The year 2021 is about to end, and it got us thinking about the actual worth of human life. Almost the entire world faced the consequences of a deadly virus known as COVID-19. Many countries are still struggling with the humanitarian crisis, no food or shelter for millions of people. When the world is going through so much, someone needs to step up and help the abandoned people. It is where the social workers come into play and plan on solving different social issues. They specialize in social work and plan on bringing social development, cohesion, and change, all while empowering people.
Social workers understand the varying needs of human beings and how to strengthen bonds between communities. They learn about behavioral, social, cultural, and economic changes in different institutions and how human beings get along with them. From working with diverse families to assist institutions, social workers help society in many ways.
If you want to pursue a career in social work, you need to know some things. The very first thing to understand is you have to get qualified in social work. Thanks to online learning, you can easily enhance your social working skills and gain more social knowledge. Also, you won’t have to leave your premises and study right from the comfort of your house. Therefore, consider online learning and acquire an online social work masters degree if you already have a bachelor’s degree to become a qualified social worker. This online master’s degree will educate you further and train you in addressing different social barriers and biases.
Within no time, you will also bring a positive change into society and get appreciated for it. For your understanding, here are four ways you can make a powerful impact as a social worker. Let’s check them out.
1- Raising awareness about mental illnesses
Many people fall prey to different mental illnesses and get trapped in mental asylums. Such places have a history of treating victims poorly, more like inhumane treatment. Since social workers understand what the patient is going through, they try to help them in the best way possible. They are the ones who have changed other people’s perspectives towards mentally ill people and treat them more respectably.
Social workers are trying to modify the mental healthcare system, where people suffering from mental illnesses can heal. Their efforts to create a more humane system for mental health services have reaped some promising results. They want mental health victims to live a productive life and recover from the underlying disorder with expert’s help. Moreover, they are still trying to raise more awareness about mental illnesses and help people suffering from other chronic problems.
To further the reach and capabilities in assisting mentally-challenged patients, one can choose to finish an online masters in mental health nursing education.
2- Addressing issues like child abuse and abandonment
Social workers have been addressing sensitive social issues like child abuse and abandonment. They realize how much love and care a child needs. Therefore, they provide their expertise to child protective agencies and welfare. Child abuse is still a major social problem in most underdeveloped and developing nations. Social workers try to eliminate this problem and work towards protecting children who suffer from child abuse. They also play a crucial role in implementing child protection laws and developing childcare shelters for abused victims. Due to their constant effort, many abandoned children have found loving families and justice along the way.
3- Talking about civil rights
When the 1960’s civil rights movement took off, social workers offered their expertise as the forefront soldiers. They worked towards safeguarding the general public’s rights, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, religion, race, or ethnicity. Social workers do not discriminate among people and spread the same message across different communities. They want people to get equal representation and civil rights as much as possible. They know the importance of civil rights and want more people to exercise their rights when needed. Social workers have come a long way in educating people about their basic rights to thrive in the real world. Not just that, but they give people access to social opportunities and required civil services.
4- Taking measures to end poverty
While it is challenging to wipe off poverty, social workers still want to do their best at it. One of the biggest impacts of social work is reducing poverty in different regions and providing financial aid to underprivileged people. Social workers have developed social programs like Medicaid and Medicare to counter poverty and provide food and shelter to needy individuals. They further plan on expanding access to healthcare services and bearing the expenditures of required medical treatments. Taking such measures to control poverty is something only social workers can do. They keep track of underdeveloped areas and fulfill their needs. They do not want to limit an individual’s ability to accomplish different goals in life due to financial distress. Therefore, they design programs to support needy people and solve their economic issues.
The Bottom Line:
Some other ways to leave a positive impact as a social worker will be:
- Discussing the importance of completing rehab and helping individuals recover from social abuse
- Talking about the different rights of an employee and how to file a workplace lawsuit
- Giving disability pay to the differently-abled people and encouraging more organizations to hire extraordinary people
Social workers develop empathy towards all human beings over time. They get trained to work professionally in an organization, handle paperwork, and make critical decisions for society’s welfare. They can communicate effectively and solve social issues without losing their calm. All in all, being a social worker is a tremendous opportunity to feel good about yourself and contribute towards bringing a positive change. So do not wait anymore and pursue your career in social work right away!