Nikhil Kulkarni’s Post

Welcome to my series called Breaking The Myths! Last week I started the topic of trying to explain what Social Workers do or what type of careers Social Workers can have based on the questions I get asked or hear people asking. I will start off with a disclaimer each time I present you with some information...DISCLAIMER: I am a Social Work student, and my goal is to share information to hopefully spark some positive conversations and shed light on the wonderful field of Social Work! Today, I have selected the career of School Social Worker. According to the National Association of Social Workers, a School Social Worker "acts as a connection for school, home and community services to help children with emotional, developmental and educational needs. School Social Workers help students address troubles that could interfere with their learning." If you know a School Social Worker, engage in conversation to learn more about the important role they play within our education system. If you are a School Social Worker, and you are seeing this post, please share with everyone some of your daily duties and the things you enjoy about your work. Breaking The Myths begins with awareness and education.

As Labor Day nears, I contemplate the shift from summer relaxation to a purpose-driven outlook. My commitment lies in engaging in endeavors that provide satisfaction and generate a meaningful influence. Whether it's guiding careers, fostering networks, leveraging private equity affiliations for business growth, or aiding new graduates, extending support is at the core of my objectives. Embracing self-care and emphasizing personal welfare have emerged as vital lessons for me. #CareerDevelopment #GivingBack #SelfCare #Innovation

"You're not going to make a lot of money"; "social workers only work in public welfare or child welfare"; "social workers take children away from their families", etc... If you're a social worker or plan on becoming one, you most likely heard these common misconceptions at some point. So, I wanted to make this post in honor of Social Work Month. When people ask me what I do, it always ends up turning into a 15-minute conversation educating people about social work and what you can do. It leaves people surprised, EVERY TIME. Social work is a GREAT career choice with endless opportunities to pursue and growth. We're talking Medical social work, Mental health social work, Forensic social work, Geriatrics social work, School social work, Academic advisors and Career counselors, Clinicians, Psychotherapists, Community organizers, Advocates, and the list goes on. So, next time someone asks, "what do social workers do?" say "what do social workers NOT do?" Social workers MUST complete a certain amount of internship hours, pursue higher education, become licensed within their state, accrue clinical hours for years, and take additional exams to ULTIMATELY practice social work. Many social workers go on to pursue their PhD or Doctorate. The profession has come a long way and will continue to gain its recognition. Happy social work month to this WONDERFUL profession and to all the amazing social workers out there. I wouldn't choose any other profession to be in. ❤️ What are some misconceptions you've heard? #socialwork #socialworkmonth

Starting August 1,2024 , TCG Welfare Society is thrilled to start a weekly workshop series designed to help students develop important skills like life skills, creative arts, research and analytical skills, critical thinking, and creative writing. These workshops are all about giving young learners the tools they need to thrive in school and beyond. In our life skills sessions, we'll focus on improving communication, leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making. These are essential skills that will help students become more effective communicators and leaders. Our creative arts workshops will let students explore different art forms and performing arts, fostering creativity and building confidence. For those interested in research and analytical skills, we’ll guide students through small research projects and teach them how to analyze data. These sessions will help them understand how to gather, interpret, and make sense of information. Our critical thinking workshops will include debates, discussions, and logic exercises, encouraging students to think critically and form well-rounded opinions. Meanwhile, creative writing sessions will help students craft compelling stories, essays, and poems, with the best works being published in our annual magazine. These skills are crucial for academic success, career readiness, and personal growth. By learning them early on, students will be better prepared to face future challenges and seize opportunities. Our goal is to create a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success, enabling students to navigate obstacles, innovate, and contribute positively to society. We’re excited to see our students grow through this workshop and can’t wait to share their achievements with the community. The workshop will be divided into four session.  1. Life skills  2. Creative arts 3. Research and analytical skills  4. Critical thinking and creative writing ..........Thanks for Reading........

Attention to detail matters 🧐 Delving into the world of children's commissioning within social care can often feel like navigating an intricate maze. The complexity in ensuring local authorities efficiently allocate resources to safeguard vulnerable children is no small feat. It's a world where every decision echoes through the lives of youngsters, families, and communities. For job hunters eager to make a tangible impact, this sector brings both formidable challenges and profound rewards. As you pursue a role in children's commissioning, remember you're not just seeking a job. You're stepping towards a mission that requires a unique blend of empathy, strategy, and an unwavering commitment to child welfare. It's about connecting dots; it's about weaving safety nets so tight that no child slips through. Whether you're just starting out or coming with years of experience, you are the lynchpin in an evolving narrative of hope and resilience. Your path might lead you through the doors of local authorities or have you collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams. Either way, your impact ripples out into tomorrow's society. It's about more than qualifications; it's about the drive to protect and uplift every child's potential. To all job seekers: Embrace the journey, and let's reimagine children's social care together. Because every child deserves a champion - could that be you? #ChildrensCommissioning #SocialCare #JobSeeking

⚖️ 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀! 🌟 Did you know… restorative practices extend far beyond crime and justice? They're powerful tools for healing and building connections in various areas of our lives. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲: 🏫 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀: Resolving student-teacher, student-student, or even staff-administration conflicts. 💼 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀: Resolving team conflicts and promoting a positive culture. 🏘️ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: Resolving disputes and fostering harmony. 👨👩👧👦 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀: Addressing conflicts and misunderstandings. 🚸 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Creating a restorative environment. 🛡️ 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Shifting from punitive to understanding. 🌍 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: Assisting in rehabilitation and reintegration. 🚨 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲: Facilitating healing after traumatic events. 👶 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲: Promoting healing and understanding within families involved with child welfare systems. 𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀! 💙 #RestorativePractices #CommunityBuilding #HealingTogether #restorativemediation

A fruitful partnership with our team at #MacquarieLodge Retirement Village and Northcott. Assisting our Village's Maintenance team take care of the Village's grounds, Northcott customers helped the team with a variety of tasks whilst learning what it could be like to work in this field. Josh, Northcott's NEXT Work & Study Service Coordinator is working on a project at Northcott where they help their customers learn about different employment pathways across different organisations, which led to this partnership. Josh notes that projects such as this can be beneficial to Northcott customers in allowing them to build employment-based skills. “It’s very different to unpaid work. It's specifically framed for them to build skillsets,” he states. “The idea is for them to just get out and try something different that they haven't done before, but at the same time build work-ready skills. So that includes more than just the work itself, but also being on time.” Read more about the project at the link below. #agedcare #salvosagedcare #TheSalvationArmy #agedcareaustralia

Amendment #275 An Act relative to Social Work Uplifting Practices and Exam Removal (The SUPER Act) was filed by Rep.Kushmerek in the House Economic Development Bill. Please advocate for the SUPER Act's inclusion in the final version of the House bill by contacting your State Rep. The three components are: Removes the licensing exam requirement for master’s level social workers at the non-clinical level, known as the Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW). Several other states have already done this, including Rhode Island and Connecticut. Rhode Island saw a 160% increase in new master’s level social workers being licensed after removing the exam requirement. This has no cost to the state of Massachusetts. Creates a grant program for master’s level social workers who would apply to receive stipends to support their field placement hours. Field placement is a mandatory requirement of social work education and is almost always unpaid. The state allocated $25 million in federal funds in the FY24 budget (Behavioral Health Trust Fund) to support field placement stipends for behavioral health professionals, which could be used for this purpose. Allows Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW) to receive continuing education credits for providing supervision to LCSWs and MSW and BSW interns. Several states allow this already at no cost to the state. Can you take a few minutes to advocate on behalf of social workers?

This past Saturday, I had the incredible opportunity to attend Dwayne Morgan, OOnt's 24th annual "When Sisters Speak" event, where I had the pleasure of reconnecting with the inspiring Cheyanne T. Ratnam. I first crossed paths with Cheyanne back in Fall of 2019 during the beginning of my master's program, in a social policy course, facilitated by Kaitlin Schwan, PhD, where Cheyanne graciously shared her journey as a BIPOC woman navigating the complexities of the child welfare system and how she has been dismantling it. Her presence was nothing short of mesmerizing, reminding me and my colleagues about the power within us to overcome barriers and pursue our dreams relentlessly. As a beacon of resilience and determination, Cheyanne continues to break down barriers, paving the way for soon-to-be new grads such as myself to engage in vital community-based work and advocate for social justice on mezzo and macro levels of systemic change. As I reflect on her impactful words from that course, I do recall us having an amazing discussion on the intersectionality of children’s rights and the urgent need for anti-oppressive practices within child welfare. As someone who nearly became entangled in the system myself, graduating now and facing it head-on, I'm compelled to ask crucial questions to professionals in this field, about DEI in child welfare: 1. Why do we persist in employing antiquated governmental processes that we know perpetuate racism, within the policy? 2. How will we ensure accountability and transparency in child welfare, particularly concerning social work ethics, social work education, and social work practice? 3. How can we encourage financial resources from various types of systems (e.g. child welfare, healthcare, and education) to form strategic alliances with each other in a way that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), while also proactively increasing organizational assets (e.g. human capital like promoting BIPOC and neurodivergent workers into management) and accessibility? These inquiries aim to also create connections within cultural safety, interprofessional frameworks, and the discipline of future generations in the field of social work. Let us draw inspiration from Cheyanne's unwavering resilience and commitment to dismantling systemic barriers. Together, we can strive for a future where every individual, regardless of background, can thrive in a society rooted in equity and compassion. #SocialJustice #CommunityEngagement #DEI #ChildWelfare #Inspiration #changemakers #innovation #research

After working in the student welfare department for five years, I've come to the conclusion that a student's transition (Those initial 30 days) from high school to college is one of the most important and critical times in their life. They can do great things if this time is used carefully but this transition comes along with some obvious challenges. First of all, compared to high school, the academic burden at college is usually more and more challenging. It's possible for students to struggle with time management, meeting deadlines, and adjusting to increased expectations. Furthermore, college students' newly acquired independence can be daunting since they have to make significant choices that affect their personal lives, academic performance, and general well-being. Self-discipline and time management issues could arise as a result of this independence, but one can successfully adjust with the appropriate attitude and coping mechanisms. The one may successfully navigate the change and make the most of its college experience by psychologically preparing, employing time management strategies, getting assistance, and placing a high priority on self-care. #studentwelfare #students #university