Some of the approaches used by social workers in the past may fall short of addressing current needs. To bridge this gap, social workers need to embrace new solutions in the face of social change and complex social problems.
Since mental health is such a vast and complex discipline, there can be a lot of different approaches for how to work within it. Learn about the essential role that social workers play in mental health care and the various psychotherapy modalities they use to assist people with mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders and other challenges.
In social work, there are a lot of ways in which technology allows workers to access innovative tools that enhance their services and improve their overall efficiency. This unlocks new potential but, at the same time, poses some challenges that haven’t been seen before or are actively evolving.
Social workers often face situations in which ethical standards may not match the client’s best interest. To illustrate, let’s explore three situations in which gray areas often appear.
From gun violence to human rights, the list of social issues in America and around the globe can seem overwhelming. We’re taking a closer look at these societal problems and how we can better equip social workers to deal with the effects they have on our people and communities.
Addiction is a complex and pervasive issue that impacts communities across the United States.
Some kids are traumatized by extreme acts of violence, like school shootings, but everyday experiences like bullying and emotional abuse can profoundly impact children’s emotional and physical well-being as well. Fortunately, many effective methods exist for counseling children dealing with trauma.
When children are profoundly hurt before they’re able to ask for help, in ways that deter them from doing so, it’s up to the adults in their lives to recognize the distress signals.
“Our schools are facing challenges unlike any they have seen before. Prior to COVID, fewer than half our students could read or do math at grade level. Now, after years of pandemic-related disruptions, trauma and upheaval, we risk losing a generation of students to learning loss, widening achievement gaps and fractured institutions.”
In the 1800s, you would have heard the phrase ‘battle exhaustion.’ During and after World War I, it was known as ‘shell shock.’ Around World War II, you’d have called it ‘combat fatigue.’ Today, we call it Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).