In the summer of 2010, I had an internship at Child Abuse Prevention Center. The agency did a lot of home visits. I went on a couple of home visits and they were okay. One day, in our weekly meeting, a social worker asked me "how I feel about going on home visits?" I personally don't know if I want to be a social worker that goes on home visits. I feel as if I am invading someones territory (their home), thoughts of it not being safe comes to mind, and feelings of nervousness. Visiting a client in their home is completely out of my comfort zone.
Recently, in New York, a client stabbed their social worker when she was doing her home visit. It seemed that things got out of hand and an argument occurred. I pray that the social worker gets better. This story makes me even more not to go on home visits. But, I know that in the social work profession that I will be put in moments that are out of my comfort zone and I must overcome my fears. I think it will take time for me to have my mind changed about doing home visits.
Question for the social workers, what could be advantages of home visits?
It really depends on what type of social worker you want to become. There are so many areas and populations/ages one can work with.
ReplyDeleteMy personal experience is in child welfare and if the goal is to preserve the family (rather than to remove the child(ren) due to imminent risk), then home visits can be a tremendous advantage to gain insight on the family's home condition and environment. Is it safe? Is it appropriate? Are all basic needs met? Oh - a big ass TV and cable. What, no crib for your baby? No diapers? No milk? What happened to your WIC vouchers? Where are your priorities? Hmm. I see no personal items such as photos, books, etc. No personal effects? No indications of the importance of family? Oh oh. We might have something pretty seriously wrong here. Why does your child cower in the corner when you come into the room, but was totally fine moments ago playing with his/her toy?
As you can see in my examples above, unfortunately, the majority of those involved with "the Agency" are from lower socioeconomic status and lower education. It by no means suggests that those of higher status are devoid of problems worthy of intervention by social workers. It's just that those less fortunate not only have the odds stacked against them, but oftentimes simply do not know their civil rights. Many a social worker have destroyed families. Such workers' context comes from too personal a source such as their own upbringing, morals, religion, etc. Always remember how powerful a position you actually hold over your clients. It's unfortunate. Okay. I'm done preaching. Good luck!
I also do home visits, and LOVE them. It would be difficult for me to work out of an office all day! However, unlike your experiences, I work as a social worker in hospice care, and safety may not be as much of a concern as it is in CPS work. Like the previous comment stated, there is so much more you can learn about a client's/patient's life and "story" from seeing and being in their natural environment. In my experience, people are also more willing and likely to open up and engage you in conversation because they feel more comfortable speaking while in "their territory." Similarly, doing social work in nursing homes/assisted living facilities is essentially doing "home visits" because those agencies are their homes! In general, I consider it an honor to be invited and allowed to enter someone's home and most private space.
ReplyDeleteChild Abuse Prevention is not so simple reponsibility as it is looking but.We should must must take care about it.Veronica Hearst is also works on this in better ways....
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