The job of a social worker is highly rewarding and meaningful but it can also be demanding and difficult because social workers help individuals and families who are going through challenging transitions or life circumstances. They may encounter clients who have suffered from:
- Hate crimes or speech
- Violent crimes
- Major illnesses
- Neglect
- Abuse
- Addictions/Substance Abuse
- Challenging situations
Because of the difficult nature of social work, these professionals must actively cultivate several skills and qualities.
Empathy is at the top of the list of social worker skills for these professionals because it underpins a social worker’s entire job. To create meaningful and positive change in a person’s life, a social worker must be able to truly understand what that person is feeling and experiencing. An empathetic person can put themselves in another person’s shoes and see things from their perspective.
A social worker with a keen sense of empathy can more effectively build a rapport with their clients. They are also better able to understand the client’s needs and work to fulfill them.
Compassion and empathy are often confused for each other, yet there are subtle differences between these traits. Whereas empathy involves seeing something from another person’s point of view and understanding their feelings, compassion takes it a step further. When a compassionate person understands what someone else is struggling with, they feel motivated to relieve that person’s suffering.
Communication is another of the crucial skills needed to be a social worker. Social workers must be active listeners who focus intensely on what their clients are saying, ask questions for clarification and use paraphrasing and summarizing to enhance their understanding. Social workers must also know how to read and interpret nonverbal language, such as body language.
Along with receptive language skills, social workers must be effective at clearly communicating their ideas verbally. Because these professionals are responsible for writing reports and case notes, written language skills are critical as well.
A social worker’s clients may face complex challenges. It’s often necessary to think outside the box and be able to think on your feet to develop possible solutions. Social workers and clients often brainstorm solutions collaboratively.
Social workers work with people of all backgrounds and from all walks of life. Regardless of their personal beliefs, values and cultural norms, they must always display acceptance and respect for their clients’ cultural backgrounds and identities. These identities include but are not limited to:
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Gender
- Sexual orientation
- Disability
- Age
Every client progresses at their own pace and the social worker must honor each client’s individual needs. This is particularly true of complex cases.
All social workers must abide by a strict sense of professional ethics. These professionals must have an unwavering commitment to integrity, respect for the dignity and worth of the person and dedication to furthering social justice.
Historically, social workers have devoted themselves to people who have been underserved, oppressed and marginalized. They are true social advocates who work to empower their clients by furthering social justice. Social workers’ clients often cannot advocate for themselves, and so social workers serve as their voice.
Social workers work with individuals in incredibly difficult situations. It can be emotionally draining to work with children who have suffered abuse, for example, or minority groups who have been victimized by hate speech. All social workers must be committed to practicing self-care to support their emotional wellness, to avoid professional burnout and to model a healthy well-being for their clients.
