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Professional Identity Development

Molly E. Tuttle

Department of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

SWK 3050: Success in Social Work

Dr. Cindy E. Locklear

November 12, 2020

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Abstract

Developing a professional identity is crucial when choosing to enter a career field that

emphasizes the improvement and well being of individuals in crisis, individuals from various

social and ethnic backgrounds, as well as many other needs. Social work is a helping field.

Social workers work in schools, hospitals, doctor offices, social services, private practices such

as counseling, and many other locations. Developing a professional identity before entering the

field is important so that one’s best self can be offered as assistance and guidance at a time where

the individuals seeking help or referred for help may be feeling vulnerable, embarrassed scared,

lost, and unsure of what to do next. To develop a professional identity, one must develop self-

awareness and acknowledge potential biases, one must become culturally aware, one must gain

and understand empathy, and exercise good ethics practice.

Keywords: helping, professional identity, culturally aware

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Define Professional Identity Development and Professional Socialization

To quote Shlomo, “professional identity development is a complex process which

involves the internalization of the group’s values and norms in the person’s own behavior and

self-concept” (Shlomo, 2012). A social worker can always refer to the NASW Code of Ethics

because it outlines professional behavior and standards of practice which help develop the

professional identity (NASW, 2017). The NASW Code of Ethics features information regarding

self-determination, competence, conflicts of interest, privacy, confidentiality, and much more

that is extremely important for social workers to practice as a professional worker (NASW,

2017). Professional socialization is defined as “the transmission of values, ideas, ethics, and

attitudes of the profession.” (Valutis, 2016). Shlomo stated that supervisors play an important

role in their supervisee’s professional socialization (Shlomo, 2012). The role that supervisors

play in professional socialization is the engagement of field work training and exposing

supervisees to various environments for their field work training. Essentially, it provides

supervisees a live, hands on training experience that cannot be taught or mimicked in a

classroom.

Roles of Social Workers

Social workers are present in various settings for various reasons when it comes to child

welfare. Social workers can be found in social services (child protective

services/foster/adoption), social workers can be found in schools, and can also be found in

hospitals. Social workers in the area of children do many things but above all, advocate for the

health and safety of children who cannot speak for themselves. Social workers are generally

responsible for making sure children are in safe homes with appropriate shelter, clothing, food,

water, and heat/air, as well as free from abuse and/or neglect. In hospital settings more so, social
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workers may be responsible for networking care for children. In school settings, social workers

can be responsible for helping investigate and intervening when perhaps a child comes to school

in the winter in just a light jacket, why their clothes are dirty, why the child looks unkempt, why

the child may be acting out in class, and other reasons (NASW, 2013). Rerouting back to the first

example of child welfare, social workers are also responsible for home visits with children who

have been temporarily removed from their homes. Social workers are also responsible for

working with foster youth to help prepare them for the transition of aging out of foster care and

into adulthood and connecting them with resources or helping them personally securing things

such as medical coverage, housing, employment, financial literacy, and education (NASW,

2013). A recent journal by Lopez mentioned some of the difficulties and changes social workers

have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and how social workers are having to work virtually

with clients and families (Lopez, 2020). Social workers can also provide emotional support to

fellow coworkers, especially those in child welfare, because the job is stressful, emotional,

demanding, and often comes with an overloaded caseload which results in a high turnover rate

(Kim, 2015).

Skills, Knowledge, and Values

Social workers in child welfare are at a much higher risk for experiencing workplace

violence and must obtain the skills to safely and professionally address those issues and remain

vigilant and aware of scenarios they may encounter (Kim, 2015). To work with children does

require special skill and knowledge because unlike adults who are more mature and better

understand complex thoughts and questions, children are most vulnerable and look to adults as

people who can be trusted. Many children trust easily however when that trust has been broken,

especially repeatedly, accepting help from strangers may present more difficult problems.
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Knowledge of child psychology, growth, and development is especially important to not only

understand why a child does things the way they do, but also to understand how trauma affects

their mental and emotional health and how it may impact their recovery. It is also important to

have a caring, nurturing, warm, and opening personality so that children do not feel scared or

uncomfortable which could hinder the helping process. The values a social worker would need to

hold would be genuine care and compassion about helping children not just perhaps seeking

revenge against perpetrators. It is also important for social workers to respect children’s

boundaries and their thoughts because children are resilient, but children are also like sponges

and can absorb, understand, and retain more information than adults give children credit for.

Resources to Gain Knowledge

One of the most helpful resources beyond the BSW degree program to assist social

workers is the NASW – National Association of Social Workers (NASW, 2017). This

organization, should a social worker choose to become a member, is a community full of people

just like themselves and provides resources to help social workers stay up to date and educated

about social justice or injustice issues currently plaguing society and the world. It also offers a

community where similar people can share thoughts and seek advice. There are state chapters

which hold local conventions that allow great opportunities to network and grow an individual’s

professional connections. There is also the Phi Alpha Honor Society which would be a

community of similar individuals that can offer support and guidance. There are also

professional associations social workers can join should they decide to associate with a specific

field, such as School Social Work Association of America for social workers who work in

elementary and high schools. If joining organizations is not an option, there are also community

volunteer projects that social workers can get involved with. Should a social worker choose to
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work in child welfare, they could perhaps volunteer with a local YMCA or YWCA or The Boys

& Girls Club, although this must be done with discretion as to not put an individual’s job or

company at risk or the individual themselves. In the journal article by Kurzman, there was a

focus on continuing education in forms of classes at local colleges or online and workshops

which assist social workers in getting the hours they need to maintain their licensing (Kurzman,

2016).
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References

Kim, H., & Hopkins, K. M. (2015). Child Welfare Workers’ Personal Safety Concerns and

Organizational Commitment: The Moderating Role of Social Support. Human Service

Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 39(2), 101–115. https://doi-

org.proxy181.nclive.org/10.1080/23303131.2014.987413

Kurzman, P. A. (2016). Social Work Continuing Education: Current Issues and Future Direction.

Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 36(4), 332–341. https://doi-

org.proxy181.nclive.org/10.1080/08841233.2016.1214041

López Peláez, A., Erro-Garcés, A., & Gómez-Ciriano, E. J. (2020). Young people, social

workers, and social work education: the role of digital skills. Social Work Education,

39(6), 825–842. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1795110

National Association of Social Workers. (2017). NASW code of ethics. Retrieved October 15,

2020, from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-

English

National Association of Social Workers. (2013). NASW standards for social work practice in

child welfare. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from

https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=_FIu_UDcEac%3d&portalid=0.

Shlomo, S. B., Levy, D., & Itzhaky, H. (2012). Development of Professional Identity among

Social Work Students: Contributing Factors. The Clinical Supervisor, 31(2), 240–255.

https://doi.org/10.1080/07325223.2013.733305

Valutis, S., & Rubin, D. (2016). Value Conflicts in Social Work: Categories and Correlates.
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Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, 13(1), 11–24.