socialworkandme

[socialworkandme]

References:

Alberta College of Social Workers. (2019). Standards of Practice. https://acsw.in1touch.org/document/2672/DOC_FINALACSWStandardsOfPractice_V1_1_20200304.pdf

Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). CASW Scope of Practice Statement. https://www.casw-acts.ca/files/attachements/Scope_of_Practice_Statement_2020_1.pdf

Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). Code of Ethics. https://www.casw-acts.ca/files/documents/casw_code_of_ethics.pdf

Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). Guidelines for Ethical Practice. https://www.casw-acts.ca/files/documents/casw_guidelines_for_ethical_practice.pdf

Copson, A. (Photographer). Getty Images. [Photo]. https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/biological-reason-to-eat-three-meals-day.htm

Hick, S., & Stokes, J., (2017). Social Work in Canada: An Introduction. Thompson Education Publishing, Inc.

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Assessment [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/kRcTEES64wQ

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Community Development [Video].Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEOhCn8of1k&t=17s

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Evaluation in Social Work Practice [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/03NEEpQY8iw

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 24). Intervention in Social Work Practice-Part 1 [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/Pi4_zR0RIvs

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Relationship Building [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/S6ddCQ09PPc

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Relationship Ending in Social Work Practice [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/36qU3a_p1ZQ

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Social Work and Diversity [Video].Youtube.  https://youtu.be/_qObqwVokO4

[Untitled photo of an alarm clock]. https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20210913/healthy-sleep-patterns-may-lower-arrhythmia-risk

[Untitled photo of paper people standing in a circle]. https://www.ethnn.org/blog/building-support-systems

[socialworkandme]

Module 4 Reflection

In reading through the various documents pertaining to codes of ethics and standards of practice it really made me think about how I may approach my career in social work. Although these documents are not necessarily an end all, be all when it comes to how you practice, they are there for a very important reason. I think that it would be very hard for me to practice social work without a set of guidelines to help me along the way when maybe some of the things I face become uncertain.

Each of the six values in the Canadian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics have great meaning for the way that I will enter my practice as an emerging social worker. 

Another point I need to reflect upon is how might my own personal values and my professional values and ethics differ, and how might I resolve the tension between those two. It will be important when it comes to working in the social work profession to remind myself not to allow my own personal values to cloud my professional ones. I think the core value of integrity in professional practice would help to remind me to strive for impartiality in my practice and avoid imposing my personal values on my clients if there was an instance where my personal values and my professional ones came into conflict (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2005). I understand that my personal values should be trumped by the social work code of ethics if I am to practice in this profession (Ngo, 2020).

Alberta College of Social Workers. (2019). Standards of Practice. https://acsw.in1touch.org/document/2672/DOC_FINALACSWStandardsOfPractice_V1_1_20200304.pdf

Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). Code of Ethics. https://www.casw-acts.ca/files/documents/casw_code_of_ethics.pdf

Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). Guidelines for Ethical Practice. https://www.casw-acts.ca/files/documents/casw_guidelines_for_ethical_practice.pdf

Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). CASW Scope of Practice Statement. https://www.casw-acts.ca/files/attachements/Scope_of_Practice_Statement_2020_1.pdf

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Social Work and Diversity [Video].Youtube.  https://youtu.be/_qObqwVokO4

[socialworkandme]

Module 3 Reflection

 Upon completing the readings and course materials for module three I began to think a lot about my privilege as a white, able-bodied, cisgender female (Hick & Stokes, 2017, p. 378). I can say that throughout my life I have experienced little to no discrimination or haven’t been made to feel like I don’t belong. In reading about the issues faced by many marginalized people and communities I began to think about the different ways I could take my learnings to further my emerging social worker profile and practice.

In social work I think that it is important to be prepared to work with many different individuals who have varying backgrounds and who may have experienced discrimination. There are many ways I feel that I can show that I am aligned with anti-oppressive practice and show my commitment to social justice.  In forming relationships with clients I think beginning with being a warm and genuine person in working with marginalized people and communities would go a long way (Ngo, 2020). I would also like to keep in mind the language I use when speaking to my clients. I also want to be aware that I am not placing blame on them or blame on to their family members, I think a great way to do this is to avoid labelling what they are experiencing as problems or issues and instead using the word needs (Ngo, 2020). Another way I could show warmth and empathy is to keep up to date on thee terms that marginalized people identify with in order to show respect and dignity towards them as a person. 

I think a key assessment strategy I could implore in my future social work practice would be the person-in-environment system (Ngo, 2020). Using the person in environment system would allow me to take a look through a more focused lens into the issues diverse populations may be facing. I also think it would be important to continually assess my client(s) where they are in each stage of working with them in order to provide them with the best standard of care and practice. 

There are many different interventions I could use when working with my clients in the future. I think it is important to ensure that the interventions I choose to use are backed up by research. Along with that I would like to ensure that I am being reflexive in my practice, I could do this by continuously modifying and adapting my interventions for my clients and ensure that I am being responsive to their needs (Ngo, 2020).

In evaluating my work with my clients I want to make sure that I am promoting positive change. To become a well-rounded social worker it will be important for me to evaluate my practice to ensure that I am helping my clients and not causing them any harm (Ngo, 2020).

The final key learning I took from module three would be relationship ending. I feel that it is extremely important to preface my working with clients will eventually come to an end (Ngo, 2020). I know that as a person I do not like abrupt or unexpected endings in my own life, and I think that talking about this at the beginning and during the stages of working with my clients that it will lead to a better sense of rapport between the clients and myself and a more positive ending for the relationship.

References:

Hick, S., & Stokes, J., (2017). Social Work in Canada: An Introduction. Thompson Education Publishing, Inc.

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Assessment [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/kRcTEES64wQ

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Evaluation in Social Work Practice [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/03NEEpQY8iw

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 24). Intervention in Social Work Practice-Part 1 [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/Pi4_zR0RIvs

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Relationship Building [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/S6ddCQ09PPc

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Relationship Ending in Social Work Practice [Video].Youtube. https://youtu.be/36qU3a_p1ZQ

[socialworkandme]

Reflecting on My Tree of Life

As I was drawing my tree of life I realized how many connections I have to the seniors in my life. I grew up with both sets of Grandparents, as well as my Great-Grandmother being a big part of my life. I think that through interacting with them so much as I was growing up I really looked up to them as mentors. I believe that I took a lot of what I value from them and took traits I admired from them and integrated them into who I am today and will likely take them into my practice as an emerging social worker. Although I looked up to them there are times in my life where I remember feeling a bit disconnected from them, especially when I was a teenager when I didn’t always appreciate or value the time I got to spend with them. 

On the other hand I also realized how little interaction I have had with other diverse populations. I think that is in part due to the city in which I grew up in, I felt like there was a lack of diversity in the community as a lot of the kids I went to school with looked like me. The most I have interacted with diverse populations was when I worked in fast food, where I worked with many people from the Philippines and from other nations in the global south. I learned through the textbook readings that there is a concept called underemployment where immigrants skills are not recognized or valued here in Canada, which is why they end up in lower paying and lower-skilled jobs (Hick & Stokes, 2017, p. 320). 

From drawing and reflecting on my tree of life I can see that I have a lot of learning and self-reflection to do in terms of working with diverse populations. I think that one way I can begin this is by learning about the unique issues that may be faced by diverse populations in Canada (Hick & Stokes, 2017, p. 332). I also believe it will be extremely important for me to continue to learn and reflect upon my own biases that I may have formed throughout my life.

Hick, S., & Stokes, J., (2017). Social Work in Canada: An Introduction. Thompson Education Publishing, Inc.

[socialworkandme]

My Tree of Life

[socialworkandme]

Reflecting Upon My Own Biases

I grew up for most of my childhood in Airdrie, Alberta. I’ve always felt as though growing up there has limited my perspective as I feel like the city created a community that was very sheltered and maybe a bit insular in nature. From my perspective growing up in Airdrie, I always felt like the people that lived in my community were not as impacted or did not experience the issues that larger cities such as Calgary face. Now I have begun to understand that this is untrue, and that the issues may just be less visible because it is a smaller city with much less people than Calgary and I may not have interacted with individuals facing such issues. I feel that sometimes it is easy for me to assume that most of the people I see in my day-to-day life have had a relatively easy and simple life such as I have had when that may have not been the case. Growing up where I did shaped some of the biases I still hold today, such as the underlying assumption that everyone has had as easy of a time growing up as me and has had equal opportunity without facing discrimination. 

Another bias that I may have would be related to the fact that I am a Caucasian female. I know that the experiences I have had in my life and will have in the future will very likely be much easier for me due to the colour of my skin. Beyond that it is easy to assume that everyone around me would be given equal opportunity regardless of the colour of their skin. I notice that I find it very difficult and a little bit uncomfortable for me to discuss and even write about the social construct of race. I think as I grow personally and professionally I will be able to further explore why this is the case for me and take my learnings into leading with an anti-oppressive practice.

I have also noticed, though this is hard to admit, I have a unintentionally tendency that when I hear others around me speaking in another language it is hard for me to conceptualize that they could be thinking or speaking as intelligently as I or the people in my life do. I think this bias comes from the ways in which one of my parents would speak about people of different skin colours to me or around me. I can remember feeling very uncomfortable and disheartened to hear someone talk about others that way and would sometimes try to speak up against it.

I do think that I have just barely dipped my feet in the water with these biases and that I have many more biases that I have just not come to realize quite yet. I hope that as I grow both personally and professionally that I will be able to confront and learn from any biases that I notice arise in myself.

[socialworkandme]

Reflection #2

In reviewing the course materials and readings for module two, I was able to think more deeply about what areas and levels of social work I may be interested in working in, and what strengths and limitations I may have in certain areas versus others. Upon deepening my understanding of various fields of social work, I realized I am very interested in the areas of international social work and mental health. 

My interest in international social work stems from not only a desire to experience different places and cultures in the world but also a passion for human rights and climate change. A huge limitation I feel I have when potentially working in this field is the lack of knowledge I have of international relations and the social and political conditions of other nations (Hick & Stokes, p. 436). Although I would love to work in the field of international social work, I feel that my skills and knowledge of international relations would need to increase greatly in order to be a productive social worker. 

I also have a deep passion for mental health and wellbeing. Although mental health has become increasingly addressed and discussed in day to day life, I believe that in order to keep it relevant, we need to keep talking about it and implementing changes to systems as needed. I think my passion for mental health stems from my own experience with mental health. As I’ve gotten older I’ve only realized the true importance of taking care of yourself both physically and mentally. I would like to further explore the field of mental health as a social worker where I could advocate for the ever changing needs of those struggling with a mental illness. I think that starting to work at the individual level with individuals struggling with mental illness would be a good place to start to increase my professional interpersonal skills.

A lot of the work involved in international social work largely focuses on working at the group or community level (Hick & Stokes, p. 437). If I was to pursue working in the international social work field, I believe I would need to expand my skills further to become successful and proficient in that field. Some skills I feel I could expand are my critical and analytical skills and my knowledge of community development (Ngo, 2020).

I feel that my current knowledge and skillset is much more in tune with work at the individual level. As I begin my social work career I would likely look for opportunities to work with individuals or families at a micro level where I could continue developing more knowledge of systems and societal structures as well as practice different theoretical and practical frameworks.

References:

Hick, S., & Stokes, J., (2017). Social Work in Canada: An Introduction. Thompson Education Publishing, Inc.

Ngo, H. [Unlisted]. (2020, December, 23). Community Development [Video].Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEOhCn8of1k&t=17s

[socialworkandme]

These are just a few things that come to mind when I think about wellness and mental health. Eating three meals each day, getting outdoors, practicing good sleep habits, and maintaining a healthy support system.

Copson, A. (Photographer). Getty Images. [Photo]. https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/biological-reason-to-eat-three-meals-day.htm

[Untitled photo of an alarm clock]. https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20210913/healthy-sleep-patterns-may-lower-arrhythmia-risk

[Untitled photo of paper people standing in a circle]. https://www.ethnn.org/blog/building-support-systems

[socialworkandme]

Reflection #1

Reflecting upon the readings, I gained further insight into my values and what practical frameworks and theories I am most drawn too. I feel that my personal values strongly align with the values of the social work profession. I believe that to be a successful social worker you need to care about others and have a high degree of personal awareness. Hick and Stokes (2017) describe critical self-reflection as a mindset that acknowledges that a social worker's identity and ideas are influenced not only by personal characteristics and experiences, but also by societal pressures and structures (pp. 113). As a well rounded social worker it is important to reflect on the values that are important to me and to use them to help guide my behaviours and decisions in life. Beyond my values, I also think it is important to contemplate what other biases or opinions I may hold based on what social pressures and structures have or are influencing me.

The systems theory and the structural theory are what most speak to me and my values (Hick & Stokes, 2017). I think that my background of previous education in the justice field has influence over what theories I feel most connected to. The reason why I feel most drawn to these two theories is because I like to look at and understand the root causes of issues and adversity that people may be facing in their lives. In my mind I hold the thought that those who experience adversity in life are not at fault, rather that it is the fault of systemic and structural issues that have been embedded in our society. In my future practice as a social worker I think I will likely draw heavily on these two theories when assessing my cases. 

References:

Hick, S., & Stokes, J., (2017). Social Work in Canada: An Introduction. Thompson Education Publishing, Inc.

[socialworkandme]

These are some of my personal values that I will use to guide me throughout my social work practice. Empathy, fairness, kindness, passion, integrity, and dependability.