While professional development is undoubtedly important in any field, it is of particular and utmost significance for human services professionals. Since they have first-hand work experience with different groups of the society, they have the expertise and knowledge to become agents and advocates of social change. I have personally selected the following steps to take for my professional development.
First of all, I believe that a systematic and comprehensive approach is the necessary foundation for any advocacy work. Clearly, there is no definite answer as to how advocacy should be carried out, but I consider systematization and organization to be important. In order to do so, I will make sure to rely on the most up-to-date available research in the field. Smith, Reynolds, and Rovnak (2009) posit that, for social advocacy to be effective, it needs to be aligned with the identified best practices (p. 490). They also note that a conscious and deliberate approach to social advocacy is required from the movement’s participants so that their actions are mindful and purposeful. For me, their research yields two implications. First of all, I will make sure to become part of a professional association, so I can both benefit from and contribute to the accumulation of the field-related knowledge. Secondly, I will develop a set of goals and self-assessment rubrics so that my advocacy is goal-oriented and result-driven.
The second issue in the field of advocacy that is of particular relevance to me is the participation and initiative required from the change agents to benefit the underprivileged social groups. A study carried out by Grogan and Gusmano (2007) revealed that social advocates, invited to discuss, among other things, the access to mainstream health services by the poor, chose not to bring up the issue as they believed for the discussion to be fruitless. While I understand that some efforts will not produce any – at least immediate – results, I consider such an approach to be fundamentally flawed. Discussion alone can have a significant impact in transforming public opinions or changing the direction of the argument (Grogan & Gusmano, 2007, p. 152). Thus, as an agent of and advocate for social change, I have identified a professional development goal: proactively searching for platforms to voice my opinion, even if I may not be able to see an immediate result of my actions.
Finally, the professionals in our field have a special responsibility when it comes to working with culturally diverse social groups, as well as promoting their rights and disseminating culture-specific knowledge in the society (Constantine, Hage, Kindaichi & Bryant, 2007, p. 28). In order to make sure that my work is beneficial to different cultural and ethnical groups, I am going to undertake the following professional development steps. First of all, I will seek for and explore the opportunities for enhancing my cultural knowledge through readings, online classes, and other available trusted sources. I also plan to engage in service-learning programs as they have been identified as valuable learning mechanisms (Constantine et al., 2007, p. 27). I would also like to consider and evaluate my values, decision-making practices, past experiences, and other personality traits as to identify potential problems that may hinder my future work.
Based on the readings that we have covered in class, I believe that these professional development steps are of particular importance to me. Improving my skills and knowledge in these areas will help me become a more effective social change agent, leader, and advocate.
References
Constantine, M. G., Hage, S. M., Kindaichi, M. M., & Bryant, R. M. (2007). Social justice and multicultural issues: Implications for the practice and training of counselors and counseling psychologists. Journal of Counseling and Development, 85(1), 24–29.
Grogan, C. M., & Gusmano, M. K. (2007). The voice of advocates in health care policymaking for the poor. Social Work in Public Health, 23(4), 127–156.
Smith, S. D., Reynolds, C. A., & Rovnak, A. (2009). A critical analysis of the social advocacy movement in counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development, 87(4), 483–491.