My employer, Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services, requires me to attend a two-week Child Welfare Training. Professor Tonymon approved this two-week training to be substituted for my field training this week and the week of September 12-16, 2016. This is a certified training by the University of Mississippi Social Work Department titled the University of Mississippi Child Welfare Training Academy (UMCWTA). This is the link if you would like more information http://sw.olemiss.edu/curriculum/
This week has been pretty intense and has been an eye opener to me as it relates to child welfare. It surprised me to feel this way, especially being that I just graduated with my BSW. The first day of the training I felt overwhelmed …show more content…
The one that made the biggest impression on me is an activity we did on why women stay in domestic violence situation, which puts their children at risk of harm. I have done tons of research, watch movies and heard women speak on domestic violence, but in the back of my mind I always still could not identify with their reasoning for staying in an abusive relationship. This activity has changed my thought process about women and domestic violence. During the activity we were allotted a certain amount of money, which followed by a series of events. Each event required a decision of the woman (me) on whether to leave or stay. In my infinite thinking from the first scenario of abuse, I immediately left my home with my children. As the game proceeded and I ran low of money, I watched as other class participants stayed in the home. I was thinking to myself they are crazy, as I stood there penniless, homeless and my children in DHS …show more content…
Even giving my circumstance at the end of the activity I was still feeling like I made the right decision and the women that chose to stay were still crazy. My feelings changed as the other women expressed their reasoning for staying. One woman stated that despite the domestic violence she could not imagine taking her children away from their father. Even though this was only an activity, she teared up, which allowed me to understand her reasoning. Other women in the group stated that they had no other family than their husband and it would be too difficult and unfair to take their children out of the household. Hearing their reasoning did something to me, I believe for the first time in my life and as a social worker, I was able to really empathize with an abused woman. It made me understand that every client I come into contact with situation is different. I was truly going to have to put my feelings to the side and not judge them for their decision to stay, but find a way to help them and support them. I felt proud of myself about coming to this realization. It made perceive and identify with my own bias and to know that self-reflection is actually an ongoing thing for a social worker.
I talked about this situation with my field supervisor and she advised me that I am going to deal with these types of situation in my career as a social worker. She instructed me to
This week has been pretty intense and has been an eye opener to me as it relates to child welfare. It surprised me to feel this way, especially being that I just graduated with my BSW. The first day of the training I felt overwhelmed …show more content…
The one that made the biggest impression on me is an activity we did on why women stay in domestic violence situation, which puts their children at risk of harm. I have done tons of research, watch movies and heard women speak on domestic violence, but in the back of my mind I always still could not identify with their reasoning for staying in an abusive relationship. This activity has changed my thought process about women and domestic violence. During the activity we were allotted a certain amount of money, which followed by a series of events. Each event required a decision of the woman (me) on whether to leave or stay. In my infinite thinking from the first scenario of abuse, I immediately left my home with my children. As the game proceeded and I ran low of money, I watched as other class participants stayed in the home. I was thinking to myself they are crazy, as I stood there penniless, homeless and my children in DHS …show more content…
Even giving my circumstance at the end of the activity I was still feeling like I made the right decision and the women that chose to stay were still crazy. My feelings changed as the other women expressed their reasoning for staying. One woman stated that despite the domestic violence she could not imagine taking her children away from their father. Even though this was only an activity, she teared up, which allowed me to understand her reasoning. Other women in the group stated that they had no other family than their husband and it would be too difficult and unfair to take their children out of the household. Hearing their reasoning did something to me, I believe for the first time in my life and as a social worker, I was able to really empathize with an abused woman. It made me understand that every client I come into contact with situation is different. I was truly going to have to put my feelings to the side and not judge them for their decision to stay, but find a way to help them and support them. I felt proud of myself about coming to this realization. It made perceive and identify with my own bias and to know that self-reflection is actually an ongoing thing for a social worker.
I talked about this situation with my field supervisor and she advised me that I am going to deal with these types of situation in my career as a social worker. She instructed me to