Social workers provide an incredibly diverse range of services, including providing clients with a wide scope of interventions and support centred around linking people to appropriate support services and monitoring their progress and wellbeing.
What does a social worker do?
Social work involves a broad range of roles, addressing the emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. The day in the life of a social worker can involve any of the following:
Social workers can support people struggling with addiction, poverty and financial concerns, homelessness or housing stress, mental and physical health and wellbeing, domestic and family violence, social injustice and discrimination, human rights advocacy, child and family wellbeing, trauma, legal issues, relationships, and self-determination and fulfilment.
Veterans and social workers
Some familiar challenges faced by veterans and families that can be supported by a social worker include:
The difference between social work, counselling, and psychology
Social work bridges individual support and community change by taking a broader perspective and looking in depth at how environmental factors and social systems can impact an individual’s wellbeing.
Social workers often find themselves navigating complex social concerns, offering direct care to a person while also advocating for broader policy reforms that create safer social systems. Social work uniquely combines health and wellbeing interventions at an individual and personal level with larger change efforts in social contexts.
In contrast, psychology blends scientific research with practical application, offering unique insights into how people think, learn, develop, behave, and navigate life, which support the interventions used by psychologists to treat mental health issues.
Finally, counselling supports people through life’s complexities, whether they are dealing with stress, relationship dynamics, grief, or personal growth. Counsellors emphasise personal growth, and support clients to navigate personal challenges in their lives.
Social workers and advocacy
Social work advocacy is a vital aspect of the profession, ensuring that individuals and communities receive the support, justice, and resources they need. Advocacy can take many forms, from direct interventions that help people on an individual level to broad policy reforms that aim to reshape systemic structures for the better.
Many social work cases involve individuals and families, for example, supporting clients searching for housing, employment, or seeking community resources. Individual advocacy requires social workers to work with clients more directly, the goal being to fix the specific impact clients experience as a result of wider systemic issues
Social workers play a crucial role as both voices for the unheard and catalysts for change, balancing hands-on support with larger-scale efforts to improve societal conditions. Whether it is securing housing, addressing workplace discrimination, or influencing policy decisions, advocacy is at the heart of social work.
Support at Mates4Mates
Mates4Mates offers veterans and families access to social workers who provide a safe and supportive space for you to talk about what you’re going through and help you to move forward, linking you to other organisations and services as required.
Mates4Mates social workers are available for in-person appointments at our locations in Townsville, Hobart, and the Sunshine Coast. You can also book an appointment with Mates4Mates social workers online via telehealth.
For more information about Mates4Mates services and how we can help to support you, reach out to us on 1300 4 MATES (62 837) for a confidential chat.
Written by Angela Rondo, Mates4Mates Social Worker.
Social workers provide an incredibly diverse range of services, including providing clients with a wide scope of interventions and support centred around linking people to appropriate support services and monitoring their progress and wellbeing.
