This assignment asks the student to choose an area of social work that interests you such as: poverty, homelessness, health care, mental health, children and families, adolescents, minorities, immigrants and other oppressed populations, substance abuse and addiction, and the elderly. Once you have identified the population of concern, please identify a BSW or MSW practitioner in the community who works with this population and arrange to interview her/him/them. The practitioner must be a social worker.
Step 1: Choose a population
Step 2: Find an agency that serves that population (you will want to have a few in mind)
Step 3: Identify a BSW or MSW social worker at that agency. The agency website is a good place to start. Also, calling the main agency number, introduce yourself and ask if there is a social worker who you could speak with about a student assignment.
Step 4: Expect to put effort into contacting social workers! You may leave a message, leave your contact information including e-mail. You may want to e-mail the social worker and follow up with a phone call.
Step 6: Next, summarize the content of the interview with the social worker in a 3-5-page paper. This paper will include personal reflections regarding the questions you asked, the social worker’s response, your expectations and areas that challenged your prior beliefs.
