SOCW2061_Assignment2_1

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Thompson Rivers University *

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2061

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Sociology

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Feb 20, 2024

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Thompson Rivers University An Introduction to Social Work Practice 2061 Assignment 2: Personal Awareness & Preparedness for Social Work Practice 1. Past Beliefs: This piece of writing aims at unfolding my past perception about Social Work as a profession. To start with, I thought social work was a profession with less academic comprehension to those who were undertaking it, this was so because it mainly attracted more women than men owing to the myth that professions that are coupled with a lot of men are prone to high academic strides. I thought the profession was only run by small groups of people pioneered by mainly well wishes especially the church

unlike the actual broad view of the government control and funding to ensure smooth and sustainable functioning. Furthermore, I perceived the profession to be centered in poor countries like a lot more in Africa than in developed countries like Canada not knowing that it equally has a variety of social problems. 2. Others' Perspective: I had an encounter with an old friend who thought that the social work profession was more about handouts, simply going into the streets to give money to those begging, clothes, bathing the aged, feeding them, and helping them with chores at their homes. She also had the notion that the profession had more to do with child protection and welfare systems. She had a limited scope of who social workers were dealing with; her thoughts were more centered on those vulnerable who are homeless and addicted to drugs and not as a broader profession mothering into many sectors such as hospitals, schools, and jails, among others. 3. Community Services: There is a noticeable homeless population within the greater Vancouver region. The first time I walked through the downtown Eastside area, I was judgmental of the population. I perceived the homeless people as high, drunk, dangerous, violent, lazy, and did not want to work. However, homeless numbers have increased due to federal funding cuts to affordable housing, and increased market housing costs which have caused the rise of homelessness, alongside lack of income. To help address the various social issues impacting the homeless, the evidence of social work in practice can be seen throughout the city. Several agencies, both governments funded as well not-for-profit agencies have developed initiatives to help curve not only the homeless crisis, but also other issues related to mental illness, addiction, and the opioid crisis in the city. I also observed culturally specific agencies supporting Indigenous groups and other minorities who often fall trapped in the homeless crisis in Vancouver. There is an abundance of social work being provided through several different services in my community, region, and country at large. During my walk, I saw housing first programs, clothing services, one-on-one mentor support programs, Indigenous lead agencies, counseling services, harm reduction services, and much more. I would like to mention however that I am aware of my biases and acknowledge that most people who are homeless are not lazy. Various factors including lack of adequate income, access to affordable housing and health supports, and/or the experience of discrimination can be just some of the causes of increased homeless numbers in Vancouver. 4. Important Values & Ideology: The values and ideologies that would be important to my practice as indicated in the CASW/ACTS Guidelines for Ethical Practice are the following sections; respect for the inherent dignity and worth of persons, professional boundaries, service to humanity, and competence in professional practice. Being empathetic and a vessel for social change recognizes individuality and gives utmost respect to the clients. Firstly, through many years of working with a vulnerable population, I have recognized the importance of client-worker boundaries, understanding the importance of setting the tone for a working relationship, and creating a safe space for the clients to share freely is important. Secondly, my practice must be guided by the inherent dignity and worth of persons. "Social workers maintain the best interests of clients as a priority, with due regard to the respective interests of others" (CASW, 2005 p.3). To serve

my client's interests when acting in a professional position, I must set aside my interests and biases. My professional voice will be used to improve and advocate for my client's well-being. As an African woman, who grew up in a developing country (Zambia), several life experiences have shaped me into using my lived experience to help people who are in similar situations. I use my success story to support and comfort other people who have been exposed to similar hardships (poverty, poor healthcare systems, homelessness). Using my resilience and voice, my clients tend to relate and are more open to sharing their challenges with me. Lastly, educational advancement is essential to staying up to date with what is happening in field as well as the world. It is necessary to seek new information within communities that is pertinent to the practice. An example would be liaising with the local authorities and stay informed with new street drug. 5. Value Congruence: All the guidelines provided in the CASW/ACTS Guidelines for Ethical Practice are important to practicing social work and are consistent with my values and the work I do. Some of the ones that stood out to me are; priority of clients' Interests, promoting client self-determination and informed consent, protecting privacy and confidentiality as well as professional boundaries. Section 1.3.1 is important to me as it promotes the autonomy of clients and encourages them to make informed decisions on their own. While in the helping role, clients must choose choices that best suit their needs and eliminate anti-oppressive practices. Ensure to check biases and allow clients to make choices that work for them even it does not align with the social worker is important. This can sometimes create a dilemma when trying to offer what has worked for someone else in the past or the easy way out especially when dealing with complicated cases such as addiction or an abusive patterner. Prioritizing a level of care that is unique to the client offers them the responsibility to do only what is best for them. Section 1.5, the general expectation that social workers will keep information confidential does not apply when disclosure is necessary to prevent serious, foreseeable, and imminent harm to a client or others. Dilemmas around confidentiality arise when the principle of confidentiality is in possible conflict with other ethical principles such as avoiding harm to self or others. This is an example of instances I have experienced. Like myself, social workers frequently find themselves in dilemmas where they have built a professional rapport with the client however, due to disclosure, the relationship gets broken. Another dilemma would be a client disclosing they are pregnant and asking a pro-life social worker to assist in getting an abortion. The social worker could feel conflicted since abortion goes against their beliefs. A social worker may feel the need to offer alternative measures. Role Preparedness: Currently, in my role as a youth worker, my skills and experiences align with both micro and mezzo perspectives. At the micro level, the primary role is to build trusting, supportive professional relationships with youth. Working with multidisciplinary team, my role helps to determine the best plan of care to help reach their goals and transition to healthy, confident adults. Youths gets supported with personal planning, assisting with finding employment, referrals to other social services and involve the youth in recreational opportunities.

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A key component of the mezzo social work involves development and implementation of social service initiatives. One such implementation I facilitate and oversee is a Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) committee available to both youths and staff; which focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion and addresses gaps within social services, such as culturally centered approaches to support youth from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. This committee also strives to create opportunities for BIPOC staff and allies to learn about anti-racism and to establish racially diverse and inclusive spaces across departments on an ongoing basis. A role I consider somewhat challenging is the mezzo practice as I often feel uncomfortable speaking in large groups especially in regards o culturally sensitive topics. Attaining higher education and more research to gain expert knowledge is a change I would explore as this will help broaden my expertise and knowledge in social work. 7. Theoretical Bias: Developing a rapport with the clients you serve is, in my opinion, important in social workers. When supporting clients, one must not only be empathetic and compassionate, but they must also meet clients where they are, and make them feel comfortable. Although nearly every theory is pertinent, one of the theories I choose is the Strength-Based approach because it recognizes the client's strengths and uses their skill sets to achieve their goals. According to Hick (2010), this practice requires social workers to collaborate with clients and understand the situation and draw on available strengths and resources to work towards change. This approach demands that social workers spend time to listen to their clients and highlight their strengths and challenges to create a support plan that empowers them. I believe that finding and showcasing other people's talents and skills is a great method to boost their independence and overall quality of life. The second is Structural social work as it addresses inequality and social justice and places emphasis on the "socio-economic structures, which oppress and exploit people, whether based on class, race, age, gender ability or sexuality (Hicks 2010, p.58). The purpose of structural social work is to assist individuals in regaining control over their lives, thus this would be significant to my practice. The final theory is the anti-oppressive practice. Ensuring that none of my clients encounter any form of oppression is crucial to my profession. I must work towards empowerment and confront the systems, and policies that give rise to oppression because all humans deserve to live a life that disregards all factors including "age, abilities, ethnic background, gender, language, marital status, national ancestry, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation or socio-economic status" (CASW, 2005. p3). 8. Anti-Oppressive Understanding: Radical anti-oppressive practice aims to end socioeconomic oppression. By empowering the oppressed and taking away power from those in positions of privilege, anti-oppressive practice seeks to elevate social justice principles within the social work profession. Using the lens of anti-colonial ideas, it acknowledges the structural causes of oppression fosters social change and creates equal opportunities for everyone despite of the individual's age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or economic status. It ensures fair, non-oppressive social interactions, and equitable services for everyone. I would explain to a friend that social workers work to challenge social inequality and structures of oppression that affect the disadvantaged populations from gaining equal opportunities to necessities of life such as education, employment, healthcare, and housing. Part 2: Interview

I interviewed a social worker who works in a not-for-profit agency with a primary focus on at-risk youths and the marginalized population. She supports youths facing barriers such as homelessness, addictions, substance misuse, and trauma- related complexities. This social worker often uses trauma trauma-informed approach when working with clients. She oversees case management and clinical services at Covenant House Vancouver. Within her practice, this social worker has a generalist role, supporting and meeting youths where they are while enforcing autonomy, challenging oppressive practices, and promoting social justice. Louisa also performs the case manager role. She makes various referrals to counseling, hospitals, and agencies involved in the youth's case plan. Community support is another expertise of hers. In this role, she conducts follow-ups on aged-out youths who are transient and still need support. What are their views on various social issues, and how do they view the future of the profession of social work? Her view on various social issues varies depending on what social issue she is dealing with. Some areas are less challenging than others. In particular, she experiences challenges when working and collaborating with community service providers to support CLBC clients due to complex developmental disabilities. She believes that due to the diverse issues that social workers deal with, she appreciates that she can implement the three levels of social work approaches profession. She believes that more agencies should implement a trauma-informed approach as it involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of traumas and it helps clients rebuild a sense of control and empowerment. 2. Ask about the values and ethics, roles, and theoretical perspectives used in their practice. She follows the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) Code of Ethics in her practice. Louisa mentioned that since her graduation, there is more research that has been done. All in all, she stated that what she learned in school is congruent with how social work is practiced in the community. She does recognize however that there was less education devoted to culturally centered, and diversity and inclusion topics. While her current primary education as a social worker is consistent with her education, her practice changes due to societal changes. The opioid crisis in Vancouver is an example of how she is meant to adapt to new problems within her community. When she first began her practice in London, mental health, and substance misuse were not a core social issue. In recent years, however, mental health, economic, and financial barriers, in addition, to the rise in homelessness have created a shift in her perspective. a. Identify what you learned through your interview. Did your views or ideas change because of this interview? My ideas and views remain the same. I was happy to hear that Covenant Houe Vancouver uses trauma- informed practice in their client care as well as holds an awareness that the youth who come to them may have been impacted by various forms of trauma and believe that trauma can be both a cause and a product of homelessness. Louisa identified this approach makes work easy as it gives full autonomy to the client even in the constantly changing and evolving society. b. Three questions

1. Is there a specific issue that is more intriguing that a social worker can be more drawn to than others? 2. How does a social worker view the profession of social work? I would be interested in comparing my perspectives with ones of an expert or practicing. Knowing their views will broaden my understanding of the profession. 3. As a social worker, do your values change as the world views change? In many ways, people's values tend to change over time. I am intrigued to know how a social worker handles these changes. References Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). CASW/ACTS Guidelines for Ethical Practice. In An Introduction to Social Work Practice

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Hick, S. F. (2010). Theory and Approaches to Social Work Practice. Using Knowledge to Shape Our Work with Clients with Purmina Sundar. Social work in Canada: an introduction (3rd ed., pp. 54-75). Toronto: Thompson Educational Pub.

SOCW2061_Assignment2_1

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