How Social Workers Can Keep Hope During Tumultuous Times

If you’d asked social workers two months ago, I don’t think many would have predicted the state that we would be in today. Social workers often serve the most vulnerable populations, so when rights are removed and people’s livelihoods are threatened, social workers intimately feel the effects. Whether they’re working with clients who are immigrants, for universities or nonprofits that are experiencing funding threats, or for governmental agencies that are facing insecurity and job loss, social workers are experiencing the pressure of sweeping policy changes and many wonder how they’ll be able to support themselves and their clients during this time. As a social worker myself, I’m deeply aware of these challenges, but I also want to remind social workers of their resilience. Social workers are equipped with the skills to manage the uncertainties of today and tomorrow. Let me remind you how…

Tips for Staying Hopeful

Despite changing political landscapes and other world events, staying hopeful can be achieved when social workers recall their unique training and skills:

Reminder #1: Social Workers are Equipped at the Micro Level

When managing uncertainty, social workers should remember their micro-level training. The foundation courses of social work education often start at the micro-level preparing social workers for working with individuals. We’re trained therefore on topics such as human psychology and human behavior. We have the skills to work closely with individuals for change, including knowledge on active listening, communication, creating a safe space, and creating motivation. We also know how to teach coping skills, problem-solving, and goal setting. Moreover, we know how environments affect individuals and how to adapt our skills therefore when working with people in different settings. Although the significance of social work skills is sometimes overlooked, social workers must remember that they possess knowledge of human development and key skills in human relationships that the general public, and even some professional counterparts, do not possess. During tumultuous times therefore, social workers should consider their special ability to impact change through their connection with individuals. 

Reminder #2: Social Workers are Equipped at the Macro Level

Even social workers who do not specialize in macro social work receive some macro-level education as a part of their training. We understand systems theory and are taught social policy. We also learn about grassroots organizing, how to conduct research, how to interact with larger systems, and how to advocate. I’ll never forget the trip that my social work graduate class took to Washington D.C for Advocacy Day, giving us first-hand experience in meeting with legislators and lobbying. When managing uncertainty therefore, social workers can increase their resilience when they recall that they have the skills to lead groups, to influence stakeholders, and to change communities through individual and collective action. 

Casebook supports social workers in addressing community-wide challenges through their collaborative data-sharing tools. Casebook equips social workers with real-time collaboration tools, making it easier to track progress, coordinate care, and advocate for change—especially in uncertain times, such as providing insight into how social workers can work with multidisciplinary teams (How I Navigated Multidisciplinary Collaboration as the Only Social Worker on Staff – Casebook), collaborate with other agencies (10 Benefits of Employing Social Workers in Police Departments), and teaching social workers how to assist with disaster management ( Here’s How Social Workers Play a Pivotal Role in Disaster Management – Casebook).

Reminder #3: Self-Care Strategies are the Magic Ingredient

You’ve heard it before and I’ll repeat it again, we “cannot pour from an empty cup!” I know what it’s like to be on the edge of burnout, so while the recognition of social workers’ skills is the first part of social worker resilience, self-care strategies are an equally important piece. It’s vital for social workers to use good boundaries and practice their own stress management during uncertain times. Casebook’s streamlined features help to reduce the stress of paperwork for social workers. Casebook also provides research and advice for reducing burnout among social workers– Social Worker Burnout Rate: Stats and Tips.  

Social Worker Resilience 

The CEO of the NASW reminds us that “as social workers, we’ve weathered times of profound uncertainty before” and that “social work has always been a force for resilience and transformation.”¹  I hope that social workers reading this walk away not only feeling more hopeful, but also inspired about how their skills and their example have the ability to shape the world. 

Looking for ways to stay organized and support your clients more effectively? See how Casebook helps social workers stay focused on what matters most—making an impact.

References:

1. National Association of Social Workers. (n.d.). News releases. National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/news/news-releases