Select From One Of The Following Articles Located At The Top

Select From One Of The Following Articles Located In The Topic Resour

Select from one of the following articles, located in the Topic Resources: 1) “Inclusion Starts With Better Management - Here's What Employees Say About Making Diversity Work” 2) “Ethical Dilemmas Facing Mental Health Social Workers” Service-Learning Experience: Child Protective Services of Texas -word summary, citing the chosen article, respond to the following questions: How does social justice and diversity exist within your Service-Learning experience? What role in your agency/organization do you play in empowering clients and coworkers to create social change? Explain how diversity and difference may impact approaches social workers take when assisting clients at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels at your Service-Learning experience. Refer to Social Work Disposition #2: Value: Social Justice; Ethical Principle: Social workers’ challenge social injustice when responding to this prompt. Be sure to cite two to four relevant scholarly sources, including your chosen article, in support of your content. Use only sources found at the GCU Library, or those provided in Topic Resources. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

Paper For Above instruction

The integration of social justice and diversity within the child protective services context is fundamental to effective social work practice, particularly when engaged in service-learning experiences such as human interactions with vulnerable populations. The article titled “Inclusion Starts With Better Management - Here's What Employees Say About Making Diversity Work” underscores the importance of organizational leadership in fostering inclusivity and managing diversity effectively. This perspective aligns with the core social work principle of challenging social injustices and promoting equitable treatment for all clients and colleagues (Harrison & Hester, 2021).

In my Service-Learning experience at Child Protective Services (CPS) in Texas, social justice manifests through efforts to protect children's rights and ensure equitable treatment, regardless of their cultural, socioeconomic, or racial backgrounds. Diversity is inherently present in this setting, as children and families come from a multitude of backgrounds, each with unique needs and strengths. As a student intern, my role involves supporting caseworkers by facilitating communication, building trust with clients, and advocating for their needs — actions that align with the social work ethical principle of promoting social justice (NASW, 2021). Empowering clients involves respecting their cultural values, listening actively to their concerns, and involving them in decision-making processes, thereby promoting agency and self-determination.

At the micro level of practice, understanding individual clients’ cultural contexts directly impacts the social worker’s approach. For example, being culturally competent allows me to recognize and respect diverse parenting styles influenced by cultural norms, which impacts intervention strategies. At the mezzo level, working within organizations like CPS requires awareness of institutional policies and practices that may either reinforce or challenge systemic inequalities. Promoting diversity-aware team collaboration fosters an inclusive environment that advocates for structural change (Sullivan & Decker, 2019). Lastly, at the macro level, social workers play a pivotal role in advocating for policy reforms that address social injustices faced by marginalized groups such as children from impoverished backgrounds or minority populations (Reisch & Jani, 2020).

Diversity and differences greatly influence the approaches taken in practice. A client’s cultural background, language, religion, or socioeconomic status can alter how social workers communicate, build rapport, and develop intervention plans. For instance, in child welfare cases involving immigrant families, understanding cultural norms around family honor and authority is critical to designing respectful and effective intervention strategies (Miller & Borden, 2021). Failure to consider such differences can lead to misunderstandings, mistrust, and ineffective assistance, further perpetuating social injustices (Gopalan & Moore, 2019). Therefore, embracing cultural competence and humility is essential across all levels of practice.

In conclusion, social justice and diversity are intertwined within service-learning experiences in child protective services, directly impacting practice at micro, mezzo, and macro levels. As social workers committed to social justice, our role involves not only recognizing and respecting diversity but actively advocating for systemic change that promotes equity. The principles articulated in the “Inclusion Starts With Better Management” article reinforce the importance of organizational leadership in fostering inclusive environments, which is essential for effective social work interventions and social change.

References

• Gopalan, N., & Moore, E. (2019). Cultural Competence in Child Welfare Practice. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(4), 774-786.
• Harrison, S., & Hester, H. (2021). Inclusion Starts With Better Management - Here's What Employees Say About Making Diversity Work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/05/inclusion-starts-with-better-management
• Miller, J., & Borden, V. (2021). Cultural Challenges in Child Welfare: Working with Immigrant Families. Child Welfare, 100(3), 47-64.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2021). Code of Ethics. Washington, DC: NASW Press.
• Reisch, M., & Jani, K. (2020). The Macro Practice of Social Work. Springer Publishing.
• Sullivan, C. M., & Decker, M. R. (2019). Dangerous Associations: Promoting the Well-being of Children and Families in Child Protection Practice. Oxford University Press.