Running head: zenobia Kindle-Davis

MSW Admissions Statement

NASW code of ethics
The National Association of Social Workers set guidelines to protect those who practice
social work, clients, and other disciplines a social worker may have to collaborate with. When
setting up programs and working with individual clients I will use the code of ethics to guide my
practice. I will make sure to keep in mind that whether or not I agree with decisions a client
makes, that their dignity and worth are far more important that beliefs I may personally hold.
Also, it is very important to allow clients space to make decisions about their care, as stated in
code 1.02 Self-Determination. I plan on working with systems and other organizations. No
matter what I think about a problem, the client(s) opinions come first in my decision making
process. The code of ethics also emphasizes cultural competence and social diversity. These are
very important because, I am to only practice in ways that I am trained to, but I will still be
aware of different cultural value systems.
If there are times that I am unsure of what to do, or how to handle a situation, I will seek
supervision and possibly advice from coworkers, as long as it does not break confidentiality.
Even if theres an opportunity that looks like it may help clients or myself, I will take a step back
and consider whether or not conflicts of interests may arise. I believe my values and mission for
myself fits with the mission on Wayne States School of Social Work. I plan to learn as much as
possible inside and outside of class involving those that are oppressed and vulnerable. I will not
come into an environment deciding what changes need to be made. I plan to listen to the
communitys ideas of what that communitys needs are, and work with them to change their
environment for the better.
Social justice

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During my internship at the SASHA Center, I had a chance to watch an organization
work with others to address social issues like, victim blaming. I was unaware of how prevalent it
was until I completed sexual assault first responder training through Wayne County SAFE (WC
SAFE). I plan to work with communities, other organizations, and other professions to increase
knowledge and awareness of stigma and victim blaming. We learned about how sexual assault
victims were treated by family and police officers during and after an incidence of sexual assault
or rape. Many were criticized and discredited because they froze, or because they didnt tell
anyone. Many of these victims cases arent heard because of how society and the legal system
treats them.
Thanks to the training at WC SAFE, I learned about the neurobiology of trauma. People
have different responses to life threatening situations, so fighting back physically in many cases
is not an option. I will continue to take advantage of developmental trainings like these and stay
on top of research to be an informed social worker. I will stay committed by spreading
information of prevention, relationship safety, self-care, and myths and facts about different
oppressed groups. I am also interested in one day working with SASHA Center and Wayne
County SAFE to train different professions about how to appropriately deal with those who have
experienced trauma.
Strengths and challenges
A strength of mines has always been the passion to learn. I love to learn about different
cultures and backgrounds. I have always been open to constructive feedback and even plain
criticism. I love working with people and listening to their stories; not to judge, but to help them
see the answer to their problems they may not know they have. Because of this willingness to
learn, I have learned that I do have to be aware of biases. It took for me to be placed with a

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supervisor who is of an African traditional religion to realize that. I always claimed to see
everyone the same, but I have learned that seeing everyone the same is not good for society
overall. I will be challenged by being willing to admit that I may have biases and reflect on why
they are there and how I can work with someone despite those biases. I believe in embracing
those that are different, however I have to learn how to work on my biases towards those who
have had an easier upbringing. By being born and raised in an urban environment, I have been
subjected to, and adopted biases towards those who were born in wealthy families.
I had a teacher in the BSW program point out the fact that, we as social workers and
social work students, commit to help the vulnerable and oppressednothing is said about the
wealthy. I challenged myself to understand that we must be open to helping anyone and everyone
in need, within our skill set and boundaries set by the code of ethics. I know that anyone can
suffer from different life circumstances. I will always embrace the chance to challenge myself
and be open to the fact that there may be some bias, seeking guidance when needed.
Preparations
I have taken a hard look at my journey through my enrollment in the BSW program. I
have prepared myself to take things slow through the Masters program. I will be enrolled parttime instead of full time. This will help me stay balanced with work and school and also, keep
me from mentally overloading myself. I spoke to different teachers during the BSW program and
realized that I have to be okay with saying when something is too much. I have improved study
habits and breaking down assignments, so they do not overwhelm me. I have started back
working out as a part of a self-care routine, and started a small business that does not demand a
lot and helps to filling the gap, keeping me from having to work as many hours at work. I have

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prepared by embracing my creativity and using that to help find solutions for dealing with stress,
course load, and working with clients.