The language used to describe the relationship between a social worker and their client can be very inhibiting to the client and how they feel towards the partnership. Using language that classifies an individual as being less than or under the social worker, is demeaning to the individual and doesn’t create an atmosphere of teamwork but instead stigmatizes the person you are supposed to be advocating for. Common terms used to describe individuals the social worker is working with are patients and or clients, terminology that would promote empowerment or equal power dynamic could be co-worker or peer. We should be using language that promotes healthy work relationships and better describes how we are just people collaborating to bring about positive change.
Social workers take on many roles and perform a variety of tasks that involve working one on one with individuals, working closely with families, to advocating for our more vulnerable population. Some roles of social workers require them to take on larger scale roles that involve working with organizations and communities and legislating for change. Traditional social workers may find that they will be limited in their ability to properly advocate for their clients due to policies in place, or due to limited resources.
When a social worker works in the field of mental health or substance abuse, they may be faced with making difficult decisions. They are working closely with an individual that could potentially put themselves in jeopardy of violating a set criterion that brought them to the social worker in the first place or the social worker is in a role where they are making assessments in regard to safety that may make the client feel as though they are being worked against. I think the best way to go about this situation to avoid any setbacks is to get the client or individual involved in the decision-making process. Let the client set goals and develop a good repour with them to know what their aspirations are or any potential setbacks they could face.
Although social workers act as advocates and can take part in roles where they weigh in on political issues to bring about change, they should check their biases and try to incorporate the voices and opinions of those they work for. They should actively seek feedback and promote decision making by their clientele.
Social workers should be consistently checking in with themselves and considering how their experiences and assumptions could potentially impact their work. Being self-reflective and willing to learn and change to the ever-changing climate in culture will help them to know where their strengths are or where they need to educate themselves to better advocate for the people they are serving. I know that I have experiences that will help me in understanding and advocating in a particular field of practice. I also understand that my experiences and assumptions will also hinder me in being able to relate and advocate for others, I have much to learn to be able to assist the people of my community that I will interact with as a social worker.
Mindy Haley
Reflecting on the subject of language in social work, I was reminded of a skill I had already forgotten from a job I held a long time ago. This is the skill of matching your language to the person you are speaking to. It doesn’t matter about being “right” or “wrong” about terminology or workplace jargon or industry standards – it matters that you connect, gain the trust and respect of one another, and communicate to make sure that needs are met. We have to accept that we will get it wrong sometimes, taking ownership and apologizing for the times that we misstep or hurt someone’s feelings, but no single terminology will work for every person in all cases. We cannot let the fear of falling short of perfection get in the way of moving in the right direction. All of the suggestions in your blog are great options to use when interacting with people as a social worker.
Danni
I agree with you, I think the connection made and the amount of respect given can go a long way with whoever you are working with, regardless of your job title.
Madison Sawyer
I think the dynamic of a co-worker/peer relationship with a client is a great way to go about that type of relationship. Social workers can be a pillar of support for people, and it would be the utmost beneficial if it was a mutually respectful relationship. And as we all know, relationships can be a rocky thing, we may say or do the wrong thing. But what matters is that we handle everything in a positive and healthy manner. And I agree, it is very important for social workers to not just take care of others, but also take care of themselves. Some conversations may need to be strong-headed through, but take a toll on the social worker’s mental health. This field of work can be quite sensitive, and social workers have to face growth at a consistent rate since everyone is different and may require other types of assistance. I love all the points you made in this blog, it is informal and perfectly detailed!
Danni
I think you point out something really important to social work, that this work is sensitive, and we should focus on conducting ourselves in a positive and healthy way. I think that’s why it’s so important that we practice self-care and making sure that we are on top of our own mental health needs first.
Kaylana Nations
Social Work is very different than other jobs in the sense that we are working so close to the lives of others that the “superior” power dynamic that may work in other professions won’t work here. We can’t tell someone or an organization to just stop doing what they’re doing and make a “better” decision. This is because, at the end of the day, this decision may affect their everyday lives forever. I love that you bring up the relationship between the social worker and whoever their working with should be collaborative. We should help people find resources and goals that interest them and lead them into the future they want. In many other professions, the worker to their client is almost like a dictator. For example, a cashier will say put your card into the machine to pay for these groceries and you do it. In Social work, the relationship is more complicated, like we are a toolbox for our client. We give our clients choices and ideas and they pick which tool will work best for the task at hand. I also like how you brought up that there are things we can easily relate to and others that we “can’t” do due to personal experience. This is why Social Workers are constantly learning and noticing these limitations and working towards understanding. That’s why I love this field so much. We are constantly looking at how we can grow our knowledge and understanding of not only ourselves and those around us but also the world.
Danni
That’s very insightful, I think that may have been what made me gravitate towards the study of social work. A need to grow from my current way of life. I have been pleasantly surprised by the idea of constant growth and learning, it certainly makes for an exciting journey.
Devin Gittlein
I totally agree with your statements saying that the language social workers and others use must relay the message that social workers are on par with who they are working with/for. I’m my experience, people generally respond better in all things in life to being treated as an equal. In a lot of careers people’s brains can just go into overdrive and they focus on the technicalities of getting the job done rather than connecting with others. Especially when anyone is getting involved in things like political changes, it seems easy to lose sight of yourself and your values. This connection is so important in social work because when most people are in a tough place they want to feel trusted and like they’re in control of their own life. Because everyone is different and responds to different solutions, social workers clients may respond best to creative ideas and the social worker has to be consciously present in order to present those.