Tag Archives: social worker

Ten Social Work Technology Beliefs That Bring Hope

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I believe that people should have a bigger role in deciding how they are affected by technology including how their personal information is used.

From the age of nine or ten I remember having an interest in electronic devices and media. My older sister would call me ‘The Mad Scientist” as I was taking apart a radio or record player to see how it worked.   I am fortunate now that I am able to own the electronic equipment devices as an adult that grew out of my interest as a child. As I have matured, I  have seen how technology has hurt and helped people. I want to do more to help. I started Anthony-Denmark Communications and RussAnthony411 in order to carryout beliefs that bring hope for a better tomorrow. Social work technology expresses these core beliefs.  These are only ten technology beliefs.  Maybe you share some of these or can add your own.

Belief One: Everyone should access to important information in order make informed decisions about how he/she is affected by technology.

Belief  Two: People have a right to decide how much personal information to disclose to business or institutions. People should be made aware of how the information is used in easy to read and concise language.

Belief  Three: Everyone should take steps to protect his/her own personal information and not to rely solely on the privacy policies created by outside organizations.

Belief Four: Increase access to technology should be made available to those with  physical/mental limitations.

Belief Five: Affordable technology should be reachable to the poor and people in remote areas.

Belief Six: Technology can help to preserve the wisdom of older generations as well as  maintain connections with distant family members.

Belief Seven: Technology can help people to communicate with each other when personal interactions are impractical, however, technology does not replace human contact.

Belief Eight: Using technology requires a responsibility, to use it appropriately, be considerate of others and to dispose it wisely.

Belief Nine: Technology is to make our lives better. Periodic assessments should be made of personal and organizational uses of technology and the effects.

Belief Ten: Technology should be shared. Organizations and individuals should seek to share equipment and expertise to those in need. This will empower those who receive to reach out to assist others in need.

Technology can do so much to help people. It touches so many parts of our lives that we cannot ignore it. Therefore, let’s do what we can to share the benefits of technology and information with everyone. What can you do?

-Russ

Five Steps for A Social Work Technologist

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Many social workers are adept in using technology to improve the lives of their clients and agencies. If you are a social worker that enjoys using technology, this is encouragement to consider becoming a social work technologist. While it may not be an official position, it is a needed position in many organizations. Here are five realistic things you can do  to become a social work technologist in your workplace:

1)  Talk to coworkers and colleagues about your tech skills and share information. Share experiences about using technology from your department or agency with others. Be a source of support. Gain support and learn from others.

2) Let your boss/supervisor know that you have an interest in serving clients through the use of technology. Give examples or suggestions to improve the use of the computer network or changes to the client data base. Be realistic and practical for a better chance of a positive outcome.

3) Focus your intent to use technology around improving the lives of customers and/or improving the success of the organization. Most social agencies are over burdened. Look for ways that can have benefits towards clients or save the organization time/money.

4) Get noticed. Put your technology skills on display. Not in a selfish way, but in a manner that gets the higher-ups in your agency to expand their view of what social workers can do. Especially, if you work in an environment where the executives graduated from school before the Internet or personal computers.

5) Do your job. While this may seem obvious, you will be in a better position to state your case for becoming involved in your agency’s technology efforts if you are maintaining your caseload or primary work responsibilities. Demonstrating transferable skills such as organization and attention to detail will serve you well.

Doing these five things will put you on the road to becoming a social work technologist. From there, your mission will be to help others to take the same steps. I look forward to hearing about the technology efforts other social workers have made and are making. This site bears the phrase, “The Home of Social Work Technology”. I know that others are doing similar work from what little I have encountered. I do not know how large of a number there is of other technology-skilled social workers. However that number will surely increase as the younger social workers enter the workforce. By strengthening social work technology today, we can do our part to see that social work is being performed by social workers in the future.

Advancing Social Work Technology

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Now is the time for technology-minded social workers to mobilize and unite. A call is being made for Social Work Technologists to improve the lives of clients by advancing our technical skills. For those looking for extra credentials, there is no exam or certification. However, you will be armed with skills that are greatly needed in the workplace for many social workers. Social workers everywhere need to stand on their keyboards and shout it out on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, etc. that we can be trusted to use technology to serve our clients. For too long we have stood by and watched while computer and information technology professionals have directed the course of direct services to customers. (This is not written to antagonize those professionals but to work toward a better partnership for the welfare of the recipients of social and human services).

Social workers know how to use technology to improve the lives of people and society. Yet, the very nature of a social worker’s job can be severely altered by a computer analyst without a clear concept of the work being done. This is not the fault of the tech department but an indication that the powers that be see social workers as lacking these needed technology skills. If we are not careful, every step from intake to case closure will be automated without input from the staff who know the clients.

This is not a selfish plea about saving social work jobs but a plea nonetheless to motivate and encourage social workers everywhere to take a stand and realize that many of our agencies can better if social workers utilized technology in the performance of job duties. Our clients will be that much better off.