SOP 2nd draft - MSW - feedback appreciated

[Docmcevil]

Daniel McGowen

Statement of Purpose

Speaking in generalities, social workers are caregivers. They provide assistance to those in need. More specifically, social workers are professionals that are passionate about humanity and have the desire to make a difference in the lives of those who are undergoing challenges. Those challenges range from poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence, difficulty parenting and life-threatening disease, to name a few. There are many types of social workers. One can choose to become a social worker specializing in family and child welfare, mental health and substance abuse or medical and public health related issues. To me, being in the military is a form of social work, of giving back to others. I believe that we should all be required to give service to our country, whether it is with the military, Peace Corps or any other form of public service. In a society where, in our core we rely on one another, from our infrastructure, ourgovernment subsidized schools and many other health and human services, we all have a small amount of indebtedness to each other. To date, my social work experience has been a synthesisof my military service and my personal life. Amongst these experiences are encounters on thebattle field in Iraq, being a confidant for my shipmates stateside, caring for my two specialneeds children and the knowledge gained through the interdisciplinary courses for my liberal studies degree such as poverty and other social justice issues. Through all of this, my resolve to be of service is stronger than ever. In this paper, I intend to disclose who I am and my upbringing, where I am now and what I intend to do if I am offered the chance to obtain my Masters in Social Work at The University of Southern California.

The desire to be of service has always been an innate trait of mine. As a young child, I recall telling my parents that I wanted to be a social worker. My mother, a nurse of over thirty years, has dedicated her life to the service of others and I witnessed her care and compassion.Perhaps, that is what led me to the Marine Corps Reserve. I attended community college while I was in the reserves, but I was ill-prepared to be a student. Also, the Marine Corps does not offer a healthcare occupation; so, after a few years, I joined the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. It was not long into my enlistment before I was stationed with the 7th Marines out of Twenty-nine Palms, CA and was shipped to Iraq for what would be my first of three tours there. I found helping wounded soldiers and sailors in Iraq during OEF/OIF to be very rewarding. What bothered me was the follow-up care we were not receiving. Although the military tells us that we can and should seek help, that it will not affect our career, the honest answer is that it does. Even the small task of seeing a professional to talk to implies weakness and is reverberated within the ranks of your command, forever altering your superior’s perception of your ability to perform. Although I do not believe I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I do experience triggers. For instance, I have difficulty on the 4th of July, the sound of the firecrackers are too closely related to the sound of the surge on Fallujah. I have momentswhere I lay awake and recall caring for the wounded insurgent in my ambulance and question whether my Hippocratic Oath was right or wrong. These are issues that I believe the military had a duty to help me through. Luckily, I have a strong support system, but not everyone does. Through no fault of their own, many military members and are burdened with the unconscionable and then shipped home to their families with lack of money, a barrel of issues and no support. What ensues is increased drug and alcohol abuse, adultery, domestic violence, child abuse, divorce and suicide. I knew there was something I could do to help but at this point in my career, I was still convinced that my greatest assets were in emergency triage. I resumed my education and began taking classes at a community college. Between my military experience and my previous coursework, I completed my Associates Degree in Healthcare Technology.

In my personal life, I have experienced the need for caring social work and healthcare professionals as well. Soon after my first son was born, we realized there was something nottypical with his development. At the age of three my wife and I began having him tested for Autism. We were working with speech and occupational therapists weekly, but my wife oftenseeks out alternative treatment. Through these efforts, we found a Licensed Clinical Social Worker that specializes in neurofeedback, a ground breaking, non-invasive therapy that challenges the brain and improves its function. I saw the difference this treatment made with our son immediately. His digestive disorders stopped almost instantaneously. Within a week we were able to take him off the Prevacid and other digestive medications that he had been on for over a year. Within that same week, his teachers and aides reported that he was more aware of his surroundings and interacting with the other children. To this point, we were managing his Autism and giving him ways to cope and deal with life through all of the therapies, supplements and diet, but it became apparent to me that if this could help him so dramatically, it could help many people, including those with TBI, PTSD and drug and alcohol addictions. It was also during these years that our second son was born ten weeks prematurely. Again, Idirectly saw the benefit gained from those who work for the enrichment of others. Besides the numerous NICU nurses and doctors, I met a slew of Birth to Three social workers who authentically cared about the well-being of our son. I then began my studies at the University of Oklahoma in Liberal Studies. It was during these two years of interdisciplinary courseworkand taking care of two special needs children that my awakening occurred. After hard work, I completed the last sixty hours of my degree with a GPA of 3.54, by following my heart, and taking some chances, I feel as though I am a unique and fortunate position to do what I have always wanted to do, fulfill my passion for service work.

After graduation, I plan to immediately utilize my MSW from USC as follows. First, I will apply to become a Naval Social Worker. Having been enlisted and on the ground during the war in Iraq, I believe I will be able to offer a unique perspective when aiding military members. Also, having had a family during these harsh times, I have experience not only helping the returning sailor but also helping their families. I hope to help the families cope with the issues as previously described, but also, sometimes, members are just suffering from poor choices, a lack of help and nowhere to turn. I hope to utilize my experience, training and knowledge to help military families weather these storms. Second, I plan on using my MSW to help families with Autism and PTSD obtain affordable neurofeedback treatment. I plan on continuing my education and obtaining training and licensure in this area. I appreciate your consideration of my application. I realize it will be a rigorous undertaking, but I am preparedfor the challenge and excited that my life’s choices have led me down this path and to USC.

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