Serving the needy a rewarding job

A natural disaster, like the recent tsunami, fires the people’s desire to do social service. For a few weeks or, may be, months. But not many take up social work for a lifetime, or for a living. The presence of flush-with-funds NGOs is, however, making social work not only a rewarding career option but also a paying one, writes Inderdeep Thapar

Homeless children being taught by a social worker at a relief camp for tsunami victims in Port Blair — PTI photo

THIS is one field which is a blind spot as far as career consciousness is concerned. Social work is generally perceived either as a voluntary service area or a low remuneration field. The proliferation of study programmes in social work in recent years, however, belies the above notion.

The past decade has seen a rise in the availability and study of social-service-related courses like Masters in Social Work (MSW). This course is multi-disciplinary, covering a wide range of subjects like psychiatry, medical aid, labour welfare, family and child welfare as well as urban development.

Clinical course

People who have qualified in psychiatry and medical aid have numerous placement opportunities in hospitals, not only in the psychiatry departments but other wings too. The psychiatrist social worker tackles not only the patient but also the family emotionally and psychologically. He deals only with the psychiatric cases, whereas all other patients are dealt with by the medical aid social worker. Patients who are terminally ill, like those suffering from cancer or AIDS, need counselling to fight depression. Help is required not only by the patients but also their relatives. And sometimes these workers step in to strengthen the patient-doctor equation.

The last few years have seen the mushrooming of numerous NGOs that have come to play a significant role in community development projects. These organisations need trained MSWs to work in various fields. People who specialise in family and child welfare are required for counselling different sections of society. It might be for marital differences, unwed motherhood, reproductive care (pre and post-natal), hygiene amongst rural as well as urban women or even prostitutes, counselling children from broken homes, drug addicts or the old who have been shunned by their kith and kin, lepers, and other vulnerable groups.

Mona Singh, a Research Assistant with CRIID ( Centre for Rural and Industrial Development) explains, "There are many Integrated Child Development Schemes like the Anganwaris, Balwaris which the MSWs are required to head. Similarly, social workers are required for paediatric units or even family planning wings. Even the NGOs engaged in educating people regarding foeticide require special efforts by MSW-qualified personnel.

"Then there is training for disaster management wherein, like in the present tsunami tragedy, counsellors can be appointed for the purpose, especially as the brunt of the calamity is on the living, who have lost all, their family as well as possessions."A social worker does not deal only with the main afflicted person but the entire family unit. The specialization in urban development helps one to concentrate mainly on the development of slum population, their hygiene, education, basic amenities, social relations all centre in this course. Apart from the active involvement, research too offers ample scope for these professionals. Many international organisations like to operate through local, result oriented NGOs .

The labour welfare specialisation of this course gives ample opportunities to work as a labour welfare officer in multinational companies. Besides, that there is a need of officers for human resource development in factories. In organisations where women are employed in a good number woman welfare officers are to be found. Then, there are posts of Enforcement Directors which is a Central Government job.

After an experience of a few years one can even become a consultant with various organisations. There is no limitation in this as the concern might be national, local or international. There is also the option of opening one’s own NGO, for which an experience of three years is required in this field.

Social work is a recognised UGC subject which is offered in many universities of the country. A doctorate in it along with clearing the National Eligibility Test opens opportunities in the teaching line.

The course is useful as it is recognised abroad and requires no further studies. Dr Ritu Sharma, A Development Professional with the Department of Social Work, Punjabi University, explains, "This subject is treated on a par with engineering or medical studies and has ample placement opportunities."

As far as the remuneration is concerned, Mona Singh says, "It varies from project to project. The funds available determine the pay scale." Shreshta Mehta, a known social worker with the Indian Council of Social Work who heads many projects, explains: "Researchers are well paid by the Central Government. Also, the NGOs that have a good standing nationally as well as internationally, pay well." Ritu elaborates, "Those employed as Labour Officers in MNCs are paid handsomely. The pay scales are good abroad too."

The MSW course thus not only fulfills the "social" need of an individual to "give back" to society but also get paid for it. As Ritu puts it, "A social worker is in reality a social activist".