This blog is a dedication to what I think critical social work is. By looking at different social issues in a variety of mediums I work to deconstruct what critical social work means to me, and how I can be a agent of social change. This blog reflects issues that are important to me, in illustrating these issues I hope to convey how I am involved in critical social work and why it is important to me.
I created the collage posted above to illustrate myself. I feel I am conflicted in this world. I receive messages from educational institutions, religious institutions, people I encounter in my every day life, workplace etc. At times I feel trapped by cultural norms. I feel my mind is imprisoned by knowledge that is not always true. I also feel that in social work practice I become trapped by agency practices, and at times feel helpless and become imprisoned by it rather than resisting. It is critical social work that grounds me and allows me to question these institutions of power, and analyze what knowledge they have created. Critical social work practice allows me to question why things are the way they are, and how they came to being this way. It allows me to be informed of institutional practices as well as where I fit into these practices.
For the purpose of this assignment I will be looking at the Safehaven Program within the YWCA. I worked at the Safehaven program in my first year of social work practice. It was a shelter for young girls aged 13-17 who were involved in the streets. Historically it specifically was for young girls who were involved in prostitution but had later changed it’s mandate to accept any female youth who were living in the streets. It was a transitional program and helped young girls to create goals and work closely with a case manager to achieve them. It was also in place to build self esteem, educate young women about social issues, and give them tools to live independently. Unfortunately this program was shut down. The mutual decision posed by both the YWCA management and the Child and Family Services who both felt that they were on two different mandates and could no longer help each other in keeping this shelter running.
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