SOCIAL WORK IN A CHANGING WORLD
LANGUAGE MATTERS
I
’ ve always enjoyed working with people , and I love being a social worker for the simple reason of being able to work with so many different people and provide a moment of hope for someone . Social work has many challenges but the days that give me a buzz and the feeling of ‘ that ’ s why I do my job !’ are the days I work through all the challenges of failing systems , organisational limitations and feeling helpless in not being able to make everything better for someone .
I work with adults who use substances , supporting them to go to rehab , and I oversee the work my colleagues do in keeping our clients and others safe . I see the impact my role can have on
In the latest in our social work series , Jennifer Prikockis explores the impact of language on people who access services
those using substances when they want to go to rehab , and I recognise how rehab can be the ‘ last resort ’ for many people who are in a cycle of behaviour . I can see how important this opportunity is to our clients , and what it means to them .
The language we use , and our understanding of social work within the substance use sector , matters a lot to me . Using terminology such as ‘ substance misuse ’ or ‘ abuse ’ indicates that a person is doing something wrong . Most people don ’ t start using substances to develop a problem – they use to help with physical and emotional discomfort , to block out trauma , even to sleep .
Someone once said to me that alcohol has been a good friend to them – it ’ s been there for them when needed and allowed them to drink their days away , avoiding the thoughts they desperately didn ’ t want to have . In the same moment , they said they ’ re ready to embrace a new way of thinking and a fresh approach . They shared that their experience of being supported has given them hope – I don ’ t see that person ’ s experience as something ‘ wrong ’, but something they recognise they want to change . I feel honoured to be a small part of that change .
The language that has an impact on those who access our services can also include something as simple as me being introduced as a ‘ social worker ’. Many times a person has disengaged because they ’ ve heard this – it ’ s something that can bring up triggers , possibly as a result of them being in the care system themselves , having their children removed from their care , or other reasons . To me , building a relationship is key in contributing positively to someone ’ s recovery , and while I celebrate social work I can also understand that for some the term ‘ social work ’ can be sensitive . I wonder what simple words we can change to make accessing support a little bit easier for someone .
Working in the substance use sector provides autonomy and that ’ s a great opportunity for being creative , thinking outside the box and learning about the person we ’ re working with . One approach doesn ’ t work for everyone and having the autonomy when working with a person to find their own path is why I love working in this sector . Jennifer Prikockis is a senior social worker at Change Grow Live
LETTERS AND COMMENT
HOPES FOR THE FUTURE
I read ‘ My road , my choice ’ ( DDN , June , p22 ) and would like to say that from my point of view , as a parent , it was encouraging to see physically how the future might look for a practising substance user and in some cases those in recovery . There was a vibrancy , a sense of hope , of optimism , of shared goals and ambitions , of progress in the public arena , of ground gained in service provision , of acceptance by those with fingers on budgeting agendas , policy makers , influencers ...
In my opinion , it is never a good idea to take a foot off the pedal once momentum has been gained . It ’ s that thing about overcoming initial inertia . I hope the DDN initiative continues to thrive and grow . Jenepher Parry Davies ( Simon ’ s mum – may his dearest soul rest in peace .)
WISHFUL THINKING
Like a lot of people in the sector I ’ ve been a strong supporter of minimum unit pricing ( MUP ) for alcohol since its inception . I see the devastating effects that alcohol can have on a daily basis , and I support any moves to try and address that – pricing and tax mechanisms , restrictions on marketing , and crucially , better-funded , more accessible treatment .
So I followed the endless saga of the Scottish Government attempting to implement it despite the drinks industry ’ s repeated attempts to block it , and was pleased when it was finally put in place . But the hard truth is that MUP doesn ’ t appear to have worked . As with almost anything these days , it ’ s virtually impossible to get the facts by reading one section of the press .
In the right-leaning media , it ’ s simply repressive nanny state legislation designed to thwart our personal freedoms , and in the left-leaning media it ’ s a progressive policy that ’ s saved hundreds of lives . Except that doesn ’ t seem to be the case .
When Tory MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane said that Public Health Scotland ’ s final report into MSP had ‘ overstated ’ its impact , campaigners were quick to protest – but it does seem that he had a point .
Scottish alcohol deaths are at a fifteen-year high , and simply saying ‘ they would have been higher without MUP – just look
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at England ’ doesn ’ t seem all that scientific to me – especially as England ’ s latest figures aren ’ t even out yet . Campaigners may well be right when they say the 50p rate hasn ’ t kept pace with inflation and should be higher , but even the staunchest defenders of MUP acknowledge that it ’ s had precious little effect on dependent drinkers – some of whom have simply chosen to spend less on food . I , like a lot of people , wanted MUP to work . But it does no one any good to simply pretend that it has , when the evidence clearly suggests otherwise . Stephen Elliot , by email
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