Communication and Misconceptions in the field of Social Work (Prompt #3)

Communication and Misconceptions in the field of Social Work

Prompt #3

By: Nakara Neely

The person, I interviewed in the field of social work is a woman named Celica Whitley. Ms. Whitley works as a school social worker at a high-school named University Preparatory Academy.

What you have to write down while being a social worker

• ·      In the field of social work, she writes down case notes and keeps records of what she and her client discussed. (Be careful of what you write down because you have to keep confidentiality as well)
• ·      As a school social worker, it is also her duty to write a quarterly progression of her clients.
• ·      She also has to create goals for her clients to help them succeed
• ·      Documents that allow her to keep in contact with families, so that they are up to date with the progression of their child, not only academically, but social wise too
• ·      Written assessments to determine the student’s needs

When writing down the progression of different students and creating goals for the child, she has to write it out thoughtfully because it has to be measurable and also attainable.

Misconceptions about the field of Social Work

• ·      Social workers are not specialist
• ·      The workers in this field only work with foster and adopted children
• ·      Social workers just want to take away parent’s children
• ·      Many social workers don’t get paid a lot
• ·      It’s an easy career choice

To address these misconceptions, you communicate using your mouth the roles and responsibilities that a social worker actually does, to prove those misconceptions incorrect.

With interviewing Ms. Celica Whitley, I learned the different things that she has to write down while being a school social worker, such as case notes, specific goals for each child, documents that allow her to keep in contact with her client’s families of the progression of the child, and written assessments to determine the students needs. I also learned all of the different types of misconceptions that many people think of social work like, social workers are not specialist's and that the field of social work only works with foster and adopted children. Furthermore, I learned how she proves those misconceptions wrong. I learned this information from a phone interview with Ms. Whitley. It is important to know how different types of people write in my field because I may decide to go into that type of social work and it’s better to prepare myself now for the different things that I will be working with. This can also determine if I would like to go into the type of social work. It’s also important to know misconceptions so that I won’t be surprised to hear them when I become a social worker and to also help prove the misconceptions as incorrect.