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This article is dedicated to all social workers in Singapore. Thank you for going above and beyond to help those in need.
What is the role of social workers?
Social workers are essential to the community well-being and they are able to help people address personal and systemic barriers to optimal living. Social workers are employed to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities.
There are a wide range of social workers addressing different people and environments. Each with the mission to help its audience develop their full potential, enrich their lives and reduce dysfunction. In other words, social workers are professional problem solvers known as the change agents in society and in the many lives of individuals, families and communities they service. Thus, being able to do social work involves an interrelated system of values, theory and practice.
Values
Social work is not longer the usual humanitarian and democratic ideals and its values are based on respect for the equality, worth and dignity of all people. Since the past, social work has been focusing on meeting the needs of human beings and developing their potential. Human rights and social justice serve as the motivation and justification for social work. As such, those who are disadvantaged, the profession strives to alleviate poverty and liberate vulnerable and oppressed people in order to have social inclusion. Therefore, social workers values are embodied in the profession’s national and international code of ethics.
Theory
Social work is based on its methodology on systematic evidenced-based knowledge derived from research and practice, which includes local and indigenous knowledge specific to its context. Social work also recognises the complexity of interactions between human beings and their environment and their capacity of people both to be affected by and to alter the influences upon them including bio-psychosocial factors. Thus, social workers draw on the theories of human development and behaviour and the social system to understand complex situations and how to have individual, organisational, social and cultural changes.
Practice
Social work addresses the barriers, inequities and injustices that exist in society. Social work also responds to crisis and emergencies as well as day to day personal and social problems. Social workers need to acquire a variety of skills and techniques to focus on the people and environments they serve. Social work interventions range from primarily person-focused psychosocial processes to involvement in social policy, planning and development which includes but not limited to clinical social work, counselling and family therapy.
What makes a good Social Worker?
A good social worker is someone with a genuine interest in helping/working with others, with a strong sense of sensitivity to others needs. They have a strong belief in the inherent worth of human beings and are individuals with self-respect and self-responsibility. In addition, a good social worker responds instead of reacting to a situation.
Happy Social Workers Month to all social workers out there! Thank you for everything! ?