Rural social work practice leads to improved services, but several social work issues face social workers. Rural social work is the practice of social work in any setting identified as rural. This may include farming, mining, fishing, logging, or ranching communities and small towns and villages of many types. There is a unique social work environment between the urban areas and the rural areas. Rural social workers tend to utilize the full range of professional knowledge and skills. It is primarily the distinctive characteristics of rural settings that set the rural practice apart. Rural social work practice is difficult from that of urban areas as the social work issues are unique.
SOCIAL WORK ISSUES AFFECTING RURAL SOCIAL WORKERS
Some social work issues face social workers in rural areas. Less money is available in most rural areas, and physical separation exasperates the difficulty of providing social services. Social workers in rural areas, therefore, must prepare themselves for the unique social work environment in rural areas. People often have to travel for more than an hour to get to the nearest hospital or school. Specialists, therefore, are often impossible to find in rural communities because there is limited demand for their services. Effective rural social work practices will exist by solving current social work issues.
For more information on social work issues affecting rural social workers, click
UNIQUE SOCIAL WORK ENVIRONMENT IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS
Rural and urban areas have unique social work environments requiring social workers to adapt appropriately. One of the most prominent problems in rural social work is a limited amount of resources. Also, rural dwellers have considerably less variety concerning social services available within their reach. The social work issues in rural areas limit professionals in offering competent services. Furthermore, the social service professionals that do work in rural communities often have limited education. Rural areas tend to have closer communities in which everyone knows one another. Lastly, Rural social work practice presents challenging social work issues that slow down services.
For more information on the unique social work environment in rural and urban areas, click
Additional attachments
