Abstract
When the topic of social workers is brought up, three major issues come to mind. The first is the bravery of social workers, especially those who work with children. There are those social workers who have risked life and limb to rescue children who are abused even by their own parents. There are stories of children who have been rescued from abusive parents by brave social workers who are trained to recognize abuse even if the children are too scared to report it. Social workers are also catalysts for change. They not only help their cases endure their current situations, but also help them evolve and stay in situations that are far better than their current one. They have to help these people turn into productive members of society, restoring their dignity and faith in themselves and in what they can do. Finally, there is the striking thought that a social worker is a multitasker who wears many hats and takes on many roles depending on the situation on hand.
The first thought about social workers is about those social workers who work with children. Their dedication is unique and deep. I have heard about social workers working with children who defy threats from the parents of the children who have been placed in harm’s way owing to the behavior of their parents or by any other people who wanted to abuse them. I was particularly struck by a story of a social worker who rescued a woman named Taylor Orci from child abuse. Orci would often hide in certain parts of their home in order to escape the wrath of her father, who would throw fits of rage. A social worker came to visit them, as her teacher relayed to a therapist who was connected to the social worker that Orci began to submit projects that seemed to tell her story of abuse at home (Orci : The Social Worker who Rescued Taylor Orci from Child Abuse). Orci could not spill the beans when she was caught between the social worker and her own abusive father. Therefore it takes quite a lot of skills for the social worker to realize that there is some abuse going on when confronted by both the victim and the abuser. He or she should know that there is something foul going on, and the child becomes too scared to talk. Social workers should be well-trained to look out for these telltale signs so that a rescue does take place when the situation on hand is already a life-and-death matter. The social worker can be viewed as a hero in this case, as the life of the child was saved because of his persistence and instincts despite the fact that the child did not want to speak ill of her father when both the father and the social worker were there.
One more thought is about the social workers who have to deal with poverty every single day. Social workers will have to become experts in community development as they try to face the situation of poverty each day that they report for work (International Federation of Social Workers: Poverty Eradication and the Role for Social Workers). They have to become catalysts of change so that the people in the impoverished communities that they work in learn to change their behaviors so that they become productive individuals who can earn a decent living both for themselves and their families. Thus the role of a social worker is transformational in nature. One has to move from simply helping the poor to overcome the difficulties of their daily lives to being able to become productive and independent individuals who are now able to contribute to society and benefit from the same.
A final thought is on how many roles a social worker may actually have to take when working. He or she may wear the hats of a planner, an evaluator, a counsellor, a supporter, an advocate and a manager (Higham, 82). In addition to all of these, the social worker will have to possess the skills of knowing which hat to wear during a given situation. For instance, when working on a case, the social worker may be an evaluator and a planner – based on what has happened so far, and based on what the desired results are, the social worker will have to carefully plan the next activities as she handles a case and helps the individuals concerned achieve the desired outcomes. As a manager, the social worker will have to empower his or her “patient” or case person so that the latter are able to make informed decisions that will change their lives for the better (Zastrow, 522). Thus the social worker will have to take on many challenging roles as he or she takes on the various cases that are assigned to him. He or she must know what role to assume depending on the situation on hand. He or she must be smart and practical enough to know what role to take on at the moment, such that the outcome of the current event would be productive and positive. This may take time especially for a newbie social worker, but experience will always be the best teacher in this case.
Works Cited
Higham, Patricia. Social Work: Introducing Professional Practice. 2006. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Web.
International Federation of Social Workers. Poverty Eradication and the Role for Social Workers. 2012. Web.
Orci, Taylor. The Social Worker Who Rescued Taylor Orci from Child Abuse. 2014. Web.
Zastrow, Charles. Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare. 2010. Belmont, CA: Brooks Cole.
