Did Sheriff Go Too Far By Calling Himself a Social Worker?
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.
In this recent Los Angeles Times article Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca called himself a social worker because he advocates for the mentally ill in jail, the homeless, and on other social issues.
“I’m not ‘sort of a’ social worker, I am a social worker,” he said. “Helping people to be the best they can be keeps (the public) safe.”
Which leads to our SocialWorkersSpeak.org question:
Q: Are you flattered Baca considers himself a social worker? Or should the title be reserved for those who have earned it through formal education and training?
UPDATE: SocialWorkersSpeak.org contacted Los Angeles Times reporter Patt Morrison about running a letter to the editor to respond to Sheriff Paca’s comments. We were beat to the punch. The paper published a great response from social worker Robin Wilkes. Here is a link to the letter: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/
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“I help take care of kids in the office when they hurt themselves. I’m not kind of a doctor, I am a doctor.” I appreciate the work this guy is apparently doing, but this kind of line wouldn’t fly with any other profession.
A person can call him / herself a SOCIAL WORKER when the individual has completed the training, earned the degree – Master of Social Work (MSW), and is in practice as well. … I think that the title of a “Social Worker” is earned when there is a combination of the latter.
I agree. I don’t think he would appreciate neighborhood watch members calling themselves a sheriff.
Not sure I am in a place to comment on anyone’s/others’ experiences. I was a public social services “social worker” some years ago – and I saw the need to take two years from earning capacity, lose my “place” in the career track/seniority and pay increases, pay my tuition and other costs and earn a Social Work degree. Haven’t regretted my decision as there is so much to learn to become a professional Social Worker.
My “afterthoughts” are that I surely appreciate what caring people, not educated as social workers, do to make this a better world, however I am so appreciative of how my social work education has helped me to set appropriate boundaries, to be intentional in use of self and to respect others’ self determination. I encourage others to get social work training/education to be referred to as social workers – otherwise they are great volunteers.
You cannot give yourself the title of “Social Worker” without a license. Regardless of what level of education you have, you must at least hold a license. I too am glad that there are people outside of the profession of social work who are helping others but I’m sorry, that alone doesn’t give you the right to label yourself using a title that everyone else had to earn.
I must have missed something, did he call himself an MSW? There is a difference between an MSW and the rest of the professionals who do “social work.” I was a paid to be a “Social Worker” with a County agency yet I did not have an MSW. Does that mean I cannot call myself a social worker because I don’t have an MSW? The County called me one and paid me as such.
I am not discounting all the time, energy, and effort MSW’s put in to earning their title, but other people do “social work” besides MSW’s.
Actually, Ashley, you can. Legally. In PA, you can’t say you are a licensed social worker, but you can be a person with no degree in social work and have a job where you are titled a social worker.
We need to fight harder for title protection.
It’s nice that he advocates for people that need it, however it shows how much work is still necessary for our profession to be considered legitimate. I’m sure the sheriff would not have referred to himself as a physician, since the general public is aware that you have to be licensed to be one. I’m concerned that the general public has no idea what clinical skills are necessary in our profession. They still see us as “do gooders” and bleeding heart liberals. Although I confess to being a bleeding heart liberal, I understand the skills necessary to helping people. I am concerned that someone lacking the clinical skills will “do harm” to people that need help. We all know about “do no harm” and “self determination” as essential to the practice of our profession. I hope the sheriff has back up licensed social workers who take the reigns when his (actual) job is done.
He can call himself a social working with a degree from an accredited social work program AND a commitment to our code of ethics. Otherwise, he is a good citizen. Valuable, but different.
I absolutely agree. People automatically ASSUME that “oh you’re the type who take our kids away” or what exactly do you do? Everyone loosely uses the term Social Worker.
A MSW isn’t required to be a social worker, but some kind of professional training in the ethics and practice of social work are! In MA, folks can be licensed at the social work assistant and LSW levels with a BSW, no master’s required. I’m proud to call myself a social worker, and in doing so, represent a long tradition of professionals with the skills and yes, training necessary to earn that title. Licensed psychologists perform many of the same functions that the sheriff mentioned, but he didn’t call himself a psychologist, because psychologists are afforded a higher level of professional respect and title protection than we are as social workers.
My cell phone has an app that flashes red and blue lights. I like to pull people over because they are endangering others. I am not like a sherrif, I AM a sherrif.
It’s people like this that perpetuate the diminishing of the work we do, and make it look like anyone can do it.
I think it is admirable he wishes to be an advocate for those who need services. In this respect he is going beyond the norm for his job requirements, however he is fulfilling the time honored role of his own profession of protect and serve. I would think he would be proud to call attention to himself in his role as a public servant going beyond as an advocate for those less fortunate, and as such he is just that, a social advocate. He is not officially a “Social Worker” in my opinion. We have worked long and hard for recognition due our profession and deserve to be honored for our education and service to our licensure and ethical requirements.
You are not entitled to call yourself a medical doctor if you are indeed only a licensed physician’s assistant or nurse anesthetist… so you cannot call yourself a social worker if you are not licensed as one.
No matter how much you do or how much you know unless you are licensed as a professional you may not use the title. Very simple…it is really a legal matter.
Social Work is a degreed profession. If you don’t hold the degree, your not a Social Worker.
I do not agree with the person who said you have to have a license to be a social worker. I have the MSW and I am a social worker. Human services workers and case managers are not social workers.
The followup letter by Robin Wilkes, referenced above is buried among all the other letters. Here’s a direct link, 2nd response on the page: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-0922-wednesday-20100922,0,3967776.story
Hi Lisa. I have an MSW and am doing case management. I am not allowed to call myself a social worker in my state of KS unless I have a license. I dont agree with them, but that’s the little money game they have going.
I know this article is old but this is such a tough one for me. As a licensed social worker I totally understand why others would be irritated or find it inappropriate for someone to use the title of social worker when that isnt their job title. I do not feel the office can call himself that regardless of what he does during the course of his job bc his title is Police Officer.Someone who works for the county or an agency as a social worker but who isn’t actually one has the right to refer to themselves as such as its their employment title. They shouldn’t be listing it after their name or signature as doing so implies they are a professional social worker but can list it as their job title.