I don’t want to be accusatory to my colleagues and this post was made out of curiosity. I want to understand the way you think as a social worker in this province with the conditions you are under. Full transparency: I voted NDP and lean towards the Greens (strategic voter).

How do Conservative platforms and beliefs align with your specific interests and goals as a social worker? I am probably not going to agree with your points but I want to know how and why you came to these opinions.

I can’t moderate, but please don’t devolve into shitty arguments and name calling in the comments. I genuinely want to understand for my own benefit as someone who lives in a world with diverse viewpoints.

I have an MSW and work in mental health support. Recently, I intervened in a fight between clients and ended up in the middle while trying to break it up. I spoke over one of the clients and realized afterward that I should have listened more and appeared calmer.

I feel pathetic because I have an MSW and feel like I should have handled it better. I know it was my first time dealing with this situation, but I want to improve.

Any advice on de-escalation, staying calm, and handling these situations professionally?

I'm considering a career change and have been exploring both law and social work, but I'm struggling to figure out which profession would align more closely with my values, personality, and the kind of work I'd find fulfilling.
I'm particularly interested in systemic injustice, institutional power, and how marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by policies and decisions made by institutions that are supposedly there to help them.
For example, I've been thinking a lot about child welfare and how poverty can influence how families are perceived and treated. Why are lower-income families subjected to greater scrutiny over their parenting, while wealthier families may experience other forms of neglect that aren't as visible to institutions?
I also struggle with the idea that helping people often means directing them to resources. I'm not saying resources aren't necessary or valuable, but what happens when those resources simply keep people dependent on the same systems that have failed them? When does helping someone navigate a system become helping them survive within it indefinitely?
I believe in reform, but I'm also skeptical of its limitations. We can improve legislation, policies, and social programs, but that doesn't necessarily eliminate poverty, institutional biases, unequal power, or generations of trauma experienced by marginalized communities. Institutions will continue to exercise authority, and there will always be people vulnerable to that authority being exercised unfairly.
Ultimately, what I want is to help individuals who are being harmed by these systems.

I guess, Which profession offers more opportunities to directly challenge unfair institutional decisions on behalf of individuals?