Can you imagine a day filled with crushing back-to-back caseloads? Where the mere thought of a lunch break is an afterthought. Welcome to a day in the life of a social worker. These unsung heroes spend their day attending court hearings, meeting with clients in their homes, supervising family visits and advocating for their client’s needs on the local, state, or national level. Every day they selflessly provide mental health and behavioral support services to children, adolescents, adults, and families. You can find social workers in every facet of community life, including schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, senior centers, elected office, private practices, prisons, military, corporations, and in numerous public and private agencies.
Here are a few ways that social workers are changing the lives of their clients every single day:
Child welfare social workers strengthen family units and provide support to children and families. These social workers sometimes intervene to protect children from physical or emotional harm or neglect.
School social workers provide leadership, mental health support and clarity around school discipline and other services. They are an essential link between the students, schools, and the family.
Health Care social workers provide case management for patients who need their services. They play a critical role in improving the physical and mental health of American citizens, especially vulnerable populations.
Mental Health and Substance Use social workers deal with mental health and addiction. They provide counseling and therapy to better manage the mental health and improve the quality of life of their clients.
Once again, we say thank you to the naturally compassionate, empathetic, highly motivated, men and women who serve the most vulnerable populations. However, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Devoting all your time and energy to take care of your clients can lead to chronic work stress or compassion fatigue. Use the resources at sharisenance.com to understand compassion fatigue and how to recognize the warning signs and combat the symptoms.
To Your Health and Prosperity,
Sharise