Professional Development Plan

a) Identify a specific role that suits your current professional interests: In researching Graduate School programs, I attended the School of Social Work’s open house and they gave a very good presentation. Social workers help clients cope with problems such as poverty, abuse, addiction, unemployment, educational problems, disability, trauma and mental illness. Though the field is a vast one, I left there knowing I want to work as a bilingual social worker assisting individuals and families in the substance abuse area. b) Research the various organizational settings where this role exists Social workers often work within nonprofit organizations, schools, hospitals and government agencies working toward the common good. These social workers may work directly with individual clients or be involved in program development, program evaluation, and human services management. c) Determine what additional background or preparation you need to prepare yourself for seeking and/or starting in this role I will need to obtain my MSW since currently I am not in the BSW program. It will take me, as a part-time student, 3 years to complete the program. I will have to include a practicum my second year in the program and will have to consider the possibility of leaving my full time job in order do so. If I continue here at Temple, I will be looking for a Bilingual Social Worker position during my final year in graduate school. d) Develop a clear plan for pursuing the position you have identified I have already begun planning to attend the College of Public Health’s MSW program in the fall of 2019. Currently, what I need to figure out is if I want to do the online program, the in person program or a combination of the two. Once I begin the program, I will have to find an organization where I can do my practicum. I will have to find a flexible organization. My understanding, from the MSW open house, is that it is possible to find such an organization. Once, I complete the program, I will either continue working for the organization where I do my practicum or just look for a position elsewhere. Looking for a position elsewhere will require my due diligence in finding the right fit for me in the Social Work field.