Introduction
My current place of work is First Home Care, the place where children at risk, adults, and their families can find support, necessary education, training, and treatment. At this moment, I have to work with adults who suffer from autism and require special treatment and care. One of the main values of our organization is to respect clients and create natural settings for living close to their families. In fact, I find this value similar to those core values defined by Saint Leo University.
I have already learned about the importance of educational excellence, integrity, community, and personal development. Now, I have a chance to find a practical application to my theoretical knowledge. Working with autistic people, I have to deal with poorly developed social skills, inappropriate communication, and verbal complications, and my task is not to accept them as a challenge, but as an opportunity to help, choose the best treatment options, and facilitate someone’s life.
Main body
During the last several weeks, my field of work included depression and suicide among autistic adults. I had to work with two clients and observe two different cases on how this mental disorder can change human life. The first client faced certain difficulties in the development of his social skills. He was not ready for appropriate conversations and had to keep his volume down. My task was to understand what made him comfortable and when my cooperation could be required. Sometimes, it was hard to choose the right period and achieve the desired results. In addition, I have to admit that people who do not talk much are at high risk of depression and suicide because it is not always possible to understand what they have in mind and what decisions they can make.
The experience with another client helped me recognize the major complications of poorly developed verbal skills. Though he could say some words, it was clear that the person was not eager to talk. He just did not like talking.
Therefore, as a professional caregiver, I had to encourage him to use some words and stay open to the world around him. It was not enough to ask questions and demand answers. The client has to experience support and respect that are the main values of Saint Leo University, as well as First Home Care. I cannot neglect this point but try to do my best to talk clearly and slowly because of his tendency to run people over.
The final detail of my practice is a community. As well as the representatives of Saint Leo University who have to promote a spirit of belonging, the workers of First Home Care aim at providing services in the way clients can remain in communities. A community is a place when unity and mutual support guide people even if they do not have such a goal. A community is a symbolic home for millions of people. To support community development, social workers like me have to understand their responsibilities and support all people who want to be a part of this community.
Conclusion
In general, my current practice shows a number of interesting aspects of care for autistic people and those who suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts. I have learned how to develop communication even with people who do not like talking.
The only concern I have in mind at this moment is that not all social workers find it necessary to communicate with those who do want to do it. Is it obligatory to develop a new standard or core value in terms of which social workers and other stakeholders can get an idea of how to help people through communication and what steps are desirable in achieving positive outcomes? I believe that such improvement is an important step for First Home Care and other facilities with the same goals.