Monday, February 4, 2008

Social Work/Social Action blog

Found a new awesome blog today. Social Work Students please go have a look-see and subscribe :) Social Work/SocialAction.

Through Google, I subscribe to a feed called "social work blogspot" which I assume is a listing of every blog Google has listed on blogger with "social work, social, networking, social action, etc" in the title. Today must be "bash a social worker" day because most of them are doing just that. I, quite frankly, am sick of hearing how a social worker just "swooped in and stole" someone's child. I'm sick of hearing how an accused abuser must now live with the stigma of being labeled an abuser, even though his partner has now recanted and even though he has been awarded custody of the minor children.

I will not go into the makeup of an abuser, I have provided you links on the sidebar where you can read for yourself. I will not go into what all must happen before a child is taken from a parent, because I am not officially a social worker yet.

What I do know and what I will say is that the very first thing a new social worker is required to do before seeing his or her first client is commit to the code of ethics and learn the policies and procedures manual that governs any actions taken for the agency where they work. We can only do what the government, the NASW and our agency of employment allow us to do. These policies and procedures manuals have strict guidelines that we must adhere to. We do not, I repeat, do not, just run around willy-nilly snatching children and accusing perpetrators of violence without a complaint that must be investigated and proven. The very last resort is removing the child from the home.

So knock it off and go get a life...I'm pretty sure you would not want to be the one, given all the facts, having to make these decisions.

2 comments:

  1. I'm afraid that social workers seem doomed to live in a no-win purgatory.You're damned if you intervene and condemned even more if you fail to step in and a tragedy occurs.

    I admire anyone who is prepared to take on this thankless task.

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  2. Bless you, Mal, for the nice comment! I'm beginning to think I'm talking to myself on here :) Thanks again! Prin

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