Tracking Social Work Issues

Community Service

2009-04-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

Serving your community is a responsibility for every individual within the community. People who volunteer get more out of providing the service then I think most of the people who receive the service.

Stepping out of your own bubble and realizing the enormous needs that can be satisfied with a helping hand. We all have the knowledge and means to provide a better community for each person we cohabitate with within our community.

Hunger, shelter, and protection are real needs that can be provided by churches, government, and neighbors. Making donations can be a wonderful start to relieve some of the burdens, but time given to an organization is invaluable.

So, start today and realize the joy in giving.

Depression

2009-04-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

Depression is a common disorder that faces 33 to 35 million Americans at some point in their lives. This disorder effects people of all ages, social economic statuses, and either sex male or female.

The cause of this disorder is unknown. But certain tragic situations can bring the onset of signs of depression:

Constant sadness, Irritability, Hopelessness, Trouble sleeping, Low energy or fatigue, Feeling worthless or guilty for no reason, significant weight change, Difficulty concentrating, and Loss of interest in favorite activities

These symptoms must last for two weeks or more to be considered clinically depressed. Depression can be treated with medication and therapy to resolve the issues.

Autism

2009-04-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Autism is one of the fastest growing developmental disorders. One out every three boys is diagnosed with autism.

A lack of social interaction skills lead to major signs of autism. Children with autism usually focus on physical movements instead of social activities.

More research needs to be done to develop treatment options. Social treatments within the therapy setting can make changes in behaviors to improve social skills.

Eating Disorders

2009-04-19T04:19:00.000-07:00

Eating disorders has become a serious problem for children under the age of 12 with anorexia; the highest rate of hospital admission is now 119%. The other fastest growing group is 45 to 64 years old growing at a rate of 48% of hospitalization stays.

Education in schools in health programs could go a long way in educating our youth about the dangers and the long term effects of eating disorders. The rates of bulimia have dropped, due to the fact of knowing the health effects.

Body image is a big problem in the United States due to the fact that editors put celebrities on magazine covers, but do not show how they really look. With airbrushing the picture is that just a picture. You wouldn’t compare yourself to a cartoon character, but when you compare yourself to these celebrities on magazines that is exactly what you are doing.

Drug Addiction

2009-04-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Drug addiction is a pathological condition that occurs from the progession of abuse of legal and illegal drugs resulting in dependency.

Some drugs are addictive but other drugs result from a choice the individual makes in order to stimulate a desire to pleasure themselves with the drug to obtain a certain escape from life.

Trying to comprehend this kind of addiction is hard when you are not the one experiencing this desire. There must be a definite chemical imbalance when you think about how people put drug use above their families, friends and even themselves. People are living this way everyday and thinking this is a normal way of life.

The problem with prejudging these individuals leads them not to be able to receive the help they so need to preserve their lives and preserve their family units. Being social workers you must set aside personal prejudices and treat the problem.

Living with an Disability

2009-04-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Accepting the fact that I am a disabled American is hard to comprehend sometimes. I am visually impaired or legally blind, which occurred when I was in my twenties. I was married with two children and a career.

When my life turned upside down, with my diagnosis that I would probably be legally blind within a year leaving me to make decisions in my life at a very young age such as: do I want more children, how will I continue my job, and how will I take care of my family.

I remember the day so clearly, when I realized I could not see my face in the mirror, out of my left eye, I had covered my right eye because it felt like there was a hair or something obstructing my view when I noticed there was a problem. I made an eye doctor appointment and went through a number of exams, tests and saw several specialists. Leading me to a blood test to confirm my diagnosis of Leber’s, the doctor called me at work to let me know the test was positive and wanted to know if I was suicidal. I didn’t have time to think about being suicidal I had a life, and had to figure out how to handle this new challenge.

I thought I would be a stay at home mom, but most moms responsibilities are transporting their children, but this meant no more driving, I had to adapt.

I think my now ex-husband couldn’t handle being married to a blind person. He left me with two teenage children to care for. We had to figure out how to get by we moved to a condo which was in walking distance to the grocery store this gave me back my independence. The store brought challenges coming home with beans when you wanted corn.

I needed to find a way to take care of my family this brought me back to school. I knew I wanted to be able to help people who are going through difficult situations, because going through this gave me a appreciation for all the people who helped me and all the walls that I came across and learned how to climb them. I can’t believe that I am a junior at Winthrop, this is such a dream sometimes I have to pinch myself. I am so nervous when I start a new semester my hands shake the first month of classes. But I’m here and no one is going to stop me.

We disabled people have challenges to overcome but, we can succeed with a little patience and understanding. I am proud to be a person with a impairment it has definitely made me stronger.

Preserving Families

2009-04-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Preserving the family through education and examples can result in wonderful outcomes in rescuing a family from turmoil. The foster care system is stretched so far with so many cases to observe and service children can get lost in the system.

Focusing on strengthening the family and teaching alternative methods of discipline can develop young parents into good parents. Showing examples of how to use patience and time management to overcome stressful situations, realizing the cost that could be associated with these education programs could be high. The starting cost could be just a parenting class in schools which is required. Assuming that every person knows how to care for a child is assuming too much. Babies are just handed over to parents with no instructions or follow-up to secure the well-being of the child.

Some of these family situations can lead to abuse and neglect just from plain ignorance in how to care for the child. Education can go a long way in preserving the family structure. Preserving the family should be first when making decisions, most families want to stay together through education and a self awareness of their behavior preserving the family can be accomplished.
Reporting abuse and neglect must be done in every situation for the well-being of the child and their personal protection from the abuser. There are too many horror stories in families and foster care system that children are abused physically and sexually in these cases the social worker must be determined to protect the child at all cost.

Miracle Baby

2009-04-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

There are wonderful reasons for fertility treatments, in the case of Chris and Melodie Biblis they were able to conceive a little girl named Stella.

Chris was diagnosed with leukemia and was being treated with radiation and chemotherapy and this led his doctors to encourage him through his mother to freeze his sperm, this was in 1987 before they if it was possible to produce a child from frozen sperm.

Twenty-one years later doctors were able to use Chris’s sperm and sort through and find healthy sperm to inject into his wife’s egg to produce a embryo. This lead to the birth of Stella.

This was a record breaking result of the oldest frozen sperm that was able to completely conceive a baby. What a miracle she is, that is what fertilization treatments are for.

Octo-Mom

2009-04-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

14 kids that’s unbelievable, Nadya must have not put a lot of thought behind her decision to have fourteen children being a single mom. The care and energy it takes to raise one child properly is overwhelming at times. Relying on her parents for support is very selfish and burdensome for her elderly parents.

The social workers have their job cut out form them with this one family alone. The constant supervision that it will take to observe the well-being of six children and 8 newborns will be enormous not to mention the cost that will be acquired.

The physician who implanted the eight embryos used some misjudgment when he performed this procedure. There should have been a process of tests to evaluate Nadya’s mental state and financial situation to be able to properly care for fourteen children.

Looking at the situation from the outside it looks like Nadya wanted the fame and monetary funds that could result from her situation. Nevertheless, there are 14 children who did not ask to be brought into the world but still need love and care to be able to become productive citizens. THE MAIN FOCUS IS THE CHILDREN!

Ageism

2009-04-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Dealing with the discriminations that come from younger generations, leads to depression and loneliness for the elderly.

The fact that the elderly population is growing and living more actively into their 80’s and 90’s and beyond. Gives us the opportunity to learn and value the wisdom of our older generation. I really did not realize the extent of the generation gaps until a young girl in our social work class said that 40 was old. This brought me to see the huge generation gap that was apparent and led me to look social work within the elderly communities and how valuable the social worker is to this community.

The differences between the age groups are not that different considering that that older we get the only difference is usually a loss of mobility leading to helping hand being given our most well deserved members of our society. Expressing love and respect to our older population.
Our older population has the same needs and desires as they did when they were younger bringing them to expect the ame love and attention that was giving when they were younger. Phone calls and visits can go a long way in making the day of a elderly family member or even a neighbor. Start today.

Influences

2009-03-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

A few can influence a lot. When considering how terrorists can influence people to cause harm to other individuals we stop and examine how people can be so easily influenced.

This also is shown when we look at networking and how knowing the right people can make all the difference; it is not what you know but who you know. The influences that are attached to being well connected within your network can develop a larger network to influence and support one another in employment ventures.

The internet has made these influences even more apparent by making our world even smaller and influences can be made in a larger area. A few can influence a lot for good or bad.

Religion

2009-03-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

Coping with medical tragedies through religious beliefs and facing these problems with a positive attitude can make dealing with these situations more bearable. About 79% of patients who were surveyed said that their religious beliefs helped them cope with their illness.

This shows how clinicians need to recognize the power of theology when trying to help a client coping with a serious medical situation. The end of life reality for some people can be a very peaceful time of acceptance or can be a time of negative ness and bitterness. This choice can develop from beliefs that there is peace in a belief system to depend on.

Economy

2009-03-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

The impact the media has on the economy is becoming more and more apparent. The exposure to the negative news stories being bombarded on a daily basis can destroy confidence and personal security. This leads to people living more conservatively which makes individuals stagnant in their spending habits, hampering the economy even more.

The increase in unemployment leads to higher numbers of people to find comfort in addictions that bring them temporary relief from their financial problems.

The recession has led individuals to make choices between taking care of their families or taking care of their pets. Leaving our animal shelters becoming more over populated. The pets seem to have to take a back seat.

Having a positive attitude and supporting one another in positive productive ventures can develop a positive linkage that can be contagious. Passing this attitude on and realizing that America is strong and can bounce back form any negative situation that occurs.

Poverty-The Working Poor

2009-03-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

There are a wide range of “poor” Americans ranging from the working poor to the homeless poor living on the streets. The working poor living in poverty are usually making day to day choices between food, shelter, and medical care. Some of these individuals have two or maybe three jobs to make ends meet. They are not poor enough to receive benefits from the government, but are struggling on the line of poverty. Temporary assistance could help during these times especially with health care. The decisions concerning health care can be the most critical and challenging ones to make these decisions can be difficult for people not experiencing trying situations financially. Every human being deserves the right to receive adequate health care services and not have to make choices between food and shelter or health care. People who are working should be able to receive acceptable health care.

Social Welfare

2009-02-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

The Social Work Profession is a very unappreciated and unglamorous one.

The issues that are dealt with are usually depressing and frustrating to solve. The results of a Social Worker’s actions are not immediate.

The career choices that involve Social work are numerous, for example working with all areas of the population. When people are experiencing unemployment which leads to poverty in some cases, This results in a lack of basic needs being meant. Food, Shelter, and Personal Hygiene leading to a lack of basic medical needs this can result in a terrible strain a family environment.

Natural Disasters result in a great need for Social Welfare assistance, establishing for basic needs after a Flood, Fires, and Hurricanes especially after a Terrorist attack leaving people to ask WHY, The problems are numerous and the answers are not there. But the problems still need solutions.

The Department of Social Services was established to meet the needs of the poor with food stamps and medical services. Determining where the assistance can do the most good can be clouded?

Hospitals have a need for Social Workers when there are sensitive situations such as terminal illnesses and tragic accidents and diseases that patients and family members must adjust too.

Schools offer a unique area situations because they are there own community within itself so, the same problems on the outside the school doors apply to the students in the school doors Dealing with poverty, abuse, and neglect. Educating children on Teenage pregnancy and the importance of education to stay out of poverty and avoiding certain situations to harm themselves.

The issues concerning people with Physical and Mental impairments require the assistance to rehabilitate their lives to be able to compete with the rest of the world and be able to provide their own basic needs.

The Elderly are definitely a strong concern for Social workers due to the fact that our population is growing and having longer life spans into our 80’s and 90’s and maybe longer. Social Workers would be needed for Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities to provide care for those residents.
Utilizing our Community Resources such as Churches, Civic Organizations, and Families to work together to establish a tighter community that has the ability to care and protect their citizens.