Mentoring In Social Work

Professionals form a special social group in any developed and civilized society contributing by their highly specialized knowledge and skills for solving human problems and improving social welfare. Often young trainees blossom as a full-fledged successful professional with support from their mentors. Hence this topic of mentoring becomes more important to sustain the motivated social workers who are committed for a career in professional social work. In India there are innumerable challenges for a young social work student or new entrant in a social work job both in government or non-government sector. They range from lack of statutory recognition to civilian acceptance to poor career development just mention the few.
Mentoring is a human

The aims of mentoring are to motivate beginners for working life and to transfer and share “tacit knowledge” as well as the experience-based skills and knowledge needed in working life. (Juusela et al.2000; Juusela 2005; Miller 2002). AiniPehkonen, A. et.al profiles the account of mentoring in the Hand Book on Mentoring and Social Work. But the question is, as how it is possible to practice mentoring in Indian setting. When we go through the literature of professional social work it is clear that we do not have any significant work or contribution. But it cannot be denied that it is indeed happening but informally. Lack of documentation and research in this area is we need to make a note.. Globally international professional social work bodies such as National Association of Social workers - USA, British Association for Social Workers, Australian Association of Social Workers etc. have put their organized and well planned Mentoring program in place. But we do not find any such endeavor in our Indian Association for Professional Social workers. Even many of the common questions posted on our web site by young social workers and students remain unanswered for long time. Though the association has made an effort to open digital forum to guide many, but the help is not forthcoming from many senior social workers the reasons of which need examination, however the scene appears to be better in schools of social work where the committed Faculties are able to blend mentoring into their supervision. However I could find a work done in India with social work students. Devadas, Prince Solomon (2010) from MCC, Chennai, has presented a paper on, “Mentoring Social work students in International Field Placements: Some excerpts and experiences” – Poster presentation during the World Joint Social Work Conference in Honk