According to the code of ethics for Human Service Professionals, standards in ethical and professional decision making should be followed while practicing in the field. Under the “Responsibility to self” section of the code of ethics, discusses the commitment and value of lifelong learning. STANDARD 36 “Human service professionals hold a commitment to lifelong learning and continually advance their knowledge and skills to serve clients more effectively.”

Since the Human Service Profession, was created in response to the area of human needs and human issues, it will change and there will always be a need of learning and updating skills. We cannot predict new issues that will arise. For example: Katrina disaster was a major natural disaster that affected people needs and the human service professionals had to be re-trained in order to address the needs of the victims. The responsibility to the profession, one should constantly keep skills, techniques and approached relevant to the issues of people. It is the responsibility of the individual to seek current guidelines and knowledge to better serve the needs of people.

After graduation, I hope to attend the Social Work Master’s Program at Hunter College. Since I would like to be a Social Worker, this program will help me get a better understanding of the profession. The different courses in the curriculum concentrates on the social welfare policies, social work administration, field work and a host of other graduate courses. I will be interning on a graduate level which will give me more experience in the field. I will be working with clients on a graduate level compare to current undergraduate level. I would also like to take the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy certificate program which will help me to become a Trauma-Focused Cognitive therapist. Since I would like to help domestic violence victims and they experience trauma.

I will benefit by continuing my education as a social worker, since this is a learning field. In order to become a social worker, you must obtain you Master’s Degree and get your social work license. I will have to become certified in order to practice in this field. The more credentials and experience in the field will help me to further my career. When applying for a job, I can list all the courses and certificates that I obtained during my learning stages. The more education will also help you to gain more knowledge and network in the field. Internships are designated to ensure learning and experience in the field and possible future employment. While in the learning phase I’m sure I will go through challenges with clients and using the correct approach to help them.