Shantel Brown
Professional Essay
I am Shantel Brown, currently 24 years of age. I am the oldest of four siblings. We were cared for by a single parent. I was born and raised in the Brooklyn, New York. I am a member of a 5 living generation family. Currently I am attending New York City College of Technology. I’m pursuing a Bachelor degree in Human Service. After completion of my bachelors degree, I look forward to completing my Masters degree as well. My career goal is to obtain a career within child welfare that protects children from the abuse and neglect by helping to stabilize families and restoring their level of functioning.
It was the story of Nixzmary Brown that influenced me to become a Human Service worker. Brown, who lived in my Brooklyn neighborhood, was only seven years old when she had been bound, beaten, molested and killed by her parents. What saddens me the most about this case is the fact that the Administration for Children Service (ACS) received two complaints prior to Brown’s death. This was one of many incidents in which an ACS caseworker failed to protect a child from preventable mortality. Shortly after reading and hearing about this case I decided that instead of sitting around feeling sorry for Brown, I would play my part in preventing or protecting children from similar predicaments in the future.
I have several personal as well as professional strengths that will enhance my effectiveness for professional practice. One of my main personal strengths is my ability to communicate with people on a personal level, without being judgmental. Because I am non-judgmental I find that people trust me and begin to freely open up and express their personal issues. This personal attribute will allow me to effectively assist clients in a professional manner. It also provides me with the mind frame necessary to work effectively in this diverse field. Since I come from a poverty stricken community I will be able to understand and identify the situations that stem from poverty. When working in a professional field such as human service, it’s very important to understand the ecological factors that impose upon the person in the environment.
A great professional quality that I can always count on is my ability to work well with others. In a practice setting I will work as a member of the team and collaborate with others to advocate for my clients. Being able to communicate and respond in a professional manner at all times will be necessary in order to get the job done and be effective. Growing up in a single parent house hold, the oldest of four siblings and eventually becoming a single parent myself, taught me the leadership skills that I will be able to transfer into professional practice. My life experiences have also taught me how to overcome daunting challenges through critical thinking and improvising. I understand that determination and receptivity to learning from experiences are a key factor in accomplishing any goal or task. The human service field requires a potential to deal with many different task and obstacles. It takes a skilled person to knock down the barriers which often arise, preventing people from getting the help they need.
The client population I would like to work with is children. My first choice is to work with the Administration for Children Services (ACS), in the division of child protection. I truly believe that if I can save children from abuse and neglect it will them the deserved opportunity to thrive and become the productive citizens the country in the future. Preventable child fatalities will be an area that I want to address first as a frontline worker. Some of these children are killed by their families; and the ones that make it out alive with post-traumatic stress disorders for the rest of their lives. Our children deserve better as they represent our common future.
Working with this population requires more than adequate assessment skills and sensitivity. Extracting information is the key component to understanding the issues within the family, which is necessary in order to help. Effective communication skills are also very important. When confronting families with allegations of abuse and neglect already, hostile situations may occur. However, a child protective specialist must communicate in a manner to keep the situation under control without compromising child safety, which requires removal to avoid immediate danger. The risk factor also needs to be taken into account.
I have been studying child psychology, which helps me understand the mind and behavior of children from prenatal development through adolescence. Child psychology doesn’t only deal with how children grow physically; but also with their mental, emotional and social development. I’ve also been studying counseling and its different dynamics. As a counselor you learn the provision of assistance and guidance that facilitate personal and interpersonal functioning across the life span with a focus on emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental, and organizational concerns. Counseling psychology is unique in its attention both to normal developmental issues and to problems associated with physical, emotional, and mental disorders. Counseling is a key asset when it comes to nursing a child or family through crisis situations. Appropriate counseling can and does help a person cope with the issues caused by the abuse they undergo.
From the time of graduation to ten years following, I envision my career path to be very successful. My plan is to work diligently on becoming a great child protection worker. I intend to learn to the greatest extent, every aspect of my jobs duties and requirements. After gaining the knowledge and skills required, I expect to achieve career mobility. After about 5 to 7 years while continuing my career, I look forward to begin starting my own organization that lends services to people in my community and enables me to contribute to my community.
The profession of human service has many different meanings and components. It requires multiple skills in order to work effectively and efficiently to service the clients. As the demand for this profession grows it is constantly expanding its scope. Having the right skills and knowledge as a human service worker can make great change all over the world. For that very reason, I will be honored to work as a human service professional and meet the daunting challenges of this field.
