Days in the Lives of Social Workers: 41 Professionals Tell "Real-Life" Stories from Social Work Practice - Softcover

Grobman, Linda M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0965365387 ISBN 13: 9780965365383

Publisher: White Horse Press, 1996

Synopsis

Grobman, Linda M.

About this title

From the Author

Excerpt--Copyright Linda May Grobman. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.*Note: This excerpt is from the Introduction to the 4th Edition.

If variety is the "spice" of life, then social work is one of the "hottest" careers around. Variety is one of the things that make social work practice exciting for so many members of the profession. It's also one of the reasons so many people don't fully understand exactly what social workers do....

Indeed, it is sometimes difficult to articulate exactly what one does as a social worker, and the profession is sometimes misunderstood. So, when I set out to publish a book about social work, I wanted to convey a sense of not only what professional social workers do, but what their lives are like on a day-to-day basis.

This book is about real life social workers. It says, "I'm a social worker. Spend a day with me and see what it's like." It takes a firsthand, close-up look at the roles social workers play every day in places from hospitals to prisons to universities. It celebrates the joys and rewards of social work, and it presents a realistic view of the challenges of being a social worker. In it, real life social workers describe their days--not necessarily "typical" days, since most say there is no such thing, but days that are representative of the essence of their work....

Since [the] third edition, the need for social workers has continued to grow into even more diverse areas. We have continued to see social workers involved in the aftermath of such disasters  as Hurricane Katrina, mass shootings at Virginia Tech, the attempted assassination of Congressperson Gabrielle Giffords, and others. Bullying and bullying-related suicide are issues that have been in the forefront, and social workers need to be and ARE in the forefront helping to alleviate and prevent an epidemic from occurring. Cyberbullying and the effects of social media, both positive and negative, are emerging concerns. Military social work is a growing field, as is gerontological social work. Newspapers have reported the use of social work services in department stores and in public libraries. Indeed, social workers can be found just about anywhere.

Technology continues to grow as an integral part of our society. No longer simply an "add-on," knowledge of the latest technology has become an issue of cultural competence for social workers. In response to the enormous and ongoing development of new technologies and their implications for the social work profession, I have added an appendix to this edition to introduce readers to social work-related uses of social media, blogs, and mobile apps....

As you read DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS, you will discover that the career possibilities in social work are virtually endless. You will read about social workers who are employed by state and federal governments, social workers in private practice, social workers in other countries, social workers working for communities, and on and on. In each chapter, you will find something different, while you will also notice that many of the same core social work skills are used across settings.

My hope is that you will use this book as a starting point--an introduction to the variety of roles social workers play every day. Use it as you would the opportunity to literally follow and observe 58 different social workers for a day. Soak up as much as you can from each experience, decide what you would like to explore further, and then take it from there!

Linda May Grobman, ACSW, LSW, Editor
July 2011

From the Back Cover

Spend a day with social workers in 41 different settings, and learn about the many career paths available to YOU.

Did you ever wish you could tag along with a professional in your chosen field, just for a day, observing his or her every move? DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS allows you to take a firsthand, close-up look at the real-life days of 41 professional social workers as they share their stories. Join them on their journeys, and learn about the rewards and challenges they face.

You will observe social work practice in the following settings and roles: community and inpatient mental health, inner-city and rural schools, international social work with "raskal" gangs in Papua New Guinea, prisons, hospitals, the military, managed care, residential treatment centers for adolescents, homeless outreach, college counseling centers, public child welfare, nursing homes, hospice, adventure based therapy, private practice, HIV/AIDS research, public health, administration, and many more.

This book is an essential guide for anyone who wants an inside look at the social work profession. Whether you are a social work student, an experienced professional wishing to make a change in career direction, or just thinking about going into the field, you will learn valuable lessons from the experiences described in DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS.

About this edition

• Publisher: White Horse Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0965365387
• ISBN 13: 9780965365383
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 266