Social Work Ethics

The basic purpose of social work is to help individuals improve the quality of their lives. Social work is a helping profession and, resultantly, social workers are oftentimes referred to as change agents. They empower individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations to reach their full potential and enable them to make the necessary changes in their lives. They encourage clients to be self-determined and reinforce their ability to change and to focus on their own needs. Social workers strive to make contributions to the knowledge base of this profession. Social workers abide by ethical principles that are based on six core values which include service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships,

However, my main focus in the field of social work has been child welfare. A current social problem that is of greatest concern to me is child poverty and issues as they relate to the child welfare system in general. As it pertains to child poverty, it is a growing issue in the United States. Poverty is prevalent in almost every state in the United States, including Florida. In addition, many children under the age of eighteen are also living in poverty. I believe that the rates of poverty are alarming yet it is an eye-opening realization. Poverty among youth is much greater in underserved communities as opposed to areas that have a higher population of residents. Poverty negatively affects the physical and mental health of children in these communities as well as their overall well-being. Children and families in these communities are also more likely to face undesirable circumstances, such as inadequate housing, homelessness, food insecurity, inadequate child care, lack of access to health care, as well as hazardous neighborhoods. Poverty also affects a child’s educational attainment and puts them at-risk for performing poorly in school, dropping out of school, and/or having developmental delays that affect their school functioning. In my opinion, the people within these communities

Before pursuing a career in social work, I was never really aware of what social workers were nor how valuable their role in society is. Throughout my childhood, I was never exposed to a life in which social workers were common figures. It was not until I went to high school that I got a better understanding of what the world really looked like and the importance of social workers. I went to a low-income high school in Homestead and it was truly an eye-opening experience. I was always accustomed to an environment with no violence or crime and when I moved there it was a depiction of a reality that I was not aware existed. Before pursuing a degree in social work, my main interest was in early childhood education. I was a part of the Early Childhood Academy at my high school and had the opportunity to volunteer for a number of child care centers. Oftentimes, some of the youth in foster care that would come for after-care would share their experiences of abuse and neglect with me. I began to acquire knowledge of what some of those children were facing. I also went to school with quite a large amount of classmates that had some history of childhood trauma. They shared their stories in which they were subjected to traumatic experiences, including rape, incest, domestic violence, and/or parental substance abuse. I was