International Social Work — Go Global!
By Matthew Robb, MSW, LCSW-C
Social Work Today
Vol. 5, No. 1, Page 14

Central America, Africa, and Asia need social workers. So do Britain, New Zealand, and Australia.

Want to see the world? Care to make a difference in a faraway land? Whether your motivation is lifelong wanderlust or a deep yearning to help others in need, the world is calling for social workers just like you.

Opportunities abound—in children’s services, elder care, mental health, juvenile justice, disabilities, relief work, development, and more. Some positions are short-term, others are long-term. Many are volunteer, but several offer generous compensation packages and exciting career paths.

In 1999, native Californian Charu Stokes answered the call. A recent college grad, Stokes, then 22, was working with abused adolescents in a group home. The work was challenging and often draining. But ever since she was an undergrad, what really fired her imagination was the idea of working abroad.

“I wanted to go to a developing country and apply my experience in counseling, group work, and crisis intervention,” she recalls. For Stokes, the ideal path meant signing on with the Peace Corps. After a nine-month application and screening process, she got the green light and stepped aboard a jet bound for the other side of the world.
“I loved it—absolutely loved it,” she recalls of her 27-month South African experience. “One day, while working north of Pretoria, it all just clicked. I thought, ‘Wow. I could actually do international development work for a living.’”

Reflecting on her experience among only the third group of Peace Corps volunteers to ever enter South Africa, she says, “It was difficult at first. But they were a welcoming, generous people. I felt like I was doing valuable work over there—maybe more so than I was doing in the States.”

As a biracial American, Stokes says South Africa’s emergence from the shadow of apartheid into a budding multiethnic democracy was especially poignant. Along the way, she rubbed shoulders with American and South African social workers and, from those dealings, learned the value of graduate education. Today Stokes, 28, is a newly minted MSW and is already back in her adoptive homeland, Africa. These days, you’ll find her working as a Save the Children development specialist in Mangoche, a mountain-rimmed city nestled on Lake Malawi’s southern shore.

Never did Stokes imagine that Africa would give back as much as it received. “The whole Peace Corps experience really enhanced my values, my appreciation of life, and gave me needed focus,” she says. “It was definitely the best two years of my life.”

Getting on Board
Working internationally can be challenging, exhilarating, and transforming. Thus, this admonition from those in the know: Be prepared. Competition for jobs is keen.
Landing an entry-level position isn’t easy, says M.C. “Terry” Hokenstad, PhD, ACSW, longtime author on issues of international social work. But the challenge is compounded, says this professor of social work at Case Western Reserve University, if you are setting your sights on the high-profile nongovernment organizations (NGOs) or international NGOs (INGOs).

Overall, Hokenstad sketches an encouraging picture—“there are good opportunities overseas”—but underscores the need for a sharp focus. “International social work is a very broad field,” he says. “Interested social workers should have a clear understanding of their skills, interests, and goals. It’s not enough to just want to work overseas; lots of people want that. You need a credible background. This might include experience in child welfare or community development but also an in-depth understanding of foreign cultures and their languages.”

Not surprisingly, the most attractive candidates possess international experience, foreign language fluency, and critical technical skills. One way to bypass months of frustrating, often fruitless job search is by volunteering. Donating several months of your time, Hokenstad says, is a smart way to jump-start an international career. While those searching for paying jobs might keep running into roadblocks, he says, “people who volunteer return stateside with invaluable experience to build on.”

Rohan Jeremiah is a case in point. Today, he is a 29-year-old graduate student in the University of Michigan’s public health program. But in recent years, he has served with the Peace Corps in Cameroon and South Africa. Drawing on his experience, Jeremiah offers a possible backdoor into an INGO: Be a temporary worker.

“You might approach them,” he notes, “and say, ‘Hey, I’ve done similar work here in the U.S. While I know I can’t quite take a full-time position overseas, I’m willing to go over and offer my services for a few months.’”

A well-timed pitch, he maintains, may find a receptive audience—but with a catch. “Most of the time,” he says, “they’re going to ask you to foot the bill.” Translation: Be prepared to fly, feed, and shelter yourself. Such a tab could easily total $3,000 for a summer stint. Jeremiah concedes that this isn’t petty cash and acknowledges that social workers might be averse to paying large sums of money to volunteer their time. But such a narrow mind-set, he cautions, will get you nowhere on the international scene.

“If you want to develop yourself as an international worker,” he says, “you must acquire important skill sets. You have to invest in yourself—and in your career.” In short, think of volunteerism as a deferred compensation plan—sow now, reap later.

Social worker Sara Kershner concurs. Today, the 28-year-old MSW works as a case manager in a pilot program in St. Paul, MN, that finds housing for the homeless. But just four years ago, she was an international social worker in Guatemala. Notably, Kershner compiled the University of Michigan’s Web page on international opportunities for social workers, giving her considerable insight that gibes with Jeremiah’s observations.

“There are a gazillion opportunities out there: the Peace Corps, teaching English abroad, Cross-Cultural Solutions, Doctors Without Borders, and more,” she says. “A friend of mine did a two-week trip to Kenya with the U.S. Agency for International Development. He had a wonderful experience.

“But quite often,” Kershner continues, “only the so-called first-world countries—the United Kingdom or New Zealand, for instance—can afford to pay a social worker to volunteer there. If you’re going to Africa or Central or South America, it’s likely you will be expected to pay your way. The money just isn’t there. They need to put that energy into helping communities, not on flying and feeding short-term volunteers. Once there, you might end up working with street kids, helping to connect them with food, housing, and education. You might work in an orphanage, schools, or clinics. Fundamentally, you’re there to help meet basic needs and connect people with community resources.

“Sometimes, room and board is funded,” she says. “Other times, it’s not. But that cost is usually so cheap it doesn’t matter much by American traveler standards. For example, I negotiated a local family to provide housing for me. For maybe $75 to $100 U.S. dollars a month, I received supper every night and a room and bed in their home. Our sponsoring organization provided breakfast and lunch.”

Bill Nolting is gung ho on the Peace Corps option. “It’s a smart move,” says the director of international opportunities at the University of Michigan. “For Americans with no previous experience abroad, the Peace Corps is one of the more accessible opportunities to do something serious for the longer term. Peace Corps experience on your resume makes a tremendous difference. Even if you eventually go into another field, it’s impressive to most employers.”

Jeremiah agrees. “You don’t actually collect a salary, but they give a monthly stipend, healthcare, the works. And Peace Corps experience definitely makes you more marketable in the long-term job market. It’s like getting an extra degree. It can make a huge difference.”

But the Peace Corps route isn’t for everyone—certainly not for those with suburban mind-sets. “At the end of the day,” Jeremiah says, “you need to ask yourself one question: Are you willing to really go out there and rough it to make a difference in at least one life?” For many social workers, the answer is an easy yes.

Plan B: Match Firms
Hokenstad outlines yet another path overseas—via an international recruiter, or “match firm.”

“These match firms,” he says, “need master’s-level social workers for social services agencies in London, Sydney, Ireland, or wherever.” To qualify, American social workers are typically expected to demonstrate graduate degree “equivalency” and satisfy residency requirements. For details, Hokenstad recommends the Web site of global outsourcer Beresford Blake Thomas (www.bbtworldwide.com) and the definitive reference, International Jobs: Where They Are, How to Get Them by Eric Kocher and Nina Segal. Says Hokenstad, “It gives all the pertinent information, contact information, and starting points.” Other experts give an enthusiastic thumbs-up to How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas by Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, and Zahara Heckscher.

International social work, Hokenstad says, encompasses both direct service and social development roles. Direct service positions are found in agencies doing international adoption, refugee resettlement, and more.

International social development (or “international development”), by contrast, finds multidisciplinary teams of technical specialists helping indigenous people on the community level with projects in education, sanitation, AIDS awareness, and more.
The key to a successful career launch, says Stokes, is mastering the art of networking. “By all means, develop contacts—lots of them,” she says. “Find out what skills your ideal organization is looking for. I was shocked yet equally excited to learn that some of these organizations are headed by MSWs. But many more have degrees in public health, international business, or international relations. As a social worker, you can certainly qualify for some positions, but you must sell your ability to help them.”

Paying Your Dues
Kershner echoes Stokes’ advice: network, develop leads, and ask savvy questions.

“Connect with a good local university or an international center and use their resources,” she says. “Don’t reinvent the Internet.” She also recommends investigating organizations before inking a contract. Focus on getting a quality experience, not just any experience. “In Central America,” she says, “there are plenty of opportunities to do one week here, one week there, but make sure you’re getting what you want out of it. You need to be critical of volunteer programs.”

No habla Espanol? Neither did Kershner—at least not much. “I went to Guatemala with a beginner’s level of Spanish,” she recalls. “It’s surprising how fast you can learn a language when you’re really motivated. By the same token, I wouldn’t encourage people to jump in over their heads.”

Marc de Lamotte shares his insights as human resources director for Atlanta-based CARE, an organization that works with poor communities in more than 70 countries to find solutions to poverty. “CARE is a very professional organization,” he says. “Generally, we ask people to acquire their experience through other means—the Peace Corps, churches, Red Cross, or other NGOs.

“Once hired with CARE,” he continues, “people will be working in the field overseas a lot. If a person wants to, he or she can spend 15 years in the field. We have all kinds of possibilities—for human resources types to technical specialists in water, education, health, HIV/AIDS, the environment, and more.”

To answer the perennial question—“How realistic is clinching a job with the United Nations?”—Hokenstad slowly shakes his head. Answer: not very. “It would be extremely difficult for internationally inexperienced social workers,” he says. “Few positions seem open to Americans.” Overall, then, his studied advice is simple. Approach any international agency as you would a major domestic employer: with the right attitude, skill sets, and track record of success.

Enter Interaction
Amid the fraternity of INGOs, few are more relevant to internationally minded social workers than Washington, DC-based Interaction.

“We are the largest American alliance of nongovernmental organizations that do overseas relief development,” explains Sid Balman, Jr, Interaction’s spokesman and communication director. Among Interaction’s 160 members are Oxfam, Catholic Relief, Save the Children, American Jewish World Service, and CARE.

Interaction helps its members publicize job vacancies through an e-mail job service and classified advertising in its publications. Each week, new listings offer opportunities among dozens of occupations—from bookkeeping to surgery.

“I think someone who has social work experience would find a number of jobs they would be qualified for,” Balman notes. And might clinical social workers find clinical work overseas? Yes, he says.

“We operate hospitals and healthcare facilities,” Balman notes. “The level of professionalism and expertise these groups can bring to austere environments is stunning. For mental health professionals, there are lots of clinical-type counseling positions. Large refugee camps have many victims of gender-based crimes, such as rape. Women and children are often the most traumatized in these situations.”

What else might give a social worker a leg up on the competition? Balman gives a surprising answer. Alluding to the November 2004 murder of British-Iraqi CARE relief worker Margaret Hassan, he says, “Given the political climate, there’s a lot more potential for security problems in the developing world than 10 years ago. Military service never hurts. It certainly helps to have that type of overseas experience in oftentimes dangerous situations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan.”

Says Nolting, “International workers can sometimes find themselves in very stressful and potentially dangerous situations. Americans caught up in certain situations might even be singled out.” But Kershner downplays the risks. “The idea is to stay away from dangerous areas,” she says. “Oftentimes in the countryside, you’re quite safe. I think most of the talk about threats to foreigners is overdone.”

Balman calls the desire to help others “a good starting point,” but adds, “[INGOs] are looking for people who have specific skills that can contribute to a mission.” What skills win interviews? Balman notes a trend toward skilled administrators. Just like multinational corporations, INGOs are pushing for better communication, teamwork, and good relations with stakeholders. Field workers tasked with setting up efficient offices need to understand everything from computer applications to budgeting. Balman also says today’s funding sources are starting to demand realistic goal setting, outcome measurements, and “cogent ways of reporting results.” Striking a note that will resonate with social workers, he adds, “Of course, not everything can be measured in dollars and cents.”

Most positions listed by Interaction are paid. “If [an INGO] is looking for a social worker to staff a hospital in West Africa, they’re going to pay for that person,” Balman says. “Salaries are surprisingly good for this kind of work. They fly you there and typically pay for your housing and food. You’re usually able to save a bit of money, which is justified because the work is very difficult.” Americans who reside overseas are often exempt from paying U.S. income taxes. He suggests curious social workers check out Interaction’s subscription magazine, Monday Development, and its new book, Global Work, a compendium of volunteer and internship positions both domestic and abroad. Balman also notes that it’s not unusual for social workers to take sabbaticals from their jobs and do a tour overseas in development or relief.

Same story at the Peace Corps. From her office in Washington, DC, Deputy Press Director Jennifer Borgen outlines the needs of this respected agency of the federal government.

“These days, we’re teaching computers, Web design, English, small business development, HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, and so much more,” she says. “There’s always a need for skilled people.” Today, more than 7,700 Peace Corps volunteers work in 71 countries in a variety of projects, the most Americans serving in 29 years, demonstrating the continued vitality of the Peace Corps in the 21st century.

The Global View
Putting it all into perspective, Balman shares a parting thought. “More than 1 billion people in this world live on a little less than $1 a day,” he says. “A pregnant woman in the developing world dies every nine seconds from complications due to childbirth. Sixty percent or so of boys and girls in the developing world have no education whatsoever.”
Helping people in need, he says, is the right thing to do. “But it’s also the smart thing to be doing,” he says. “In countries with no opportunities, no hope, and no healthy outlets, people are more prone to the hollow promises of extremists and extremism. Ultimately then, working overseas can help make America safer.”

Too old to work overseas? Never, says Kershner. She recalls “a lot of retired teachers” in the ranks of one of her cosponsoring organizations in Guatemala. “They were in their 60s and 70s,” she says. “Same thing in the Peace Corps. One woman in our group was 73 years old. She had more energy than all of us. She was amazing. And the nearest Peace Corps volunteers was a married couple who were 65 and retired.”

Pausing to reflect on her own international experience, Kershner says it’s only a matter of time before she answers the call and returns. It may be in five years, perhaps 15, but she is certain the day will come.

Ultimately, her stint in Guatemala brought her closer to social work’s time-honored roots. “I worked for eight months in a Catholic mission,” she says. “It was exceptionally rewarding. It deepened my cultural competency, broadened my worldview, and made me more of an activist.”

Care to change a few lives—and maybe your own? As Kershner, Stokes, and Jeremiah attest, the international community is calling for social workers just like you.

— Matthew Robb, MSW, LCSW-C, is a social worker and freelance writer residing in suburban Washington, DC.

Red Light Social Worker
Think opportunities in international social work are the same the world over? Not so. In 2002, Stacy Haverstock, MSW (Columbia University, 2004), interned at Rahab Ministries Beauty Salon in the red light district of Bangkok, Thailand. An excerpt from a letter she penned in July 2002 reads:

“Welcome to Pattaya, a beautiful beach in the ‘Land of Smiles.’ Its balmy Southern California feel is enticing, but made possible primarily though the estimated 50,000 women and young girls and boys who sell their bodies to foreign men. In broad daylight, men walk around with prostituted women or children. But in the small Rahab Ministries Beauty Salon, the atmosphere is quite different.

“A beauty salon may seem like a strange place for a social worker. I don’t do hair or makeup, but I do visit bars and strip clubs to invite women to the salon and share their stories. Back at the beauty salon, we coordinate outreach, mutual support, and employment opportunities.

“Many of these women would like to leave sex work, but have little education or job opportunities.

“By helping them become cosmetologists, we open new ways of life. But we also address their emotional needs. Social workers in the U.S. would address the issues of former sex workers in individual and group therapy. But such conventions are not widely practiced in Thailand. Since a beauty salon is traditionally a place where people talk and share, our beauty salon provides that therapeutic space where former sex workers share their hope with current sex workers, while they get their hair and makeup done.

“Making sense of one’s life story is often made possible by re-telling it many times. In reaching out to others, both former and current sex worker benefits.”

— MR