Asking for Help

Helpers Seeking Help - Kanako Okuda
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Helpers Seeking Help

Field learning exposes you to your new role as a professional social worker. It can be emotional, which forces you to change and grow. The process involves anxiety and a wide range of feelings. Knowing when to ask for help assures you that you are not alone in the journey.

When to Ask for Help

When You Have Concerns About...

Assignments

  • Not enough or too many assignments
  • Feeling unprepared
  • Feeling unsafe ​
  • Difficulty understanding assignments
  • Needing accommodations to complete your assignments

Field Instructor

  • Relationship with the field instructor
  • Inconsistent or not enough supervision
  • Not getting feedback
  • Your work not being observed
  • Not getting support with your assignments
  • Agency politics

Personal 

  • Life crises involving your family members
  • Illness
  • Major life events 
  • Financial issues
  • Academic issues
  • Vacation schedules

Other

  • Getting sick or injured at your field placement
  • Being asked to participate in an investigation by the agency or outside authorities
Sources: Bogo (2018); Glassman (2016); Kanno & Koeske (2010); Ting (2010); Zeff, Kaersvang, & Raskin (2016).

Where to Seek Help

Your School

Field Education

Accessibility Accommodations

Your Field Instructor
Your Informal Support Network
Family & Friends
Other Professionals
Medical professionals & attorneys

Asking for help is hard.

But it is one of the most important skills for social workers.

Contact

Consulting