Immigration status refers to the way in which a person is present in the United States.
Considering the time that we are in, How can I create a safe space for clients to share their immigration status without fear, while being mindful of the risks and barriers they may be facing?
Language is one of the earliest and most profound ways that we demonstrate this client-centered trust.
How can I be more mindful of the language I use with clients so that I build trust instead of unintentionally reinforcing power or bias?
Social workers understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences
One important connection I am making is both personal and academic. Working in healthcare, I see how racism and oppression shape patients’ access to care, trust in providers, and overall health outcomes. Many individuals from marginalized communities face barriers tied to housing, income, and insurance, which reflects what we learn in social work about systemic inequality. This reminds me that challenges clients face are often rooted in larger systems, not personal failure.
I also see a political connection. Policies around healthcare, education, and criminal justice continue to disproportionately impact communities of color. As social workers, understanding these systems is essential so we can advocate not only for individuals but also for broader structural change.
Neurodiversity suggests that these disabilities are a natural variation in brain differences and that the workplace should adapt to them
Mental disorders cause distress or disability in social, work, or family activities
Connection: Mental disorders causing distress or disability really shows up for me in how hard it can be to balance school and staying physically active at the same time. When my mental health is struggling, even things I want to do—like going to class prepared, studying, or working out—start to feel overwhelming. Some days my body feels heavy, my motivation drops, and it becomes harder to stay consistent, even though I know movement usually helps my mental health.
This connection helps me see that these challenges aren’t about laziness or lack of discipline, but about how mental health directly affects functioning. Trying to meet academic expectations while pushing myself to stay active can create a lot of internal pressure, especially when I feel like I should be able to “handle it all.” Recognizing this helps me give myself more grace and reminds me that needing balance, flexibility, and rest is part of taking care of both my mental and physical well-being.
Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights. Social workers are knowledgeable about the global intersecting and ongoing injustices throughout history that result in oppression and racism, including social work’s role and response. Social workers critically evaluate the distribution of power and privilege in society in order to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice by reducing inequities and ensuring dignity and respect for all. Social workers advocate for and engage in strategies to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social resources, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected. Social workers: a. advocate for human rights at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community system levels; and b. engage in practices that advance human rights to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
How can I make sure I respect each patient’s background while still giving the care they need?
What’s the best way to adjust my approach when patients have different ways of understanding or communicating about their health?
Notice that equality and equity are not synonymous. If everyone who reads this text is gifted a pair of reading glasses because the author indicates a desire to be inclusive and remove any barriers to reading ability, an equality approach might be to send everyone the same pair of glasses with the same prescription as the author. However, this wouldn’t actually level the playing field, would it? In fact, it might actually disadvantage some readers to use a prescription that would cause their eyes further strain, while advantaging people who happen to have the same prescription as the author.
Equality and equity aren’t the same, and I see that clearly in my job in healthcare. An equality approach would mean treating every patient exactly the same way—giving everyone the same instructions, the same amount of time, and the same type of support. But in reality, patients come in with very different needs. For example, I might have two patients with the same diagnosis, but one understands medical terms easily while the other struggles with health literacy or is overwhelmed by stress. If I give them both the exact same explanation in the same way, only one of them is truly being helped. The other might leave confused, anxious, and less able to follow their care plan.
For me, equity shows up when I adjust how I support each patient. I might slow down, use simpler language, check for understanding, or connect someone to extra resources. I’ve seen how much more effective this is than a one-size-fits-all approach. Just like giving everyone the same pair of glasses wouldn’t actually help everyone see, treating every patient the same doesn’t help them heal the same. My job constantly reminds me that fairness isn’t about sameness—it’s about meeting people where they are so they can actually move forward.