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Occupational Social Work

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The social work field has been commended for its versatility; social work majors have many more career options available to them than other professionals such as psychologists. Within some areas of social work practice there can also be extreme variation. One such area is the newly developed field of occupational social work. With social work’s growing presence in the workplace, there is considerable debate as to what the job description should entail. After reviewing many activities of an occupational social worker, I believe the field should focus on assisting employees with health care, stress management, arranging employee support groups, retirement preparation, and assisting laid-off employees. Many employee assistance programs, which …show more content…

Zastrow notes that African Americans and Latinos tend to be the first fired due to discrimination and their lower levels of educational expertise (2014, p. 376). Many cannot receive another job because of their educational status. Occupational social workers need to provide services to these laid-off minorities in order to ensure they receive another job and do not fall below the poverty line. Retirement may also lead to poverty; individuals may not receive Social Security benefits in the future because more people need Social Security than our contributing to it. By educating employees on how to overcome this, occupational social workers are not only combating future poverty, but are teaching better financial practices now. Occupational social workers who provide services to those being laid off or seeking retirement are educators and advocates for social justice and human rights in their fight against poverty. Just like the social work profession is multifaceted, so is the arena of occupational social work. In fact, some believe the duties of the occupational social worker are too broad because they interfere with other professionals’ duties. I believe social workers should assist employees with health care, stress management, employee support groups, retirement preparation, and lay offs because by doing so, they empower employees in a variety of ways, educate employees in needed areas, and combat

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