Believing in Myself is The Motivation to Achieve Goals

The Theory of the 'Invisible Child'

A dilemma that has been well known for several decades and continues to arise in today’s society is the theory of the ‘invisible child.’ The concept behind this theory is that in child abuse cases, children, their abuse, and their experiences are often overlooked. In many cases where a child has died or is severely abused and/or harmed, the child may have a mental health illness, has dealt or is dealing with bullying or domestic abuse. In rare instances, the child is dealing with all three factors. This theory highlights the importance of vigilance and proactive intervention to protect vulnerable children.

Believing in Myself is The Motivation to Achieve Goals

Mental health illness, which can also be viewed as a disability, is a general term for a group of illnesses/disorders that may impact a person’s thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Children who suffer from any mental health disorders often experience the most abuse due to this theory of the invisible child. A child who suffers from a mental health illness and is being abused will often also have communication problems, making it easier for the abuse to continue and for the child’s experience and story to remain untold. Hence, the theory of the ‘invisible child.’ This is why having a social worker is so crucial. As a trained, licensed, and experienced social worker, I would be able to notice the red flags and communicate with children on their level, to better support and provide them with services that would enhance their wellbeing, help them with their trauma, as well as improve their coping methods.

At this time, I am pursuing graduate school study because I feel the best thing I can do for myself and to continue on this purposeful path is to continue my education as a social worker. I want to continue learning and growing, and seeing the difference I can make in this world as a social worker. Due to my experience in my adolescent years, and working as a teacher assistant, I am interested in becoming a school social worker. I enjoy working alongside a group of people and children and would like to help children who need support. Throughout my adolescent years, I struggled to learn at the same pace as other children. This led to being bullied, a decrease in self-worth, and feeling out of place. I trusted and found comfort in those who played social worker roles for me. These individuals listened to my worries and concerns without judgments. They helped me see my intelligence, self-worth, and played a significant role in my life. They motivated me to reach my goals and helped me believe in myself. The way these individuals supported and encouraged me, I would love to have that same influence on children who are having difficulties in school, home, or simply feeling disconnected within themselves.

The Role of a Social Worker

As a social worker, I would be solely dedicated to supporting those in need by providing help, creating hope, and preserving the dignity of the client. All that I do would be conveyed with care, benevolence, and regard to address principal challenges. As a social worker working with children and adolescents, I can generate hope by fortifying and empowering children in need. By offering care, treatment, counseling, training, and connections to high-quality services, I can create all-encompassing arrangements that enhance children’s physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Working with adolescents with mental health illness and other adolescents, I can project self-respect to recognize the worth of each child, notwithstanding their race, religion, or life circumstances. I can fit into the profession of social work because my goal is to help individuals who are in need, and people who want to prosper and do better for themselves. Whether it is dealing with mentally ill clients, clients with a substance abuse problem, or clients that are neglected by their parents, or who are or used to be physically, emotionally, mentally, or sexually abused, I would work hand in hand with adolescents, while valuing all six core values, which are service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence (National Association of Social Workers, 2017). I would address social ills and my essential objective would be to help those in need, advocate on behalf of the client, and be mindful of each client’s uniqueness, so that I treat each individual with integrity and regard. I would work by being honest and building trust with the clients.

Educational and Professional Development

In order to enhance my skills and learn in the best way, I plan on taking advantage of the writing center. Any moment I feel I need additional help with my writing, I would turn to people in this center for guidance, and even if I do not necessarily need the help, I would turn to the writing center to be positive that any assignment I submit meets the criteria or surpasses it. I am not the greatest writer and believe that seeking help in the writing center will help me become stronger in this area. I would take advantage of my professors by asking as many questions on any concerns or topics I lack knowledge of. The professors are my teachers, and through their knowledge and experience, they can guide me through challenges. Besides my professors and the writing center, the biggest resource I would take the most advantage of is my field placement. The field placement, I feel, is the most beneficial and the most important resource given to students, as this is where most of my learning would take place, and I would be behaving, working, and taking actions as an actual social worker. This is an environment where everything I learn would be applied to, and besides my professors, I would have my supervisor and other social workers who can further enhance my knowledge in the field and guide me in the best way. I would turn to these individuals to provide me with suitable feedback on anything I feel I am struggling with. According to my research on Fordham University, I strongly believe that with the professors, writing center, licensing exam preparation, and the many other resources available, I can enhance my skills and prepare myself well to meet my goals.

Conclusion

My ultimate goal is to graduate well-informed in my major, so that I may be the best social worker I can be. I want to feel confident in my communication, writing, and group collaboration. By dedicating myself to this path, I aim to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children who need guidance and support, just as others once did for me.

References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
• National Association of Social Workers. (2017). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English