Social Worker Field Placement

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During my field placements at the Boone County Department of Health and Human Recourses (DHHR) in my foundation level and the Davis Child Shelter currently in my advance level, I believe I have had a great idea of what the social worker profession is, understanding ethics, and working with populations who live in Appalachia. With both of my field placements, I see both sides of social worker, the “demander,” child protective services, and the “supplier,” Davis Child Shelter. Being able to experience both sides of this field, I have also worked with a wide range of different races, ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, religions, mentally under developed, etc. Looking back at my field placement at the Davis Child Shelter, I have really enjoyed …show more content…

Being an intern has different boundaries than if I was a staff worker, shelter social worker, or even a resident’s child protective service and/or youth service worker. I can joke around with the residents more, play board games, watch movies, etc. I do not have to take an authoritarian role with them. I believe that is one reason the residents can come up to me, and tell me their problems without worrying about the consequences. I feel that I have a strong therapeutic relationship with the residents at the Davis Child Shelter, than I did doing my internship at the Boone County DHHR in my foundation …show more content…

Just in my short time at the Davis Child Shelter, I have seen a group of teenagers become best friends with one another, developing “families” and defining roles, to fighting with everyone and hating each other, to creating cliques within the group, to being in “relationships” with each other. In child protective services, the family dynamics from removing children from the home and bring services into the home does change. I have seen parents divorce because one parent wanted to continue abusing drugs and the other one did not, and it was not until the one sobered up they realized there was no real love in their relationship, just mutual addiction and substance abuse. Also seen were the parent(s) improved, and got their children back, while others were not as able. With both of my field placements I have learned and experienced I have a great knowledge of the social worker field, and working with wide ranges of different clients. Honestly, I believe I really gained some of the best knowledge in social worker with both of my field placements. While either field placements can be challenging, I would encourage everyone to at least work or intern at one of the two placed I did. I feel I am able to take what I learn from class, and apply it to my clients. I also just find going to the Davis Child Shelter overall enjoyable field placement to be