Introduction
Social workers and health and human professionals play a crucial role in the healing and transformation of society. It has been so since the inception of the social work profession. This personal action plan gives an overview of the social work profession and reflects on the selection of this profession.
Overview of the Social Work Profession
According to the National Association of Social Workers, the six core values of the social work profession are service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence (NASW, n.d.). Service requires social workers to help people in need and address social problems. They must pursue social change on behalf of the vulnerable and oppressed individuals in society. The third core value, dignity, and worth of the person, entails treating each person in a caring and respectful manner while minding cultural and ethnic diversity. The importance of human relationships involves understanding that relationships between and among people are essential in driving change. On integrity, social workers must be trustworthy and continually be aware of their profession’s mission, values, and ethical standards. Finally, social workers must practice within their area of competence and focus on enhancing their professional expertise.
The core values are related to the NASW code of ethics. They support the society’s responsibilities to their colleagues and coworkers, in their work in organizations and practice settings, and within their professional roles (Suppes & Wells, 2012). Notably, the NASW Code of Ethics calls upon social workers to prioritize achieving social policies that ensure justice and human rights for all people. The Code stresses the importance of competency on social workers and their need to preserve the worth of their clients and maintain healthy relationships. Service and social justice are much more significant to my career future. I perceive social justice to be the ultimate goal of a social worker. As a result, it would support my focus on helping those at risk of discrimination, oppression, and poverty. I can also use advocacy strategies to attain social and economic justice for an individual or whole group of people.
Why Choose Social Work
The global change evident in every aspect of life presents massive positive and negative implications to our society. My desire to see people treated equally, taken care of, and accorded respect and justice have massively spurred me to join the social work profession. I have seen and heard of many instances whereby individuals needed specialized physical, social and emotional support. These instances have made me perceive the social work profession as very important in modern society. Notably, the change in demographics and statistics indicate that the need for social workers will rise instead of going down in the future (“Chapter 13: The social work profession looks to the future,” n.d.). I would like to see people accorded the care they deserve irrespective of their race, religion, age, and gender and be able to share their subjective viewpoints advocated by the biopsychosocial approach. Consequently, I must be at the forefront to campaign for the right thing and social change whenever necessary.
My strengths are empathy (my ability to understand personal experiences based and put myself in their position), cultural competence (having socialized with people of different backgrounds before), and active listening. The three would be significant in my career. They will help me serve humankind professionally and ethically. Still, I have challenges, such as being over-friendly to people, often being impatient, and struggling with making decisions that may affect someone’s life. To deal with these weaknesses, I must prioritize and practice the core values and ethical principles surrounding the social worker’s profession and seek help from my seniors whenever necessary.
Conclusion
My focus is to get social work employment and continue learning to enhance my competency. I understand the need to add more qualifications beyond a graduate level to my career and society. I want to improve my skills and knowledge in service for humanity. Again, the number of issues requiring social workers’ attention will continue to increase as demographics change. As a result, the demand for our services will even surpass its availability. Hence, gaining more knowledge in this crucial profession will improve the efficiency of services and help me get to positions in which I can enhance my campaign for social change. This class has inspired me to achieve this dream by presenting crucial information on the history of social work, its progress over the years, and the roles and contributions of a social worker to society. It has assuredly been a thrilling experience from the beginning.
References
Chapter 13: The social work profession looks to the future [PowerPoint Slides]. (n.d.). Pearson.
NASW. (n.d.). National Association of Social Workers (NASW). NASW – National Associacion of Social Workers. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Suppes, M. A., & Wells, C. C. (2012). The social work experience: An introduction to social work and social welfare (7th ed.). Pearson.
