Tag: social work practice
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Preventing Burnout and Secondary Trauma in Social Work
Read more: Preventing Burnout and Secondary Trauma in Social WorkYou picked this field because you care. That’s not a weakness — but it is a risk factor. Social workers carry other people’s pain as part of the job description. Crisis calls, trauma disclosures, chronic grief, impossible systems — the emotional weight accumulates whether you’re tracking it or not. And when it goes unaddressed long…
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From “What’s Wrong With You?” to “What Happened to You?”
Read more: From “What’s Wrong With You?” to “What Happened to You?”Stephanie had been working at the domestic violence shelter for three years when the organization decided to become “trauma-informed.” At first, she wondered what would change — weren’t they already helping trauma survivors? But as she learned more, she began to see her work differently. She noticed how clients positioned themselves in the common room,…
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Staying Calm When They’re Not: De-Escalation Techniques for Social Workers
Read more: Staying Calm When They’re Not: De-Escalation Techniques for Social WorkersTyler bursts into the waiting room, face red with anger: “This is bullshit! I’ve been waiting forty-five minutes and nobody’s told me anything! Where the hell is my social worker!” The waiting room stiffens. Conversations stop mid-sentence. Situations like this require immediate de-escalation skills that can mean the difference between a productive session and a…
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What is the difference between NASW and ASWB?
Read more: What is the difference between NASW and ASWB?Social workers mix these up constantly, and it’s understandable — both are national organizations, both use the same initials pattern, and both show up constantly in conversations about licensure and professional development. But they do fundamentally different things, and confusing them can create real problems when it comes to your license. Here’s what you actually…
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How to Choose CEs That Actually Improve Your Practice
Read more: How to Choose CEs That Actually Improve Your PracticeMost social workers don’t struggle to find continuing education. They struggle to find CEs that feel worth the time. You finish a course, download the certificate, and then… nothing really changes. Your work looks the same. Your decision-making feels the same. The CE met a requirement, but it didn’t move the needle. That’s not a…
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What “Biopsychosocial” Actually Means in Practice
Read more: What “Biopsychosocial” Actually Means in PracticeYou’re thirty minutes into an intake with Brenda Hayes. She came in saying she’s been “feeling down” for about a year. As you talk, you learn she recently lost her administrative job, lives with chronic back pain that’s getting worse, isn’t sleeping well, and is helping coordinate care for her father, who has dementia. Her…
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How to Build a Therapeutic Alliance Through a Screen
Read more: How to Build a Therapeutic Alliance Through a ScreenThis is an excerpt from SWTP CEU’s 3-CE Telehealth in Social Work Practice course. The first time you meet a new client via video, you’ll notice something feels different. Not worse, not better—just different. You can’t read their full body language. You can’t gauge how they fill the physical space of your office. You don’t…
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Why Family Systems Matter in Substance Use Treatment
Read more: Why Family Systems Matter in Substance Use TreatmentThe following is an excerpt from the 6-CE SWTP CEUs course, Substance Use in Families: Beyond the Identified Patient. The intake form says Miguel Torres, age 16, marijuana use. His school social worker made the referral after the third time he showed up high to class. You’re three minutes into the family session when you…
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Myths vs. Facts About Suicide
Read more: Myths vs. Facts About SuicideThis is excerpted from the SWTP CEU course, Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention. Given the scope and complexity of suicide as demonstrated by these epidemiological patterns, it becomes crucial to address common misconceptions that can interfere with effective prevention efforts. Understanding and dispelling common myths about suicide is essential for effective social work practice. These…
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Why Spirituality Matters in Social Work Practice
Read more: Why Spirituality Matters in Social Work Practice(This is an excerpt from the SWTP CEU course, Religious and Spiritual Competency for Social Workers.) A client sits across from you, grieving the sudden death of her husband. She keeps saying, “I just don’t understand why God would do this to me.” You nod, validate her pain, ask about her support system. But you…