Today's story is told through the eyes of Vikki Brewster, a social worker who shares how she came into the field, the changes and influences that have shaped her practice, the challenges she faces serving and supporting the population she is passionate about, and the causes she now finds herself advocating for. We thank Vikki for sharing while providing another opportunity to give and receive!
I still have the essay I wrote as
part of my application for graduate school 17 years ago. As I read it now, my ideals have not changed,
just the demographic (I love working with seniors). My original inspiration for going
into the 'helping profession' was due to my time spent volunteering at a domestic violence shelter while
I attended college part-time. I worked primarily with the children at the shelter who were exposed to domestic violence. I entertained them, listened to them, and was
involved in group sessions with them. Some
of my happiest moments were making those children laugh.
Several years later I applied to
graduate school to obtain my Master's in Social Work. This was the best decision I made
academically. A social work degree was
flexible. I would have more choices for
employment after graduation and I truly believed there would be few obstacles
in my path. The graduate program was
amazing, the coursework exciting/enriching and the internships extremely
beneficial. Post graduation, I took the licensure
exam and became a Certified Social Worker in the state of New York. I was employed as a therapist with emotionally
disturbed children for almost two years until I realized youth was not my
niche. I took a pay cut and decided to focus on case management with
adults diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. This was a great experience,
but again I realized not my niche.
I married, moved to another country,
and started over professionally. As a
spouse awaiting my permanent residency status in Canada, I was not allowed to
work initially and volunteered with adults with developmental disabilities
assisting with obtaining employment, as well as with seniors who where
Holocaust Survivors. The volunteer
position turned into a part-time job. Twelve and a half years later I
still work primarily with Holocaust Survivors and enjoy my work! I am able to
do group facilitation, case management, assessments, home visits, provide short-term
counseling, and I also edit a newsletter. As my clients are aging, I see
the challenges they face and what is lacking in the current healthcare system. This has led me to End-of-Life issues, Palliative Care and an interest in healthcare.
I have come to see that there needs to be a shift and focus on
allowing seniors to 'age in place' and the services must expand in order to do
so. Expansion obviously requires
money from the government, both on a federal and provincial level. Healthcare needs to shift to a
Patient-Centered approach with professionals available to the patient in either
a facility or clinic. There is also a need for
case managers to oversee the patients with chronic and complex health issues,
while coordinating with the professionals that need to be involved in the patients
overall care.
I have realized much with the work
that I have been immersed into for many years now. For one, end-of-life needs to become less
taboo and society needs to realize that in the cycle of life-there must be
death; to be born, one must die. I feel
that we need to let individuals die with dignity and at home if that is what
they choose, while having the necessary professionals and services in place. As a society we need to lighten up, reduce
stress levels and find what makes us happy in life. Again, a shift is needed and I believe this will
happen; with less focus on materials things and more focus on human relationships,
quality not quantity.
I feel it is important that every professional re-evaluate their interests and find their passion, their niche
population, their niche demographic. As professionals we should also advocate
within our profession for any needed updates or changes. For example, many social workers have
expressed their frustration with licensure and certification requirements and
the fact that it is not national, the license or certificate is not
transferable from state to state or province to province.
So, are their obstacles
to face? Yes! Politics involved? Yes! Is it all worth it? Yes!
About Can You Hear Me?
Daniel Jacob, MSW Email
Founder of Can You Hear Me? External Field Instructor at University of Southern California School of Social Work MSW@USC. Daniel has a Masters in Social Work (Families and Children Practice/School Social Work). He is currently nearing the completion of the LCSW testing process. More about the man behind the mission ⇢
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