Promote an atmosphere of tolerance so that people do not ever have to question if their natural feelings are justified. When working with clients that present issues that go against our personal beliefs, we have to remember that it is not our job to extend our beliefs to them, but to help them find a way to cope with whatever dilemmas they are having. On the contrary, practitioners should maintain a willingness to interact with persons of all faiths and cultural backgrounds. The variety and prevalence of modern-day trauma means that workers must remain current on the issues in society and be capable of guiding its inhabitants in the direction of physical and/or emotional relief. It is mandatory that mental health professionals be familiar with resources and information for people in need. For people to overcome their prejudices, it is essential that they learn how to not allow their limits in perspective to make them challenge a person’s right to fair treatment. This is especially true if work is being done with families in order to make sure the system and its functioning are not jeopardizing. At the macro level, funding should always be available for the physical supplies, technology, and staffing for the growing population. Discriminatory attitudes slow down the job of practitioners in this era. Regardless of your beliefs on what you think they deserve, have some compassion and do not deny them equal treatment just because they are different. Location should not be a reason for a person to not have access to resources and as social workers, it is our job to make our presence known everywhere, striving to make sure that the causes of all people are known (Zastrow Kirst-Ashman, 2016) The measurable evidence of success will be the securing of legal policies that ensure that access to all members of society. For those we serve, the decrease in instances of homelessness, suicide, and mental issues due to bigotry and rejection will prove that workers have truly been effective (Ryan, 2009). References
Ryan, C. (2009). Supportive families, healthy children: Helping families with lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender children. San Francisco, CA: Family Acceptance Project, Marian Wright Edelman Institute, San Francisco State University. Retrieved from: http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/publications.
The Trevor Project. (2016). Glossary. Retrieved from http://www.thetrevorproject.org/pages/glossary#
Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2016). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning
