Social Work for a New Generation - Mother and Daughter Walking the Social Work Road Together

by Shelly Sneed, MSW, LGSW

     As a parent, I have spent countless hours wondering where my children would find their passion in life. I would watch for signs in their behavior and personalities as they grew to help me determine where it may lead. My oldest daughter spent many hours watching me in my career as a social worker. Some of those hours were late at night and included moments of stress and discomfort. The stress and discomfort were for people I did not know intimately but cared for and was concerned about. 

     I imagined that while she observed all of this from the outside in, she was most certainly not going to follow in my path. I was wrong. I began to notice that she was not just watching, but also was asking questions. I noticed she was often sought out by friends and family for advice that was logical and straightforward. Most of all, I noticed that she had a love for people and was always willing to go out of her way when someone needed something.

     She finished her undergraduate degree in social work a couple of years ago and began working with homeless youth. I had a front seat to the internal struggle all social workers go through in the beginning. She was getting comfortable with ambiguity, processing her own values and biases, and finding her way through ethical dilemmas. There have been phone calls of distress and a hypervigilance that many of us don’t understand when we start this work. We are either not taught about the personal growth and rainbow of emotions that we will experience or we cannot grasp these concepts until they are felt within us. Seeing the world through a social work lens can initially be scary, frustrating, and eye opening. As we all do, she was trying to find her place in the profession while wearing her heart on her sleeve.

     She is currently finishing up her master’s degree at the same time I am finishing my doctoral degree. I could not be more proud or fulfilled. This is a road we have walked together and will continue to walk. She reminds me of why I began this work years ago and has given me a newfound passion.

     Knowing the new generation of social workers is carrying on the values and standards of the profession with a 2020 lens is undeniably important. Multi generations are needed to collaborate and teach, so we all maintain an up-to-date knowledge from different perspectives.  Pursuing evidence-based and holistic practice in our forever changing environments cannot be met without all generations working together.

     I feel fortunate to have a fellow colleague who challenges my beliefs, knowledge, and practice daily. That colleague just happens to also be my daughter.

Shelly Sneed, MSW, LGSW, is an assistant professor in the Social Work Department at College of St. Scholastica.