Forums » Smalltalk » AMA: Social Work, Human sciences

Hi there, I'm Cass!



You may know me as a moderator on the RPR. In my personal life, I have completed many many courses in human sciences from sociology to psychology -- but my major is social work!

What is social work? My definition is that I can use my knowledge in a way that helps people better their lives. It's counselling, it's advocacy, it's social justice, fighting for human rights, crisis intervention, trauma work, empathy and support, psychosocial therapy, equality for all and more.

I have completed a diploma in social service work (which is similar as if I'd gotten an associates degree in social work for those in USA)
I am also currently in my final year of university. I am finishing my honours bachelor's degree in social work. I have attended multiple placements and currently work in the field of social work. I have worked or been a student at women's shelters [domestic abuse], child protection services, in-patient treatment for teenagers and more.

Due to the sensitive nature of this topic and the expectations and dignity of social work as a profession [i.e., social work code of ethics]; I may be selective about how I answer questions but please do not hesitate to ask regardless. If you are having personal problems and are looking for me to help you through them, please note this isn't the place to ask me. Seek professional counselling with someone in your area.

**P.S. I'm also fine if you'd like to ask me something anonymously in PMs and I post it for you.

Wow, social work must be challenging! I'm curious, how much studying did you do on average for your classes?

Hey Gab!

I would think just about as much as anyone else studying for a bachelor's degree. Quite a bit! One of the main educational components is applying theory to practice. I've noticed that traditional social work and now has changed quite a bit - it focuses a lot more on counselling and psychotherapy than it used to.

Hi Cass!

I imagine that some of the cases that you work with/study may be quite draining mentally and psychologically. Do you feel very affected by that, and what do you do to take care of your own mental health?

Great question and very accurate / true with difficult cases.

I have noticed since being in social work that most workers are incredibly supportive of one another. It's a very different dynamic than businesses, organizations or corporations I have worked in before working in a mental health field. Your colleagues are great supports, your supervisor is a good support for debriefing, and even social workers have counsellors and therapists.

We talk about self-care in it's true and raw sense. Not the dismissive way. In a, stay home in your pajamas and eat chocolate cake, dance around your room to music in your underwear... the human pieces that make us real. I think most mental health organizations are so aware of this piece that we are even likely to (gently) call out one another on it for eachother's benefit. Now of course, there's always burnout from overworked and underfunded people - but we do what we can.

I also practice boundaries of allowing myself to feel things in a way that makes me care, empathetic, and an ally to my client, but in a way that isn't going to traumatize me too (vicarious trauma). I focus on their resiliency that they're still here, that they've overcome challenges they shouldn't have had to but are on the mend. Things like that.

Was there a specific or defining moment that helped you decide that you wanted to study these subjects and social work as a career path?

Yes!

For me, it was that a noticed a lot of repetitive themes and patterns in my life that brought me to feel 'stuck.' I would engage in unhealthy relationships when I was in my late teens - early twenties. I finally came to the thought that maybe it isn't other people that is the problem if a reoccurring theme, maybe it's something going on with me. I went and saw a therapist who had a background in social work, she helped me with a lot of pain, understanding of my life and how it lead me to where I was, the 'why' of these reoccurring patterns. She made a significant impact on me and so I decided I wanted to help others understand themselves too.

What specific type of social work do you do currently, if I may ask?

Of course!

Right now as a student, I am at a youth mental health organization. I am mentoring under an executive director clinical psychologist as an assistant of sorts to do mental health assessments for youth (ages 12-18) and speaking with former clients about their experiences for quality assurance. I also attend an in-patient residential treatment house for teenagers where a lot of the therapy is focused around the outdoors such as hiking (which I really love doing with them!) Most of the clients in the house have diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia or conduct disorder. Most of my work there is about teaching life skills as they transition into independent living (depending on their age or leaving the treatment house). I will also be partaking in a dialectical behavioral therapy group.

Part time for work, I work at an organization that focuses on physical activity and specifically work with children who have disabilities, mental health challenges or behavioral challenges. Most of my work is using de-escalation techniques as a lot of our clients have emotional impulsivity challenges.

What's been your most wholesome / heart warming moment during your journey in both your school work and placements?

This is a tough one. A lot of the work I've done thus far has been crisis related, so helping people in some dark moments and then not seeing what happens with them afterwards.

But the longterm clients and treatments? Seeing the progression of people. Especially children and youth. They are some of the most resilient and willing to learn little humans around. They progress quickly too. So seeing a child going through some really traumatic life events that have molded them into something perhaps not beneficial, into trying and learning and growing and overcoming those challenges can really be amazing. I have sat through blood, sweat and tears with some youth and watched them grow into mature, emotionally stable and wonderful individuals. From big struggles into coping and success stories. That makes it feel like the work is all worth it.

I think the other biggest thing I've noticed is realizing how meaningful and impactful community is. I can't state this enough; through my experience of getting involved in the community (i.e., volunteering, seeking resources) will show you where the people who care are, where the support is and helps make people feel like they truly belong in the places that they live. Now, resources of course change from city-to-city and country-to-country. See what's out there.

If I could send a message to people, it's this: If you need help, seek it from somewhere such as a counsellor, reach-out. There's so many services willing and wanting to wrap-around and help our most vulnerable people. I've sat in on those meetings. Community is huge and I never realized how important and meaningful it was until doing social work. The culture varies, I feel like in North America it's very independent -- I really hope to see health of communities as a focus in the future versus individualism. It's also a bit difficult with COVID right now, but we do what we can. Seeing the people who care, in-person, warms my heart when things like the news or the media can make it feel a bit cold and isolating.

I hope that answered your question.