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| Maggie Wells McDonald, MSW/MPH (Dec, '19) |
Explaining what it means to be a dual professional can be no easy feat. It’s not uncommon to have to defend how invaluable the skillset of an MSW/MPH graduate can be, even with professors. Social Workers and Public Health professionals are called to work alongside other disciplines in an effort to tackle complex issues holistically (Repko, 2017). An individual who holds both an MSW and an MPH possesses the unique perspective of being two different disciplines. When a dual professional is invited to ‘the table’, they are automatically representing two different disciplines and many different perspectives. Having these two unique perspectives means we view problems and solutions in a magnitude of different ways, which is undoubtedly needed for the areas of concern that social workers and public health professionals face.
To me, being a dual professional means that I see the ‘individual tree and the whole forest.’ As a social worker, I understand how individual needs vary tremendously, and as a public health professional, I know how to then implement programs and policies with individual needs in mind. This perspective is critical for our most pressing health issues. Public Health recognizes health disparities, and social work recognizes how much the intersectionality of different marginalized identities can impact these health disparities. In public health social work, these considerations are paramount. When speaking with friends and family, I sum it all up by saying that I’m learning how to think a lot of different ways. There is rarely one right answer, or one intervention that will solve every problem,; as dual professionals, we recognize this and view issues through our interdisciplinary lens. Not only this, but we also learn to ask the right questions.
A skill both social workers and public health professionals possess is program implementation and evaluation. My focus of study is on older adults; I specifically advocate for this population’s mental health needs that often go unnoticed. For my social work evaluation class, I designed and evaluated a program for identifying and intervening in mental health issues in older adults. At the time, I was interning at the University Health Center and was facilitating bystander intervention workshops. During these trainings, UGA students and faculty would learn how to identify signs and symptoms of depression and how to intervene. During my Mental Health in Older Adults course, I learned that adults 65+ actually have the highest rate of suicide, yet minimum effort is being done to combat these statistics. For my social work program evaluation course, I redesigned this particular public health intervention to encourage healthcare professionals in intervening when they identify an older adult dealing with depression and other mental illnesses. I had the opportunity to use the public health interventions I was being trained in for my internship, and then apply them to a social work class in a way that collaboratively brought together competencies of both disciplines.
Social Work and Public Health share similar values and common goals such as addressing social determinants of health, promoting population health, and advancing social justice. Due to this, more then half of employed social workers in the U.S. work in healthcare. Unfortunately, it is still a profession that struggles to separate itself from being simply a ‘soft-science’. (Bachman, 2017) Social work often has to fight for 'a seat at the table’ with other healthcare professionals. Having a Master’s degree in Public Health gives me the credentials, and the language, to relate to other healthcare professionals while also possessing the skills to convey complex terminology and compassion to my clients in a way that keeps them informed and not overwhelmed. In my opinion, the skills of a public health social worker will ensure patient autonomy and overall community health.
As graduation draws near, I often think about how I will introduce myself after I hold these two degrees. Today, I say that I am a dual MSW/MPH student with a gerontology concentration. With such a unique skill set, I am uncertain of what my particular title will be. However, I do not feel as if these two degrees define me, but that the experience and expertise I gain from them does; and to me, that’s what being an interdisciplinary professional means. It may not necessarily mean working in two different fields simultaneously or having two different degrees but having the knowledge and confidence to represent two different mindsets in a roomful of professionals on behalf of my client system.
I believe Leslie Knope best sums up these past two years,
References
Repko, A. Szostak (2017). Introduction to Intradisciplinary Studies. SAGE Publications. 2nd Edition.
To me, being a dual professional means that I see the ‘individual tree and the whole forest.’ As a social worker, I understand how individual needs vary tremendously, and as a public health professional, I know how to then implement programs and policies with individual needs in mind. This perspective is critical for our most pressing health issues. Public Health recognizes health disparities, and social work recognizes how much the intersectionality of different marginalized identities can impact these health disparities. In public health social work, these considerations are paramount. When speaking with friends and family, I sum it all up by saying that I’m learning how to think a lot of different ways. There is rarely one right answer, or one intervention that will solve every problem,; as dual professionals, we recognize this and view issues through our interdisciplinary lens. Not only this, but we also learn to ask the right questions.
A skill both social workers and public health professionals possess is program implementation and evaluation. My focus of study is on older adults; I specifically advocate for this population’s mental health needs that often go unnoticed. For my social work evaluation class, I designed and evaluated a program for identifying and intervening in mental health issues in older adults. At the time, I was interning at the University Health Center and was facilitating bystander intervention workshops. During these trainings, UGA students and faculty would learn how to identify signs and symptoms of depression and how to intervene. During my Mental Health in Older Adults course, I learned that adults 65+ actually have the highest rate of suicide, yet minimum effort is being done to combat these statistics. For my social work program evaluation course, I redesigned this particular public health intervention to encourage healthcare professionals in intervening when they identify an older adult dealing with depression and other mental illnesses. I had the opportunity to use the public health interventions I was being trained in for my internship, and then apply them to a social work class in a way that collaboratively brought together competencies of both disciplines.
Social Work and Public Health share similar values and common goals such as addressing social determinants of health, promoting population health, and advancing social justice. Due to this, more then half of employed social workers in the U.S. work in healthcare. Unfortunately, it is still a profession that struggles to separate itself from being simply a ‘soft-science’. (Bachman, 2017) Social work often has to fight for 'a seat at the table’ with other healthcare professionals. Having a Master’s degree in Public Health gives me the credentials, and the language, to relate to other healthcare professionals while also possessing the skills to convey complex terminology and compassion to my clients in a way that keeps them informed and not overwhelmed. In my opinion, the skills of a public health social worker will ensure patient autonomy and overall community health.
As graduation draws near, I often think about how I will introduce myself after I hold these two degrees. Today, I say that I am a dual MSW/MPH student with a gerontology concentration. With such a unique skill set, I am uncertain of what my particular title will be. However, I do not feel as if these two degrees define me, but that the experience and expertise I gain from them does; and to me, that’s what being an interdisciplinary professional means. It may not necessarily mean working in two different fields simultaneously or having two different degrees but having the knowledge and confidence to represent two different mindsets in a roomful of professionals on behalf of my client system.
I believe Leslie Knope best sums up these past two years,
- Maggie Wells McDonald (LMSW, MPH), graduated in December 2019. Maggie is currently working as an Oncology Social Worker at Piedmont Healthcare.
View Maggie's LinkedIn profile.
References
Bachman, S. S. (2017). Social Work and Public Health: Charting the Course for Innovation. American Journal of Public Health, 107, S220. https://doi-org.proxyremote.galib.uga.edu/
Repko, A. Szostak (2017). Introduction to Intradisciplinary Studies. SAGE Publications. 2nd Edition.
