Posted: July 14th, 2019

Person statement for college, 1250 words

Submit an essay, approximately 1250 words (maximum 5 pages), double-spaced. Respond to the following questions:
1. Why are you interested in Social Work? What is your personal story and how have you arrived at the point of wanting to pursue SW? Discuss a social problem and how this relates to your interest in social work? How might social work respond to this issue?
2. Write a page paper – Describe your understanding of society, privilege, marginalization and discrimination. You may choose to reflect on these concepts through experiences in your own life and link these to wider social issues.
3. Social work is a profession that seeks to enhance human wellbeing and meet the basic needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. Considering this statement, provide examples of personal strengths which you consider most pertinent to social work practice. In addition to your strengths, discuss limitations you need to work on in order to be an effective Social Worker.
Your personal statement will be evaluated on organization, clarity, content and writing ability.
1. Why do you want to be a Social Worker?
2. What does social justice mean to you? In your response include a social problem you are passionate about and how you would respond to it.

2. What does social justice mean to you? In your response include a social problem you are passionate about and how you would respond to it.

Personal Statement essay, approximately 1250 words (maximum 5 pages), double-spaced.
Why are you interested in Social Work? What is your personal story and how have you arrived at the point of wanting to pursue SW? Discuss a social problem and how this relates to your interest in social work? How might social work respond to this issue?

MY PERSONAL STATEMENT

I chose social work because I have a passion for working with and helping others. I grew up in a home with generous and loving parents, but as I got older, I realized not everyone was as lucky to have such an experience. I want to provide that for children, families and adults. I want to have a positive impact on someone who needs help and I want to be the one who give them that help.
Social work is a profession concerned with helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. It aims to help people develop their skills and their ability to use their own resources and those of the community to resolve problems. Social work is concerned with individual and personal problems but also with broader social issues such as poverty, unemployment and domestic violence. Human rights and social justice are the philosophical underpinnings of social work practice. The uniqueness of social work practice is in the blend of some particular values, knowledge and skills, including the use of relationship as the basis of all interventions and respect for the client’s choice and involvement. In a socio-political-economic context which increasingly generates insecurity and social tensions, social workers play an important and essential role.

A social problem is an issue within the society that makes it difficult for people to achieve their full potential. Poverty, unemployment, unequal opportunity, racism, and malnutrition are examples of social problems. So are substandard housing, employment discrimination, and child abuse and neglect. Crime and substance abuse are also examples of social problems. Not only do social problems affect many people directly, but they also affect all of us indirectly. The drug-abusing driver becomes the potential traffic accident that doesn’t choose its victims by race, color, or creed but does so randomly. The child of abusive parents all too often becomes the victim or perpetrator of family violence as an adult. Social problems tend to develop when we become neglectful and fail to see that serious problems are developing
My ultimate dream is to cultivate awareness of social justice issues by continuing to equip and empower the vulnerable and underrepresented populations of our society. Whether it was my personal challenges growing up Black in a predominantly white society, struggling with a biased educational system, providing encouragement to women, or working with people who face barriers to independence, every phase of my life reflects my advocacy for those who have been marginalized by mainstream culture, especially being of an African background.

Mental Health stigma is a very common social problem: In 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that an estimated 25 percent of the worldwide population is affected by a mental or behavioral disorder at some time during their lives. This mental and behavioral health issue is believed to contribute to 12 percent of the worldwide burden of disease and is projected to increase to 15 percent by the year 2020. This is why my interest for social work is so much because specific to social work are roles of building partnerships among professionals, caregivers and families; collaborating with the community, usually with the goal of creating supportive environments for clients; advocating for adequate service, treatment models and resources; challenging and changing social policy to address issues of poverty, employment, housing and social justice; and supporting the development of preventive programs. Prevention occurs on many levels and includes a focus on early intervention, individual and public education, advocacy and improving access to services, resources and information.
1. Write a page paper – Describe your understanding of society, privilege, marginalization and discrimination. You may choose to reflect on these concepts through experiences in your own life and link these to wider social issues.
Society is a group of people involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same geographical or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societies are characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent of members. Privilege can be described as a special right, advantage, or immunity granted as a particular benefit, advantage, or favor available only to a particular person or group of people. it is a special advantage not enjoyed by everyone.

Marginalization is the process of pushing a particular group or groups of people to the edge of society by not allowing them an active voice, identity, or place in it. Through both direct and indirect processes, marginalized groups may be relegated to a secondary position or made to feel as if they are less important than those who hold more power or privilege in society. Individuals and groups can be marginalized on the basis of multiple aspects of their identity, including but not limited to: race, gender or gender identity, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, sexuality, age, and/or religion. Some individuals identify with multiple marginalized groups, and may experience further marginalization as a result of their intersecting identities.
Discrimination simply means bias or prejudice resulting in denial of opportunity or unfair treatment regarding various aspects of daily living. Discrimination is practiced commonly on ground of age, disability, ethnicity, origin, political belief, race, religion, sex, etc. Discrimination can also be seen as unequal treatment provided to one or more persons on the basis of a mutual accord. Having looked at the for concepts above it is interesting to state that I originated from an African country where marginalization and discrimination are the order of the day in the entire society, it is a social problem where only a few of the entire population are privileged to live fully comfortable lives. The difference in religious beliefs, political orientation, social beliefs, level of poverty (that is class difference), cultural beliefs to mention but a few has created a lot of social problems which till this present day still affects the entire economy of the nation.

Considering this statement, provide examples of personal strengths which you consider most pertinent to social work practice.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to identify with or vicariously experience another person’s situation. Empathizing is both an intellectual and emotional process that makes it far easier to understand and help others solve their problems. Most social workers are empathetic by nature; in fact, empathy is a major reason I chose this profession.
Boundary Setting
In addition to being empathetic, a social worker must also maintain the capacity to set boundaries and accept the limits of what can be accomplished during a specified period of time. The nature of this challenging profession can be all consuming, especially for those who sense their work is never truly complete. Establishing boundaries and setting milestones can help set expectations that are more easily accepted.
Active Listening
The ability to listen carefully, ask pertinent questions and retain verbally transmitted information is vital to the counseling aspect of social work. It’s how we establish trust, open doors and discover valuable details about the individuals who seek our help in understanding their unique circumstances.
Social Perceptiveness
In addition to receiving and processing verbal information, a social worker must be sensitive to body language, social cues, implications and cultural patterns of behavior. While some clients may clearly state their needs and work toward solutions in a focused manner, many others will find it more challenging to express themselves verbally, requiring a perceptive social worker to “read between the lines” in order to interpret the thoughts and feelings being held within.
Self-Awareness
Social workers routinely receive feedback on their performance from clients, supervisors and other sources, but there is no substitute for self-awareness. Being able to evaluate one’s own performance and work toward improving it (while also taking valid criticism and praise into account) is an invaluable skill.
Organization
Social workers are often required to deal with busy schedules, heavy caseloads and gratuitous paperwork. Successfully managing and prioritizing the logistical aspects of the job can help you maximize the amount of time you’ll have on your schedule to provide meaningful services to your clients.
Coordination
The ability to coordinate communication and action among multiple parties is a vital part of a social worker’s role in connecting clients with services.
Persuasion
Whether it’s to help a client change behavior, motivate a healthcare worker to provide service or justify coverage of expenses to an insurance provider, the ability to influence, coax or invite others to take action is invaluable to any social worker.
Cooperation
Just as often as gentle persuasion might solve a problem, active cooperation can provide an alternative (and sometimes more efficient) route to a mutually satisfying solution. Being able to negotiate, compromise and work well with others is essential to the coordination of efforts required in social work.
Critical Thinking
People are complex, and our clients often seek help for problems in many domains of their lives. Being able to think on your feet and to think critically and creatively will allow you to effectively help your clients.

2. In addition to your strengths, discuss limitations you need to work on in order to be an effective Social Worker.
Inner Strength

Social workers’ work can be emotionally challenging. When you are dedicated, it can take a lot out of you. It is essential to your health and the efficacy of your practice that you take care of yourself, emotionally and psychologically. You will derive more fulfillment from your work, and you will be a more effective helper to your clients if you take steps to fortify your personal strengths and capacities.
Social work is an incredibly meaningful career. It allows you to bring the best of yourself, a set of theories and knowledge about human development and behavior, and a range of practice approaches to help human beings who have experienced oppression, marginalization, mental illness, addiction, and trauma. If this resonates with you, you may want to consider clinical social work.

Relaxation and De-compression
Social work is a deeply rewarding profession, but it can also be an incredibly stressful one. In order to remain engaged and effective at work, it’s imperative to take advantage of your personal time by focusing on and tending to your own needs. Leaving your work at the office and enjoying yourself is as important for your own well-being as it is for that of your clients.
By the very nature of who we are and what we do, most of the qualities and skills identified here are innate to our own personalities. Acknowledge their importance and maintain your capacity to leverage their advantages, and your future in the profession will most certainly be meaningful and satisfying.

In conclusion the social work profession will give me the opportunity to work in a variety of settings and work towards multidimensional collaborative change. By working in this field, I am able to empower, advocate, motivate, connect, and encourage resilience. To challenge stereotypes and avoid fallacies. As well as fight discrimination, oppression and injustice, no matter the form. In this field, I get to be a voice for all who cannot advocate for themselves. Making this world a better place one person at a time, is worth it.

REFERENCES
https://casw-acts.ca/en/what-social-work
https://casw-acts.ca/en/role-social-work-mental-health
https://monkessays.com/write-my-essay/businessdictionary.com/definition/discrimination.html
https://socialwork.simmons.edu/skills-required-social-worker/