2008 Woodie Awards
Heighten social work standards
Tiffany McCormick
Issue date: 3/18/08 Section: Letters to the Editor
Would you consult a physician with a business degree? Would you want to be taught by a teacher who never went to college? Both of these professions are integral in the lives of many, and both require specific degrees. Social work should be considered in the same way.
When you visit the Department of Social Services, you come in contact with intake and eligibility workers who are not formally educated. One of the issues with this is that they weren't taught the correct way to treat clients. No other degree program will teach the skills and techniques one learns in a social work program. For instance, at UNCG we are taught to use a strengths-based approach in helping all clients; other students don't get this training.
Many people believe that it doesn't matter if the intake or eligibility workers are social workers, but it matters to me as a client and as a social worker. After waiting for six-plus hours to apply for services at our local DSS, the person on the other side of the desk made me feel as if I was wasting her time. DSS should be responsible for hiring social workers to do a social work job.
When you visit the Department of Social Services, you come in contact with intake and eligibility workers who are not formally educated. One of the issues with this is that they weren't taught the correct way to treat clients. No other degree program will teach the skills and techniques one learns in a social work program. For instance, at UNCG we are taught to use a strengths-based approach in helping all clients; other students don't get this training.
Many people believe that it doesn't matter if the intake or eligibility workers are social workers, but it matters to me as a client and as a social worker. After waiting for six-plus hours to apply for services at our local DSS, the person on the other side of the desk made me feel as if I was wasting her time. DSS should be responsible for hiring social workers to do a social work job.
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