“I do not bring back from a journey quite the same self that I took.”
-W. Somerset Maugham
Lessons Learned
Studying in Australia turned out to be a much more thought provoking and reflective trip for me than I anticipated. After visiting VACCA, the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Young and Well Center, Reach Out, Berry Street, Bouverie, VicSeg, and Anglicare, I am left with a much wider perspective on how to serve others. Each organization/agency visit was better than the last! I couldn’t write fast enough to keep up with all of the information that I wanted to absorb. In general, there seems to be a larger emphasis on the holistic approach to caring for people and communities in Australia. In contrast, in the U.S. we tend to like more singular approaches to serving others and as a result often miss the bigger picture. There is also a greater emphasis on primary prevention work in Australia. Many of these organizations aim to help people before greater problems arise rather than trying to go back and help people after the fact. Social Services in Australia seem to be more valued than they are here in the U.S.
On that note, I especially appreciated learning about how the Aboriginal communities care for and support one another. There seems to be a greater attitude of responsibility toward one’s community in this culture that I wish our culture in the U.S. would adopt. Australia as a country is also trying to repair their relationship with the Aboriginal people in a different, and in my opinion better, way than the U.S. has done with the Native Americans, for example. Every agency we visited began the presentation by paying respects to the land and it’s traditional aboriginal owners. It’s a small, however significant gesture to work towards reversing all of the damage colonization in Australia has caused the Aboriginal people. In addition to the organizations focused on repairing this relationship, organizations like VicSeg work towards helping immigrants settle in Australia once they have arrived. They have a strengths based approach towards strengthening communities. It focuses more on problem prevention through education, training, and other programs that foster community growth and cohesiveness. I love how they embrace diversity and seek to spread cultural awareness throughout other organizations and communities in Australia.
There are many takeaways from this trip that I know I will carry with me throughout my career as a social worker. One is the idea that when I serve people who have experienced trauma, I remember to focus on their transition from being a victim to a survivor and then to an achiever. I will also remember that this scale is fluid and sometimes part of the journey is sliding back and forth between these stages. And as I learned from many of the agencies in Australia, the strengths based approach is most effective. We must learn how to build people up and focus on their strengths rather than their failures and shortcomings. Learning how to give and receive constructive criticism really is key! Part of this approach is also realizing that people are complex beings. There are many different parts to us, and different factors that affect our behaviors and personalities. Using a holistic approach in tandem with the strengths based approach assures that as a service provider I am not only focusing on a person’s strengths, but also focusing on the person in their environment. I need to remember to understand each person in his or her own context and then work from there. Speaking of person in environment, I have also been reminded of just how important cultural competence is when working with others. Culture is not stagnant; it changes and evolves over time. It is critical to understand where a person comes from and what his or her values are (or what his or her culture’s values are in relation to that persons own values) to be able to best serve him or her.
And finally, one major thing I have realized on this trip is that one does not have to be a social worker to serve people! We had women from many different professions on this trip, which made for a wonderful interdisciplinary learning experience. I appreciated the opportunity to learn how to work together and discuss our individual perspectives after each agency visit. There are so many different ways to help people and to bring people together in a community. This realization will undoubtedly help me in my future career as a service provider.
This study abroad experience has greatly broadened my perspectives, taught me new lessons, given me an insight into a different culture, given me the chance to experience some truly unforgettable adventures, and has allowed me the opportunity to create some new and lasting friendships!
