Today, In the Way
features an interview with a friend of mine who works for the Department of
Social Services. I appreciate her willingness to help us understand her job and the
needs of others. I want to expose my readers to women in several different areas of work where they can impact others for Christ and make their world a
better place.
Jesus said, And
whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But
whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better
for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of
the sea. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me
(Matthew 19:5-6).
In the Way—Hi, Social Worker. Welcome to In the Way. Can
you share with us what made you interested in being a social worker in the
first place and how you arrived at this career?
Social Worker—My journey to
working with the Department of Social Services has been one of narrowing down my
gift sets and desires. My education did not prepare me best for my work but it
laid the groundwork for valuing people in their brokenness. My education and my
early years of work can be narrowed down to services of “helps,” but they were
limited to the privileged. Over time, my experiences showed me that poverty and
resource deprivation were tremendous contributors to the clients that I work
with today.
ItW—Can you describe the kinds of cases you
deal with?
Social Worker—Cases
fall into the categories of:
- Physical Neglect—Basic
needs of the child (food/shelter/supervision)
- Physical Abuse—Long
lasting marks and bruises to the body, broken bones, and if the child is
positive for the same drug that the parent is positive for
- Substantial Risk of
Physical Abuse—Same as above except we are stating that if something in the
environment does not change, then the child would have ended up physically
abused.
- Sexual Abuse—Sexual
abuse committed by the adult in loco
parentis or was known by the adult and they did not do anything to protect
the child and end the abuse
- Substantial Risk of
Sexual Abuse—Same as above, there are factors, which if they do not change,
would result in the child being sexually abused.
- Medical Neglect—The
child has a diagnosable condition that the parents will not treat.
ItW—Do you work mostly with children or their
parents?
Social Worker—
The focus is to ensure the children’s safety and setting them up to thrive
while they are in foster care. Our role with the parents is to be a help as
they complete court ordered classes that we choose for them.
ItW—Do you speak another language? If so, have
you ever used it in dealing with your clients?
Social Worker— I
am bilingual but have not taken the test to use that gift in this work. The
liability is very high if you make a mistake.
ItW—What kinds of cases have been your most
difficult?
Social Worker—Sexual
abuse and physical abuse are the most difficult cases to work at the onset. The
cases are hard on the children and they are also hard to gauge when trying to
work with parents who want their children back in their care. Part of the
social worker’s job is to track behavior changes and not just assessing that
parents complete services.
ItW—Are you able to follow up people you've
invested in, or do they go somewhere else in the system?
Social Worker—I
work in foster care unit that focuses on cases where children can be reunified.
My unit tends to be connected with the same families six months at a time.
ItW—Being a committed Christian, how does this affect
your work and ministry?
Social Worker—If
you do not believe that justice and mercy are extended past the systems that we
work in, then I am not sure how you continue to give people hope. As much as I
may try to give hope to people through resources and connections, it is limited, and it fails. If you don’t have a belief that one day all things will be made
right, it is incredibly hard to work with the poor and the abused.
ItW—Since you work for the State, are you able
to share Christ with those you're counseling?
Social Worker—You
cannot openly promote any religious preference/belief system. You can engage
with terms like, “Do you have a faith based support system you can ask for help?”
I am a social worker in the South. Religion and belief in God comes up often
since it is cultural. This has opened doors to talk about God.
ItW—Can you share what brings you joy in your
job?
Social Worker—I
love being involved in protecting children and keeping them safe. I love seeing
their physical, emotional, and mental wounds heal. I also love supporting the
parents/guardians who have never had the opportunities that the middle and
upper classes enjoy.
ItW—In closing, how would you like other
Christians to pray for you and those of you in Social Services who are
Christians helping needy people?
Social Worker—It's
extremely daunting to be involved in working in trauma every day. The story
lines we hear and the cases we work with are not the “norm” for most people. It
is easy to forget that justice will come. It's important to remember the extent
of people’s pain and suffering.
ItW—Thank you so much for your insights. I
hope that my readers will be challenged with the needs of hurting children and
families and will be reminded to pray for those who are abused and neglected.
Thank you for being the kind of social worker who truly cares. We appreciate
the work you do.
Then were
there brought unto him (Jesus) little children,
that he
should put his hands on them,
and pray:
and the
disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said,
Suffer
little children, and forbid them not,
to come unto
me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
And he
laid his hands on them, and departed
thence.
(Matthew 19:13-15)
