How Can Social Work Be Improved?

Author: Katarina

Editor: Olivia

Observed through the month of March, National Social Work Month is reserved to celebrate the contributions made by our social workers to the community. It is a profession that can be emotionally and mentally draining and requires long hours working for a low salary. These professionals work hard to solve social issues while improving the lives of others.

Let’s dive into what social work is, why it’s a great field to work in, and what can be changed to improve the conditions for social workers.

What is Social Work?

Social work is a profession that pertains to working with individuals, families, groups, and society in effort to meet basic needs, enhance social functioning and overall well-being. In the values set for social workers, their focus is on service, social justice, integrity, and the importance of building relationships. Within the foster care system, social workers serve as a supervisor to support the child and their foster family to make sure that the child is safe and taken care of.

Advantages of the Social Work Profession

Although working in this profession is often portrayed as unrewarding and always draining, there are positive aspects that come with working in the field. Yes, the experiences of social workers are very different from most in-office work settings, but that doesn’t necessarily mean so in a negative way. They get to experience something new every day. For those looking into the profession, a big plus is that there are so many different fields within social work!

Pros for working in this profession include:

• You are left with a greater value towards life
• Is hardly ever boring
• High average job satisfaction
• Secure job opportunity
• Hold plenty of responsibility
• Doing good for others pays off
• New experiences everyday
• Allows you to grow in character

Can There Be Change?

In the case of making improvements in social work so that it doesn’t consume as much energy from the professional, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what the issue is. For the amount of responsibilities and time that is put into their work, one major issue is that they don’t get paid nearly enough as a reward for their effort in changing peoples lives for the better.

Another common issue is that as a result of their boatload of responsibilities, many social workers often experience burnout  and find it hard to unplug, either by bringing their work home or not being able to process certain experiences on bad days. Incorporating self-care into their lives to balance personal activities and getting their mind off of what they have to experience everyday would improve their overall happiness and mental health.

Taking a break and receiving support from a mentor or peer group can also allow time to process and discuss certain situations. It would also be helpful for their employer to incorporate a mental health check or evaluation to make sure that they are doing okay. This could open up a door to give employees some time off to again maintain that healthy balance in their life.

Overall, the well-being of our essential workers is important for everyone involved, especially when it comes to helping children because we want to make sure that they are receiving the best help and care possible. This month, give thanks and show your appreciation to the social workers in your community!