Don't assume

In one of my classes last semester, representatives of community agencies were brought in to give students an idea of the different approaches and strategies used by social workers in the field. The sessions were quite helpful, and generated a lot of discussion and questions. After one of the sessions, a student raised a concern she had about the agency - their mission conflicted with some of her personal views. She voiced these issues in class, along with the observation of some widely-made assumptions across the field of social work.

I had a similar experience in a groups session with students at my internship. We were discussing environmental issues, and began talking about some of the causes of the environmental problems the world is currently facing. One of my coworkers voiced her concern about these issues, and the nature of these concerns was largely political. The discussion quickly became rather political, and I brought this to her attention (as well as the attention of all those in the group).

These two situations reminded me of a responsibility we have as social workers. Although the field of social work, in general, is much more progressive in its stance on many social issues, we must not make assumptions about the political and social views of those in our profession (or those we serve). The decision to align one's self with a certain political party has much more to do with that individual's stance on certain social or political issues that strike a cord in that person - these issues are varied in scope and focus - than it does with any undying support for that political party on every decision they make. The field of social work demands a desire to advocate for social change - a desire that transcends alignment with any political party or group. And if I'm being completely honest, this is not about political parties. This was just the impetus for my awareness of the deeper phenomenon of assumption. The bigger issue present is the willingness to assume that someone (or a group) falls into a particular category, and thus believes and does certain things that are to be expected from a person/group of that particular category. By doing this, not only do we often get people wrong - but we also often make it impossible for someone change our perception (and thus our reality) of who they are.

Along with not making assumptions, we have a responsibility to be cognizant of the power dynamic present in any helping relationship. The people we serve come from varying backgrounds, value systems, political views, and stances on social issues, and we have agreed to provide service of the highest quality to all that we serve; this service must not demean or undermine these characteristics of the individual. It's important for social workers (and any helping professionals, for that matter) to constantly speak and conduct themselves in ways that promote wellness in the lives of their clients. This wellness is brought about, first and foremost, by eliminating assumptions.