Careers in Social Work
Social workers
have a long tradition of helping people and working for
social justice. They work with individuals, families,
groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers can
be found in a wide variety of roles and settings. Following
are some areas of focus related to health care. In addition
to the roles that are listed, social workers can also do
research and serve as administrators.
Health/Medical
Care
Work settings: hospitals, clinics, health maintenance
organizations, nursing homes, clinics, public health
facilities
Typically, social workers in health/medical care settings
work as part of a team that includes physicians, nurses and
others. Their roles can include: (1) helping to
assess the needs of patients and families; (2) helping
patients and families develop and carry out a plan for
coping with an illness and any problems related to the
illness; (3) educating physicians, nurses and others about
the psychosocial needs of patients and their families; and
(4) coordinating the services needed by patients and their
families.
Substance Misuse and Addiction
Work settings: outpatient and inpatient treatment centers,
community mental health centers, residential treatment
settings, youth treatment centers
Roles include: (1) case management; (2) crisis
intervention; (3) doing individual and group therapy; (4)
doing individual and family counseling; (5)
identifying/developing community resources; and (6)
educating individuals, families and community members.
Elder
Care
Work settings: senior centers, nursing homes, mental health
centers, family services agencies, health-care facilities,
private practice
Roles include: (1) counseling elders and their families;
(2) advocating for older adults; (3) identifying and
coordinating needed services; (4) facilitating support
groups; and (5) running workshops for elders and/or their
caregivers.
Children,
Youth, and Families
Work settings: child care centers, head start centers,
elementary and secondary schools, counseling centers,
private practice, public agencies
Roles include: (1) counseling with students and families;
(2) educating families and teachers about psychosocial
issues; (3) advocating for children and youth; (4)
facilitating groups of children and families; and (5)
identifying and using community resources.
Community
Organization
Work settings: community action agencies, community
centers, advocacy organizations, government (local, state,
national) organizations
Roles include: (1) helping communities identify their needs
and ways to help themselves; (2) coordinating/facilitating
activities to improve quality of life; (3) advocating for
change; (4) facilitating group and community meetings; and
(5) helping identify resources.
For more information on these and other areas of focus, see
the National Association of Social Workers' web
page Choices: Careers in Social
Work. Other
career areas include public welfare, child welfare,
justice/corrections, international social work,
management/administration, policy and planning, and
research.
Health
Issues in Indian Country
Mental health
problems, alcoholism and substance abuse are major health
issues among American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Depression is prevalent, and the suicide rate is alarming,
particularly for young people. Many of these problems stem
from social injustice.
Maria Yellow
Horse Brave Heart, Hunkpapa,
Oglala Lakota,
PhD, MSW,
links mental and behavioral health issues to historical
trauma and grief.
Spero Manson, Pembina
Chippewa, PhD, points to the highly stressful
environment in which many American Indian and Alaska
Native people currently live. He emphasizes that the
health issues facing Indian and Native people "are not a
statement about moral weakness or characterlogical
weakness of Indian and Native people….In fact, it’s
incredible that Indian and Native people are as
resilient and vibrant and optimistic as they are. This
really speaks to the strength of our people.”
Need
for American Indian and Alaska Native Social Workers
American Indian
and Native Alaskan social workers are more likely than
non-Native people to be able to understand and connect with
Native people and their culture. They are also more likely
to be able to create new models and policies that are
helpful to indigenous people. Josie Chase,
Mandan/Hidatsa and Yanktoni/Hunkpapa, MSW, says,
“Healing needs to come from within our culture.”
Priscilla
Day,
Anishinabe, EdD, MSW, professor in the department of
social work at the University of Minnesota Duluth says,
“We need people who can help build the capacities of
communities from the inside out.”
Dan Edwards, Yurok,
PhD, a social worker, who is an educator at the
University of Utah, says that the already high demand by
tribes for American Indian and Native Alaskan social
workers is likely to increase as more tribes take
control of their health care services. Also, indigenous
social workers are needed by Native people in urban
areas.
Parts of this article were originally published in the
Summer 2000 issue of
Winds of Change. (The cover
artist is Helen Hardin, Santa Clara Pueblo.)