I really enjoyed the assigned readings for this week, particularly the introductory content from Boyd-Webb. A lot of the information, frameworks, and perspectives closely align with orientations and beliefs I have developed from firsthand experience with children in various settings.
Specifically, I love how Chapter 1 started out with an emphasis on the ecological-transactional focus in working with children, which values the interplay of both multisystemic and developmental factors. Children do not live in a vacuum, and it is impossible for us as social workers to change/impact their lives without considering and involving the multitude of systems, people, and personal/social/environmental characteristics that are intertwined with their everyday life and well-being. This perspective is the reason I chose social work as my avenue toward a career in working with children, as I value the way in which we integrate systems and environmental factors in our work, considering the whole child in context.
Additionally, I really resonated with the discussion in Chapter 2 about the team approach and the various roles that social workers play in the lives of children (e.g., case manager, therapist, consultant, educator, advocate). Such ideas reminded me of my experiences at my first-year placement working with a School Social Worker in a public high school. In addition to valuing interdisciplinary collaboration with related school personnel (e.g., school counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, teachers, principals, administrators), my supervisor developed relationships with community policing, probation officers, outside mental health providers, doctors, caseworkers, and of course parents/guardians. This showed me the distinct role of social workers from other student support staff, as we served as the liaison between the school and the outside community environment, ensuring continuity of care and resources for the students both in and out of school.