Career in Social Work
Undergraduate Degree in Social Work (BSW)

It was Jessie's first day at his new job as an intake worker at the Crisis Shelter. A woman walked in and asks to see someone. Jessie approaches her, and noticed she did not look up. She hung her head; her jeans looked like they have not been washed recently. Jessie offered her a cup of coffee and she followed him into his office. He asked, "How can you help you?" She said, "You can't help me but maybe you can help my daughter." She then proceeded to tell Jessie her story in a mono-tone of voice.

Mrs. Smith was forty years old. She was raised by an abusive father and alcoholic mother. To get out of her abusive home she got pregnant at sixteen. However, the father of her baby left her shortly after her daughter's birth. She decided that she had to make something of herself if she was going to take care of her daughter so with the help of her local church she got a job cleaning the Church and worked on getting her GED. She then was able to obtain a better paying job. After working there for a couple of years she met John. He was the best thing that had happened to her. He loved her and her daughter. They were married and things seem to be going along well until one day Mrs. Smith came home from work and found her daughter and her husband in the bedroom together. Mrs. Smith got a sick feeling and took her daughter aside to find out what was going on. John had been sexually abusing her daughter since before they were married. Can you help this mother? Can you help the daughter? What about the father, does he deserve your help?

Jessie's best friend, also a BSW graduate, works for a Homeless Shelter as a case manager in the same city as Jessie. Often Jessie and Sam get together for lunch. The last time Sam and Jessie met, Sam asked Jessie if he would come to the City Council meeting with him. He wanted to advocate for a "Renters Bill of Rights." The people at the shelter where he works work really hard to get back on their feet and into permanent housing but usually all they can afford are the low rent apartments. The landlords of these apartments do not keep up with the repairs and this endangers their children. Jessie wants to help but knows they will have to get their facts straight if they are going up against the landlords in the community.

Do you like a challenge? Do you like working with people? Do you think all people have value? If you answered yes to all of these questions, "you may be a social worker." Social Workers work in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, treatment center, mental health agencies, child welfare, adult protective services, financial assistance programs and housing agencies etc. Social workers help individuals, families, groups, organizations and community overcome problems. Do you have what it takes to change the way society treats people who need help? Can you learn to speak, write, lead, follow and solve difficulty problems?

The advantage to earning an undergraduate degree in social work is that the job market is diverse. Social work provides opportunities to make a difference in the lives of individuals and to focus on social justice issues. If you want to be a true "change agent" in society, join the social work profession!

Editorial provided by Judith Stafford, PhD, Social Work Program Director at Morehead State University in Morehead, KY.