Tuesday March 19, 2024
“Part of my role is to provide counselling and advocacy within an outreach model. To reach a more vulnerable population. I love working with young people, to increase their knowledge base around these important topics.”
World Social Worker Day (19 March) gives us an opportunity to highlight the wonderful work of our Social Workers like Bec, who works as a Social Worker/ Counsellor Advocate for the Innovative Health Services for Homeless Youth Program.
Within this program, Bec works to reach vulnerable populations, increasing their knowledge base around important topics such as consent, grooming and healthy relationships. Within this program, Bec can connect and collaborate with other organisations and agencies to prevent sexual assault and eradicate the exploitation of young people.
“I think the most the thing that really speaks to me social work is the advocacy and walking alongside the individual, not dictating change, just really supporting them providing opportunities and respecting that they’re the experts of their own lives.” Bec tells.
Similar to Bec, Sam, who works as a Social Worker/ Mental Health Clinician for the Child and Youth Mental Health Service. Highlights the importance of multi-disciplinary team, to see the client as a whole.
“It’s trying to bring in that social work lens to the team, trying to understand what kind of support we can provide in discharge planning, advocating for the patient and making sure they are fully supported once they leave our service.” Sam says.
Sam works in the Specialist Child Team, working within a multi-disciplinary team to set up all the supports for the young person and their family in times of crisis.
“We do a lot of family work, sometimes it can be tricky for families to receive that feedback. The formulations that there actually relational stuff more that any neurodiversity, explaining what’s going on. Just understanding what’s happening that young people’s world.”