IGASENG Education

Mental Health Continuing Education: Social Work

When it comes to social workers, mental health continuing education is a must. For many professionals, it is required to remain licensed and employed. But even for those who are not required by law to maintain CEUs, it is a good idea to find accredited institutions that provide additional training beyond graduation. Social workers must remain up to date on the latest theories and research in the field in order to maintain effectiveness with their clients. Social work itself covers a broad spectrum. Some work in the public sector, helping those who are facing addictions and mental illness. Some work as advocates in the legal system. Whatever your primary goal is, however, furthering your study is never a hindrance.

Though it depends on where you work and in what respect you are employed, most social workers have at least a Bachelor’s degree in their chosen field (usually some form of soft science such as psychology or sociology). These days, especially with a tight, competitive job market, it is becoming more and more common to see a Masters degree as an entry-level requirement for employment. After achieving their degree, the aspiring social worker will likely have to take the Association of Social Work Boards exam in order to become licensed. Each state has different requirements as it pertains to what is a passing grade. A candidate may retake the exam as many times as needed to pass.

Anyone interested in mental health continuing education should avail themselves of the necessary requirements by their state and local governing boards. This can make a big difference when it comes to where you can further your training. Depending on where you live and how far you want to progress in your work, you can choose to simply meet ongoing standards for education or you can move on and obtain an advanced degree in your field of study. Some government and private institutions will put a lot of weight on advanced degrees and some will not. Few places will hold it against you, however. At the same time, this doesn’t necessarily make it the right choice. Going back to school can be expensive, so you have to weight the potential increase in earnings against the loans you may have to take out.

There has never been an easier time for a social worker to keep up to date with their mental health continuing education requirements. Online opportunities abound, along with those in the traditional channels.

Your Students’ Beliefs and How They Influence Learning

When an adult enters a classroom, whether it is a traditional, corporate, or online classroom, a factor that can have a direct impact on their level of involvement in that class is their beliefs. Facilitation of the adult learning process may be more effective if the power of these beliefs is better understood. An adult’s beliefs can include what they hold as truth about their ability and their potential to learn. These beliefs may be subconsciously held and consciously recognized, formed through a process of ongoing interactions and prior experiences. Adults often seek confirmation of these beliefs, rather than question why they believe what they do, which in turn may determine the actions taken in the classroom, including the time, energy, and effort they devote to the process of learning.

How can an instructor directly influence, guide, and help shape the adult’s beliefs, especially if they do not have a positive attitude about their capabilities? This can be accomplished by helping the adult learner discover that they have a greater capacity to learn. An instructor who effectively guides the adult learner may shape their beliefs by engaging them in the process of learning, by encouraging their efforts and attempts to participate, and finding resources that help to meet their developmental needs. In contrast, an instructor is likely to find that simply telling the adult learner they must become an active participant is a less effective approach than one that involves guiding them through the process. The adult learner is self-directed by nature and they often come to the classroom with specific needs, which are influenced by their beliefs about what they are capable of doing.

Changing a belief system, especially one that has been held for a long period of time, may not happen overnight or within a short period of time. It is the accumulation of positive experiences and meaningful interactions that can change the adult’s beliefs in the long run. A facilitator who encourages self-discovery and reminds the adult that they have a greater capacity to learn will likely find this approach is much more effective in shaping their beliefs than demanding participation in the learning process. An adult is more likely to be engaged in the class if they believe they can learn and that it will meet their needs. This is an example of the power that beliefs can hold for the process of adult learning.

Adult Education Instructor

Hello, I work in the adult education industry teaching English and literature to adults who want to better their chances at a good job. My clientele, because of the nature of my profession and my location (Los Angeles, California), means that I have a great deal of students who have just become a part of this country, and so speaking Spanish as well as English (And some Chinese) is an absolute must. I have 15 years of experience at this work, and if I had to describe myself in only three adjectives, they would be “patient,” “thoughtful,” and “curious.” I hope that I do not do myself a disservice by bragging about character traits that are actually less developed within myself than I myself may see them.

I am of full Mexican descent, which seems to help me in my profession at this particular location, because many of my students are Mexican, so I can not only understand them linguistially, but culturally as well. Knowing the slang cuts through a lot of the learning curve of translating Spanish based things into English based things. English is one of the slangiest languages in the world. I am male, which I don’t know if that helps or hurts. I know that being male is less productive than being a – beautiful – woman. It has been proven that people of both genders listen to beautiful women more frequently and with more intensity than anyone else. I have experienced what I perceived as slight discrimination against me because of my race and culture, as in I was passed over for a promotion. A much less experienced person got it, even though I was definitely the favorite among staff and students.

I would describe what I do as teaching the nuances of the English language and also important books to my students – things that will be relevant for them to communicate with employers to find work. The most common misconception about what I do is that it is dry and boring and literal. I deal mostly with psychology – both the psychology of my students and of the employers that they will face. I teach Rocky movies as well as Shakespeare. Why? Many employers in blue collar professions can relate to Rocky. I teach them how Rocky’s broken English is sometimes more influential than perfect English. It’s in the communication, not the perfection of linguistics.

I have a high job satisfaction now; I would put it at a 10. As you can imagine, my teaching techniques were not quite the most orthodox, and so faculty fought them on occasion when I first started. However, my theories about the psychology of people have proven to be very close to correct in many cases. I have helped people get work. I am proud of that.

This job absolutely moves my heart, because I can see the work that I do and the positive impact. I have letters from people that I have taught who say that they have the money now to take care of family members and bring their children over so that they can be with them again. I can not imagine a better job. And I am good at it, so I have definitely found my sweet spot in life.

I suppose that something unique that readers should know about me is that I was thought retarded when I was born because I took an incredibly long time to speak as a child. When I did, I spoke in sentences that many people could not understand. I was ridiculed as a child because I often spoke in analogies rather than straightforward. However, these are things that all help me as a linguistics teacher.

I got started in this line of work by falling in love with one of my teachers, actually. The whole thing above about beautiful women? Well, my 8th grade English teacher was incredibly lovely, as well as incredibly learned. I had a crush on her, well, I think I still may have a crush on her. I won’t say her name because I don’t want to get in trouble from her husband! He even knew that I was in love with her back then! I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher after that – to instill the same feelings in others that she had in me. Not love necessarily, but the intensity with which I studies and the amount of information I was able to take in that year – incredible. No one made fun of my language skills after that, because she not only taught me linguistics, but she taught me how to communicate with people.

In the working world, there are many things that you will have to deal with that have nothing to do with your mission at your work. However, others will make these things seem superlatively important. And they probably are – to them. However, what I have found is that most people tend to try to project their weaknesses and their inability to do their own work onto you. Do not let them. Do your job the best you can, and no matter how much you want to help someone else, trust that the best way to help them (even if it is a boss) is to let them help themselves. Always stay true to your unique mission and never doubt your ability to complete it.