I guess this question kind of ties back into the name of this blog. Social work happened accidentally. I knew I wanted to help people -- I knew that when I was 19 and transferred majors from biology to psychology in undergrad. Back then, social work wasn't even on my radar. I knew nothing about social work, except that usually the psychology professors and the social work professors at my university were at odds. They liked each other (for the most part) but there was always kind of a contentious battle going on about which discipline was "better." In undergrad, mentally I voted for psychology.
But then I got a little older. And then I took two years off from school and worked some (pro tip: a Bachelor's in psychology really doesn't get you much of anywhere). And then I heard about the Master's program in social work that was being done through a fairly prestigious university, held at my undergrad campus. I thought about it. Thought about how the therapists I've known throughout the years have all been social workers. Thought about how to really get a job in psychology, you have to get your PsyD or your PhD. Thought about how much time, effort, and money was going to go into grad school. And then decided to go to the information session for this MSW program.
Well, that really kind of clinched the deal. Of course the information sessions are meant to make the program sound good -- but I was excited. I can't remember what all was talked about, but I do remember that there were a lot of prospective students there. The head of the social work department from the main campus was also there, as were several different professors. Various things were discussed, from what the program would be comprised of, to financial aid, to when classes would start and what the curriculum would look like. And really -- how could I refuse to get my MSW when the classes would be held literally a five minute drive away from where I lived, on a campus that I knew like the back of my hand?
I submitted my application including an essay about why I felt I deserved to get student loans in February 2012 (I hate writing those types of essays! "I'm a wonderful candidate to take your money and use it for getting my education because blah blah blah... and then after I graduate I'll be paying you over $40,000 more back than I actually ever borrowed but I don't care because I'm going to be saving the world"). In May 2012, I got my acceptance letter for the fall 2012 semester, as well as notification of a one-time, $7500 scholarship to help pay for tuition my first semester, thanks to my (okayish?) GPA in undergrad. I was so excited -- in the two years off from school, I'd missed the learning environment, I'd missed the challenge of getting good grades, and I'd missed the camaraderie that I'd felt in undergrad with students in the same classes.
Over the course of the past 3 years, I've learned that me getting my MSW really didn't happen by accident. I know that not everyone reading this is Christian, and that's fine -- but to me, it was a God-thing. To you, it may just be luck. Either way, I love the fact that social work has a Code of Ethics, as implemented by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). I love that we as social workers are held to this standard. Sure, not every MSW, LMSW, LCSW, LICSW, etc., really is super ethical... and there are a lot of bad therapists out there... but the Code of Ethics really makes sense to me. It mirrors my own personal and religious values, and that, to me, is more important than any title or fancy job I could have gotten if I'd gone after my PsyD or PhD in psychology.
Random fact of the day: NASW is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. If you're interested, here is the Code of Ethics, first written in 1960. At that time, it only had 14 responsibilities for social workers. It was revised in 1967, 1979, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, and finally, the most recent changes were made in 2008. (FYI: the 2008 revision incorporated gender identity, sexual orientation, and immigration status in the Code's existing non-discrimination standards. [Information from History of the NASW Code of Ethics, socialworkers.org]).
Oh, and now? Now, I realize that both psychology and social work are valuable. Without psychology, there would be huge gaps in social workers' knowledge (and of course, there would be other sad things as well, such as not being able to poke fun at how "weird" psychologists are... it's true! they are weird -- but so am I, which is why we get along *grins*). But without social work's devotion to bettering people's lives -- and without the Code to help guide that process -- there would be many fewer people in this world being given the help and resources that they need.
Cheers!!~
Addison.
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