March is Social Work Month.
Social workers play an important role in society in general and in healthcare settings in specific.
Although we can’t capture everything social workers do withing the context of this post, we can reflect on some of the values that social workers bring to table and the ways they help us and our loved ones.
By highlighting and discussing these qualities, we can adopt some of these mindsets into our own way of being.
Acceptance
One of the ways social workers make the world a better place is by giving the individuals they serve a sense of being accepted. This is why people feel so comfortable in the presence a good social worker. The acceptance gives them a place to just be themselves. And that’s emotionally freeing.
People often get confused with acceptance and approval. They’re related but not identical. Approval is about agreeing with the act, but acceptance is about being there for the person as they are regardless of whether we agree with their choices.
Emotional Support
Social workers are known for their expertise at supporting others emotionally. Whether it’s through listening skills, reframing something by looking at it though another lens, highlighting strengths, affirming, or sharing expert advice, social workers have many ways of helping us feel validated, seen, and understood.
Sometimes, the best thing we can do for our loved ones is to support them emotionally.
Assistance
Social workers know how to connect people to the resources that can help make a real difference in their lives. They know how to reach out and get things done. They’ll make the effort to pick up a telephone, fill forms, and go down to meet whoever it may be necessary to meet in order to make things happen. To social workers, assistance isn’t just a value but a way of life.
Learning from social workers doesn’t have to stop at 3 points.
What have you learned from social workers?
Please share in the comments below.