Qualified social workers are recognized for their ability to impact individuals and the community positively. Social work deals with offering compassionate services to people from all facets of life, fostering dignity, and promoting solid relationships.
Some crucial aspects of social work are guiding those struggling to find their way, like crisis management, advocating, and empowerment.
Providing one-on-one support to individuals or families has led several to overcome obstacles detrimental to their health and safety. There is no denying that social workers can shape lives at an individual and community level.
Social workers work closely with the unprivileged who lack essential resources or fall under the unemployment radar. Access to crucial resources, equal opportunities, and healthy competition are some attributes of a progressive society and the right of every society member, irrespective of background.
A factor that promotes society’s growth is assuring every individual’s wellness, from physical to psychological health.
With mental health issues on the rise today, social workers are the beam of hope helping every individual with psychological illnesses to turn the course of their life for good.
Helping the less privileged and treating mental illness is an arduous task that takes an emotional toll on the workers. Therefore, self care in social work is of utmost importance because when social workers cannot perform their duty well, who will help those in need? No one.
An efficient worker always makes sure to look after their well-being while ensuring the health of others. As we have discussed the importance of social workers in providing good mental health, let’s look at some ways to promote it.
1. Counseling
As we all know, life is not as simple as it seems. Some feel disconnected from family or friends, whereas others describe a lack of purpose or enjoyment.
In these challenging times, counseling is that escape route where your feelings are validated in a non-judgmental space. Counseling is different from our relationship with close friends or family that we hesitate to share our most inner thoughts with them.
Though talking with friends or family does help to some degree, there always remains a barrier that prevents us from oversharing, gradually leading to feelings of isolation. In such instances, nothing is more comforting than sharing your most sacred thoughts with someone there to listen and help you.
Talking to trained professionals is far easier than with familial relations because, unlike family or friends, the person on the other end is unbiased and skilled in tackling complicated issues.
Counseling is an opportunity to look at disruptive patterns that negatively impact our image and personality. Professionals provide tools and techniques to help individuals cope with patterns leading to troublesome outcomes.
2. Peer support groups
Over the years, people have gradually understood the importance of mental health and its implications on health if neglected. People realize now that mental health issue is not a label to describe someone who they are.
It’s about offering a helping hand to those going through a dark time. Aside from attending a one-on-one session with a therapist, the most effective tool to treat psychological disorders is becoming a part of a peer support group.
The first step in treating a disorder or ensuring good mental health is understanding that you are not alone on the battlefield. Mental illness often wreaks havoc on people’s minds, tricking them into believing they are alone.
Peer support groups are a great source to find a way out of the self-negative talk. These groups create an environment that allows individuals to recognize and understand their feelings. Conversing with people suffering from similar issues opens the door to numerous benefits.
For instance, some might have helpful information regarding a specific therapist’s unique way of treating psychological disorders or a new medication with promising results.
In support groups, every peer has a list of their issues to share. Hearing stories of people’s struggles and how they overcame boosts morale and creates a sense of feeling that leaning on a shoulder for help is positively life-altering.
3. Conducting psychological assessments
Treatments for curing mental illnesses are only effective when an accurate diagnosis is made, which is quite challenging sometimes. In some cases, where the diagnosis is misleading, psychological assessments deliver conclusive results.
Psychological assessments typically last 4-8 hours, and results are deduced based on scores calculated using the normative or reference data.
The evaluation is beneficial in numerous ways, such as it helps detect underlying conditions which are difficult to catch early on.
Based on the psychological assessment, social workers can determine the academic and social accommodations catering to an individual’s needs.
Social workers also incorporate these assessments in their practice to aid adults in a situation where the previous treatments had sub-optimal or zero effect.
Apart from diagnosing mental health issues, these assessments help workers understand the cognitive functioning and social and emotional aspects of the patient’s life to prevent actions that jeopardize their health.
4. Mental health education
The most common reason mental health education is more important than ever is to remove the taboo surrounding mental health and create a safe space for everyone to voice their feelings.
Education begins from a young age, as early as 1-12 years. Aside from helping deal with emotions, mental health education also lets in on the potential challenges and probable solutions.
When mental health education is taught collectively, it cultivates empathy and awareness in a community. Being educated on mental health helps people tackle various psychological disorders.
A caring community takes steps to create a sense of belonging among its habitants. As a result, it enables every individual to live as a true self without inhibitions. Communities only prosper when every member is appreciated and welcomed with open arms.
5. Team work
One of the significant benefits a social worker has working in a team is the ability to achieve goals of making a meaningful impact on the target population quickly.
Social workers face several barriers that are sometimes difficult to cross in extreme cases. Being a part of the team provides access to resources and tools that help overcome challenges.
A team inspires social workers to move forward and offers insights that help efficient decision-making. Efficient decision-making leads to providing effective and reliable solutions to those in need.
Besides accomplishing a common goal, the collaboration also brings people from diverse backgrounds close, instilling a sense of belonging in every member.
Conclusion
Social workers have a burden of responsibilities, from helping individuals steer their life in a positive direction to ensuring no one gets left behind.
As a social worker, you are primarily concerned with ensuring an individual’s mental health, especially of the underprivileged and those shunned by the community due to a lack of essential resources.
Society’s disapproval is often the leading cause of mental health disorders. A social worker, in such circumstances, with the help of teamwork, psychological assessments, and counseling, helps individuals take control of their health and life.
