds good and resonates with you, the intent of being a social worker would be the right decision to take.

One should do their homework on what social workers’ job responsibilities and functions should be, while implementing change for society. There are schools and colleges across the globe that dole out courses, both on the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Being A Social Worker

• Learning and helping people who fight against substance, alcohol and drug abuse,
• Learning about various types of welfare programs available for society,
• Studying the aspects of psychology and sociology,
• Learning about social work policies, rules and regulations,
• Studying more on community outreach, cultural diversity, demographic behaviour etc
• Learning about the ethical values of the region, community and more. In short, learning how to accept differences and yet bringing about the much needed change around.

How To Master It All

• As a social worker, one needs to be very realistic while making goals and setting them. Expecting the world from the clients and from oneself, should be shunned. This would lead to failure in the long run. Looking for small steps to take, since that works and does work, should be the modus operandi here. In doing so, one wouldn’t miss out on the small pleasures they can give and losing out on the big opportunities would not happen too.
• Gratitude for every small victory should be practiced. Remember, being social workers there would be many challenges and hazards to face. Making a difference is what a social worker aims at, but most fall into the guilt trap of not making a ‘big difference’. Sometimes, there would be ‘burn out’ that can happen, which would take time to resolve. Hence, offer gratitude for the little changes and positive differences you can make, it goes a long way and keeps you motivated too.
• Humans are blessed with a strong sense of physical, mental and emotional needs. Detachment from the same at times is a must. As a social worker there are certain traps one can fall unto, hence make decisions at your discretion. Help should be distributed equally, and not because the heart takes over for one and not for the rest.
• Be attentive when assessing situations, and do not hesitate to ask for help even if you are an expert in the area concerned. The main aim here is to keep the client safe and protected, to build trust and garner support for the same when decisions have to be made. Be a key-worker and coordinate with the team to bring in information, advocacy and help as and when needed.

Get organized and learn how to manage plans for the day. Learn to adjust with the team and accept internal differences while case conferences are on. Respect each other’s views and opinions, and be there for the rest when a rainy day strikes.