OnanygivendayyoucanturnonyourT.

VtothenewsortoanepisodeofLaw&
Order:SpecialVictimsUnitandseeanegativelightonsocialworkers.Thesepeopleareseentobe
horriblepeoplewhowakeupinthemorningandthinkhmm.WhosefamilycanItearaparttoday?
whichisabsolutelyfalse.Societyhasthisideathatsocialworkersarethepeoplewhoenjoytaking
childrenawayfromtheirfamiliesandthatsalltheydo.
Bydefinitionthesocialworkprofessionpromotessocialchange,problemsolvinginhuman
relationshipsandtheempowermentandliberationofpeopletoenhancewellbeing.(http://ifsw.org)Now
tomethatdoesn'tsoundlikesomeonewhoenjoystearingfamiliesapart.Sothenwhatexactlydothey
do?WelltheresdozensofjobsyoucanholdwithadegreeinSocialWork.Afewexamplescanbe
workingtohelppeoplefightagainstsubstanceabuse,workinchildprotectiveservices,youcouldwork
inahospital,inschoolsandeveninfederalgovernmentagencies.Soasyoucanseethisisavery
intensejob,assomewouldsay.Theyworkwithvictimsofabuse,rape,humantrafficking,peoplewho
havebeenhomeless,etc.
Onecommonmisconceptionaboutsocialworkersisthattheyallremovechildrenfromfamilies.
Thisisfalse.Thereisonespecificjobundertheumbrellaofsocialworkwhichinvolvesa
caseworker.Theirjobistoremoveachildfromtheirhomeifthereisanysuspicionthatthechildisin
danger.Theseworkershavethemostnegativereputationandthesearetheonesthatyoutypicallysee
ontheT.Vscreen.Caseworksareassignedvariouscasesinwhichtheydealwithindividualsorfamilies
incrisis.Theyrelookeddownuponbecausetheytakechildrenawayandputtheminanalternative
homesuchasfostercareoranotherfamilymemberscustody.Themajorpointthatpeoplemissisthat
theydoitforthewellbeingofthechild.Ifachildisgettingbeatenathomeandhasobvioussignsof
malnutritionwoulditbebestforthechildstayattheirhome?Asacaseworkeryourjobisjustlikeany
othersocialworker,toensuresafetyofothersandimprovetothequalityoflife.
Asyoucanseeitseasyforyouremotionstogetinthewayofthejobathandwhichcan
sometimesbeaproblemifsomeoneisntcareful.Notverymanypeoplewanttoworkwithaddictsor
thementallyill.Thisiswhytherearecertainethicsinvolved.TheNationalAssociationofSocial
Workers(NASW)compiledalistofthingseverysocialworkershouldfollowonadailybasistoensure
thateveryworkerlivesuptothesestandardsanddoesntcrossacertainline.Someofthetopics
discussedinthebookareconfidentiality,discrimination,respect,competenceandtraining.On
competencetheCodeofEthicsstatesthefollowing:
Socialworkersshouldstrivetobecomeandremainproficientinprofessionalpracticeandthe
performanceofprofessionalfunctions.Socialworkersshouldcriticallyexamineandkeepcurrentwith
emergingknowledgerelevanttosocialwork.Socialworkersshouldroutinelyreviewtheprofessional
literatureandparticipateincontinuingeducationrelevanttosocialworkpracticeandsocialwork.
1
TheCollegeofSocialWork(orCSW)hereatFloridaStateUniversitystatesthatitistheir
missionstatementto"prepareprofessionalsocialworkerstoenhancehumanwellbeingandhelpmeet
thebasicneedsofdiversepopulationswithparticularattentiontotheempowermentofpeoplewhoare
vulnerable,oppressedorlivinginpoverty.
2
InordertobealicensedsocialworkerinthestateofFloridatherearecertainclassessuchas
IntroductiontoSocialWorkResearch,SocialJusticeandDiversity,andHumanBehaviorintheSocial
Environment.TherearealsoteststhatyoumustpassliketheASWB(AssociationofSocialWorkers
Board).FSUensuresthateverypersonwhoisintheprocessofbeingasocialworkerhasmetallthe
1
http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
2
http://csw.fsu.edu/aboutcsw/overview/
necessaryrequirements.FSUoffersbachelor's(BSW),Masters(MSW)andevendoctoraldegrees
(Ph.D).FloridaStatewasactuallythefirstintheworldtoofferaMSWthroughanaccreditedonline
program.TheCSWisalsoaccreditedbytheCouncilofSocialWorkEducation(CSWE)
3
Asidefromtakingthetestsandpassingtheclassesthereareotheressentialskillsthatyouneed
inordertobeasocialworker.Youhavetobeagoodlistener,attentive,caring,compassionate,patient
andrational.IfIhadwitnessedaterriblecaraccidentwhichleftmetraumatizedformonthsandI
decidedtoseeasocialworkerIwouldntwantsomeonetojustsitthereontheirphoneortotellme
thatImoverreacting.Whenyoumeetwithanindividualyouhavetobeabletoworkthroughtheir
problems,nottrytocompletelydismissthem.Theresahugedifference.Talkingthroughproblemsisthe
keytorecoveryforrelativelyanything.Soifyoutalkmorethanyoulistentheresgoingtobeaproblem.
Inorderforavictimtofeelcomfortabletheymustfirstfeellikesomeoneactuallycaresaboutwhatthey
aresaying,thisiswherecompassionandattentivenesscomesin.Ifwerehavingaconversationandthe
personwhoImtalkingtoisjustreplyingwithmhmandyeahresponsesitsgoingtomakethemfeel
liketheyrenotbeingabout.Ifthepersonisengagedinconversationandisshowingcompassiontheres
agreaterchancethatthevictimwillfeelbetter.
Whileintheprocessofobtainingadegreeinsocialworkmanypeoplevolunteeranddo
internships,someofwhicharepaidandsomearenot.Workinginanenvironmentthatgivesaperson
handsonexperienceinthefieldwhichwillincreasetheirchancesofgettingajob.TheDepartmentof
ChildrenandFamilies(DCF)isagreatplacetostart.Surroundingyourselfbypeopleinthefieldwho
haveasimilarpassionforhelpingothersisagreatwaytomakeconnectionsandgetexperience.Their
missionstatementclaimsto
3
http://csw.fsu.edu/aboutcsw/overview/
ProtecttheVulnerable,Promotestrongandeconomicallyselfsufficientfamilies,andadvanceperson
andfamilyrecoveryresiliency.
4
FSUsCSWfieldeducationworkscloselywithDCF,specificallywiththeirchildprotection
investigationservices.StudentswhoareinterestedmustalreadyhavetheirBSW.Studentswhoare
participatingwillparticipateinsupportivecounseling,writtenworkandcasemanagement.Theymayalso
havethechancetodohomevisits.Assignmentswillvarydependingonthestudentsskilllevel.
5
SocialWorkersdedicatecountlesshoursoftheirlivestohelppeoplewhotheyhaveneverseen
andpeoplewhotheymayneverseeagain.Theydoallofthisoutofthegoodnessoftheirheart.When
mostpeoplelookforajobtheychooseonebasedontheamountofpay.Forthosewhoareinthefield
knowthatyoucantputapriceonhelpingothers.
Speakingofmoney,accordingtoU.SNewstheaverageannualsalaryforasocialworkeris
$45,300.Nowletscomparethattoamorecommonjobsuchasaphysicaltherapist.Theiraverage
annualsalaryis$81,110.Thatsa$35,800difference.AccordingtoanotherarticlewrittenbyU.S
News,100BestJobsof2014achildandfamilysocialworkerwasranked#58andwassaidtohave
highlevelsofstress.OntheTop100list,aphysicaltherapistwasranked#7andwassaidtohave
belowaveragelevelsofstress .Sowhywouldsomeonewantajobthatinvolveslowpayandhighstress
6
levels?Apaycheckisalwaysnicebutitisntalwaysabouttheamountofzerosyousee,sometimesits
aboutthenumberoflivesyouimpact.
Thecompassionforotherswellbeingdoesn'tjuststopintheirhometownorstateoreven
country.Alotofpeopleinthisfieldbelieveinglobalawarenessandhelpinganyandeveryonethatthey
can.Thismeanstraveling.HereatFSUthesocialworkprogramalsohasstudyabroadopportunities.
4
http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/admin/publications/policies/p0601.pdf
5
.(http://csw.fsu.edu/fieldsettings/dcfchildprotectiveinvestigativeservices/
6
http://money.usnews.com/careers/bestjobs/rankings/the100bestjobs?int=d97792
Studentsmayhavethechancetostudyabroadinvariouslocationsacrosstheglobesuchas
Vietnam,Prague,Valencia,SouthAfrica,Londonandmanymore.Theretheywilllearnaboutinternational
socialworkandsocialwelfareandotherareasofthefield.Whatssoattractiveabouttheirinternational
programisthatitgivesitsparticipantsthechancetoexploreareasoftheworldwiththemostatrisk
individualsandgivesthemhandsonexperience.
Socialwelfare,socialjustice,andhumanrightstakemanyformsworldwide.TheFSUCollege
ofSocialWorkactivelyengagesinbuildinganunderstandingofourplaceintheglobalcommunityand
learninghowwecanrespondtothoseinneed.
7
EveryyeartheCSWEpresentsonesocialworkprogramfromaroundthecountrytoreceive
thePartnersinAdvancingInternationalEducationaward.ThisawardwaspresentedtoFloridaState
Universitytwoyearsinarow.
ItwasntuntiltwoyearsagothatIdecidedthatIwantedtobeasocialworker.AtfirstIwasa
partofthatgroupofsocietywhobelievedinthenegativeimagethatthemediaportrayssocialworkers
tobe.IveneverbeenathleticandIwasntbornwithavoicelikeBeyonceandIamdefinitelynotgood
atmathorsciencesoIwaslost.IknewIlikedtohelppeopleandpeoplealwayscametomewiththeir
problems.InschoolwheneverwehadanactivitywherewehadtodescribeourclassmatesIalwaysgot
thingslikegoodlistener,helpful,kindandpatient.Itsjustsomethingthatsinsideofmethatlivestohelp
people.AfterdoingsomeresearchIcameacrosswhatsocialworkersactuallydoandwhattheystand
forandfromthatmomentIknewthatthiswasmycalling.IplanongettingmyMSWandeither
becomingacaseworker,guidancecounselororworkinchildprotectiveservices.
7
http://csw.fsu.edu/academics/internationalprograms/studyabroad/
Asyoucanseesocialworkersarentthemonstersthatthemediaportraysthemtobe.They
spendtheirlivestryingtobetterthelivesofothers.WheneverIwouldtellpeoplethatIwantedtobea
socialworkertheywouldgivemearepulsivelook.Iftheytrulyknewwhatitmeanttohaveadegreein
SocialWorkthentheywouldseethatitsthebestsjobintheworld.Allthenegativestereotypes
aroundtheirprofessionisridiculous.Inmyeyesthepeoplewhoworkinthisfieldhavethesomeofthe
hardestjobsintheworldandtheydontgetenoughrecognitionfortheirdeeds.Socialworkersarethe
voiceofthepeoplewhoneeditthemost.