phd social work monash

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• Melissa Petrakis
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Description

In late May, the Social Work department graduated 3 new PhDs: photographed from left: Dr Josy Thomas, Dr Euan Donley and (far right) Dr Wendy Rollins. In the centre are proud Department of Social Work colleagues Dr Melissa Petrakis (main supervisor for Josy), Dr Catherine Flynn and Dr Samone McCurdy.

Josy Kadavil Thomas' thesis is titled: "Family Burden and Social Support in Mental Illness: A Comparative Study in Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders".

Euan Robert Donley's thesis is titled: "Risk Assessment and Management of Psychiatric Patients in the Emergency Department during a Mental Health Crisis" (Main supervisor Professor Rosemary Sheehan).

Wendy Elizabeth Rollins' thesis is titled: "Social work - client relationship practice: exploring social worker perspectives" (Main supervisor Dr Deborah Western).

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Graduate Social Worker - Mental Health

Job summary.

• Applications close:
• Job posted on: 2nd Jun 2022
• Melbourne   > Bayside & South Eastern Suburbs Melbourne
• Full Time , Graduate
• Social Work , Nursing , Mental Health and Counselling
• State Government , Not For Profit (NFP)

Job description

Monash Health's Mental Health Program is excited to announce a new graduate Social Work positions.

• Be part of the best new graduate program in mental health with a dedicated clinical educator to support your learning and development
• Build your skills, capability and confidence in assessment and interventions that promote consumer's mental health
• Collaborate with and learn from a multi-disciplinary team and peer workforce and consumers and their carers/families to create positive outcomes

About our Mental Health Program at Monash Health

Monash Health is the largest public health service in Victoria, employing over 18,000 people across a range of specialities. The Mental Health Program serves consumers their families and carers across the south-eastern metropolitan region with bed-based, community and rehabilitation programs.

About The Role

We are excited to announce four new graduate social work positions within the Mental Health Program. The position is full-time and incorporates two rotations to build your skills in delivering social work services in mental health. Graduates will have opportunity to learn in child and youth or adult and aged settings. An established training package will support graduates' learning progression, and skills will be further developed through supervision, mentorship and a dedicated social work clinical educator.

You have an authentic desire to improve the lives of people with mental health difficulties. You are a keen and curious learner, truly passionate about delivering a high standard of evidenced based care to all consumers, carers and families. You are a team player who seeks opportunities to learn from consumers, carers and families, the lived experience and clinical workforce. You seek a career with meaning and purpose to grow as a health professional.

• Excited to begin and develop your social work career in mental health care
• Enthusiastic, compassionate and collaborative
• Dedicated to safe best practice and quality care
• Committed to delivering patient centred and family centred care

What You Need:

• An Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) accredited Bachelor degree or entry level Master degree of Social Work that provides eligibility for membership of AASW.
• Written evidence of eligibility for AASW membership for overseas qualifications is required
• Australian working rights

What We Offer:

• A robust supervision, mentorship and development program
• Access to Monash Health in-house learning portals to further expand your clinical skills and knowledge base
• Career guidance and opportunities to further your career in mental health care on completion of the new graduate program
• Support to attend relevant forums & conferences

In addition, you will have access to benefits including salary packaging to increase your take-home pay, access to onsite discounted staff car parking and gym, uniform and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

A position description is attached.

Supporting Materials

• Attachment icon supportingMaterial_98223_10-03-2022-10-49-52Position Description New graduate SW Nov 2021 final.docx

How to apply

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Social work

Learn more about social work at monash health..

Social Workers are available at all Monash Health sites to assist patients, their families and carers to help navigate the health system, and ensure that your social, emotional and cultural needs are met.  Monash Health Social Workers work alongside medical, nursing and other allied health staff as part of the multi-disciplinary treating team.

The Social Work service is free and confidential, and is available to all inpatients and outpatients of Monash Health.

 Services offered

• Psychosocial Assessment
• Crisis Intervention
• Counselling
• Access to community services
• Bereavement support
• Advocacy—to help address your needs
• Information & Referral Liaison between hospital and community service providers.

School of Social Work College of Social Science

About the phd program.

• Social work educators
• Researchers of social problems and social work intervention methods
• Planners, administrators, and evaluators of social service programs
• Policy makers and analysts

It emphasizes the development, analysis, and application of social work knowledge related to professional practice and research in selected settings and to social work education at the undergraduate and graduate levels in order to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the Social Work profession and the field of social welfare.

It is also interdisciplinary in nature, requiring course work in both social work and a particular social science, or across disciplines, while focusing on a selected area of study. This focused cognate is designed by the student and his/her Guidance Committee (a group of faculty chosen by the student that represents social work and the focused cognate area). Courses for the cognate may be taken from any department within the University, with appropriate approval, and are organized around a student's specific area of scholarly interest.

In addition to the designated areas of course work, all students must satisfactorily complete a statistics sequence and a sequenced research internship. Finally, students must complete a comprehensive examination and a doctoral dissertation that reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the degree.

The doctoral program is a member of GADE , the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work.

Please refer to the PhD Student Handbook for a detailed program description.

Engaging with Chinese communities, enriching education in Australia

The recently updated Australian Curriculum includes a cross-curriculum priority that explores Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia (AAEA), strategically, politically, culturally, and economically .

Celebration and acceptance of cultural diversity are at the heart of this cross-curriculum priority, as is the need for Australian teachers to develop best-practice content. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority ( ACARA ) states:

“Asia is our part of the world. Knowing, understanding and growing engagement with Asia is foundational for young people as Australia seeks to strengthen its ties in the Asia region. Australians require intercultural understanding, empathy and confidence to contribute to, and understand, Asia–Australia engagement.”

Inspired by this curriculum development, Dr Hongzhi Zhang and Dr Philip Chan, from Monash University’s Faculty of Education, are co-leading a pioneering effort to redefine educational practices so students and teachers can build global interconnectivity and cultural diversity within their local contexts.

Research shows that the Australian Curriculum content to support the AAEA is minimal and unevenly distributed across key ideas, learning areas, and explanatory materials .

Discussions on Asia literacy in the Australian context expose instances of historical and contemporary anti-Asian racism .

Moreover, these materials provided for learning areas are not available for the dimension of cross-curriculum priority of Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia. This absence of teaching resources is a challenge for teachers tasked to plan and implement this cross-curriculum priority, which has created a gap for teachers.

Meanwhile, the Australian Chinese communities have preserved the rich historical and cultural resources of Chinese migrants’ contributions and incorporations into local Australian society.

With heartfelt conviction, passionate local Chinese community leader Charles Zhang declares:

"We really care about preserving the history and culture of Chinese migrants in Australia. It’s like holding onto a special connection that highlights their important contributions to our local community.”

For this collaboration, the CEO of Ararat Rural City Council, Dr Tim Harrison, said:

“We are proud to participate in this special project celebrating the rich contributions of our local Chinese community to Australian society. Together, we'll preserve their cultural heritage, ensuring their vital role in shaping our community is recognised in our local community.”

The Australia-China Community-Engaged Pedagogy for Teaching (ACCEPT) brings together Monash academics, school teachers, students, and cultural museums, galleries, and libraries. Engagement with local communities enables the learning to be authentic and locally-situated, while also responding to the growing imperative of integrating cross-curriculum priorities within the student experience.

For the art education strand of the ACCEPT project, the researchers, teachers, and students are all positioned as artists, researchers, and teachers. The cultural and community sharing, as well as the art education possibilities that this project provokes, sets the groundwork for teachers and students to build community and cultural agency.

PhD candidate Yaqing Hou, who works on the ACCEPT project, says:

“The project is exciting because it enables us to foster collaborative partnerships with Australian educators and students to focus on cross-cultural Asian and Australian culture. Art and media are a big part of our shared cultural experiences, and are an enjoyable way to learn about each other.”

The focus on community engagement enables art teachers and students to explore local art and cultural assets, inspiring the exploration of regional, state, national and international connections. In the process, participants strengthen their artistic, community and cultural capacity across cultures while developing their own artistic responses to the learning.

This project aims to collaborate with school teachers to co-create teaching plans by exploring and incorporating Chinese cultural resources into the subjects.

Key stakeholders and Chinese cultural organisations co-design age-appropriate education programs to engage students, make learning authentic, and build connections with the local community. For example, the science team of researchers and teachers work with community partners to select suitable local resources for teaching.

By using local examples of scientific knowledge and development, students not only develop a deep respect and appreciation of the knowledge of the local community, but it also ensures the learning is authentic and relevant to students.

Dr Shaoru Annie Zeng, an experienced Australian school teacher specialising in Chinese language, says:

“... the recognition of Chinese as not just a language but a vessel for cultural and historical narratives is highly relevant in Australia’s multicultural fabric and its increasing engagement with Asia. The community-engaged pedagogy allows students not only to learn the language, but also to engage with it in a manner that vividly brings history and culture to life.”

PhD candidate Grace Ji shares her teaching idea of applying the community-engaged pedagogy to teach business and economics that explores “... social and environmental ethics of unfairly-treated Chinese labour during the gold rush of the mid-1800s, and allows students to reflect on contemporary trading practices, and promote better corporate social inclusion and equity”.

Through collaborative efforts, the ACCEPT research team, along with participating teachers, children, and local cultural museums, will not only enhance their teaching practices, but will also actively shape a curriculum that reflects the richness and diversity of both local Australian and Chinese cultures.

Such a canvas becomes a shared space, transcending geographical boundaries and fostering a dialogue beyond words.

This article was co-authored by Dr Shaoru Annie Zeng, Yaqing Hou ,and Grace Ji.

• Australian curriculum
• Education Australia
• Australian Curriculum content
• Australian Chinese communities
• community engagement

Hongzhi Zhang

Senior Lecturer, School of Education Culture and Society, Monash University

Sun Yee Yip

Lecturer, School of Curriculum Teaching and Inclusive Education, Monash University

Geraldine Burke

Senior Lecturer, School of Curriculum Teaching and Inclusive Education, Faculty of Education

Zane Diamond

Professor, School of Education Culture and Society, Monash University

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You may republish this article online or in print under our Creative Commons licence. You may not edit or shorten the text, you must attribute the article to Monash Lens, and you must include the author’s name in your republication.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

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MSW in ID | Master of Social Work Degree, Idaho

Idaho is a state that has a very stark difference between its rural and urban areas in many ways, but one thing they both have in common is a demand for Social Workers with advanced degrees. For those who love the great outdoors, few states offer the incredible unspoiled natural beauty of Idaho and working rurally as an Eligibility Worker is a great fit for the Social Worker who has earned their Master of Social Work degree (MSW) and wants to live close to nature. If you are planning on living in Idaho, but prefer an urban environment you will have plenty of options as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Boise. If the idea of a leadership position within a non-profit that works with college aged populations sounds appealing, you might want to look for work as an Administrator at a non-profit in Moscow, where the University of Idaho is located. There are many kinds of environments, agencies and occupations that are available for Human Services professionals in Idaho who have earned their Master of Social Work degree (MSW) it simply becomes a matter of finding a situation that resonates with your lifestyle and career goals.

Finding the Right School for MSW in Idaho

After you have determined that earning your MSW is a wise educational decision you can begin the process of selecting an ideal school from among Idaho’s universities. If you want the best possible outcome for your future career you will want to thoroughly research schools and MSW programs like the Boise State School of Social Work degree which is a generalized knowledge base program, to find one gives you the training and skillset you need for your occupation. A great way to bring some clarity to your decision making process is to determine what career you wish to have after graduation. Many MSW programs are created with generalized curriculums such as is offered at Boise State to prepare you for any job in the social work sector. However, some MSW programs are tailored to help students enter specific careers after graduation for example some online programs offer degree concentrations in Social Work Leadership so you can go into a management position after school. This is why it is so important to really get into the details of what a program might offer. Examining schools through the lens of your ultimate career goal, you will better understand which curriculum will be the most beneficial in terms of skills taught.

Career Options with a MSW

An MSW is an excellent degree to earn for many reasons. One of which is the tremendous diversity of occupations you will be eligible for after graduation. In order to truly make an informed educational decision, you will want to spend some time investigating several career options to find one that is an ideal match for you. For example, you could become a Social Worker / Case Manager with Catch inc. a Non-profit that helps the homeless in a city like Caldwell. Here at humanservicesedu.org we have built a resource that can help you research this exact decision. Below you will find a fairly short list of some of the many positions you will qualified for with an MSW. For more in-depth research consult our section on job descriptions:

• School Social Worker
• Child Welfare Case Manager
• Social and Community Service Manager
• Licensed Clinical Social Work
• Aging and Disability Services Case manager
• Social Service Screener
• Marriage and Family Therapist
• Social Work Administrator
• Social Service Permanency Worker
• MSW Programs in Idaho

Finding the Right Program for You

There are many elements you will want to weigh and evaluate as you choose the perfect MSW program for you. One decision which can help you quickly narrow the field of possible contenders is to determine whether a traditional physical campus or an online program is a better match for you and your lifestyle. If you find that you prefer a physical campus such as Boise State’s College of Southern Idaho campus in Twin Falls (Pop. 44,125), you will be able to quickly zero in on programs where the school is located near a desirable area to live in. Differing campus locations will bring about a very different experience, there is a large difference between Twin Falls and campuses located in larger areas such as Boise State’s campus in Boise (Pop 210,000). After you have decided on your campus type, you can then concentrate on evaluating elements of the programs you are considering:

• The curriculum
• Program accreditation (CSWE etc.)
• Admissions requirements
• Program prestige
• The financial costs of the program

Of the many aspects of a MSW program one should carefully analyze, the most important by far is the curriculum. While most MSW programs will have elements of the curriculum that are similar from program to program, some have been carefully crafted to give the graduate student certain skillsets for social work specialties. For instance, some MSW programs are geared towards giving students the tools to become child welfare case managers. An example of a more general program is the one at Boise State, which offers a more generalized program that will give you the skillset to adapt to virtually any Social Work career without boxing you into a specific career sub-set of skills. You will need to decide for yourself if a customized program or a more generalized MSW fits with your career goals.

Reviewing financial costs when evaluating schools and programs is important, you will want to make sure that any program you choose fits your personal financial situation. For example, Boise State offers a very interesting tuition that is the same for both residents and non-residents, highly unusual for a school and a huge boon for non-residents. Their tuition rate is $3,486 per term which does not include fees, books or room and board. However, it is worth repeating that their rate for residents and non-residents is identical. This is rare among most schools and you will want to compare several schools to have a good idea of what your options are financially. You also will need to meet any admission requirements for the program. A final element you may wish to take into account is program prestige in the social work community. A prestigious program could provide you with an edge on your resume.

Online Programs in Idaho

Your evaluation process should include a careful examination of the differences and advantages of both online and physical campuses. In many cases, online programs will offer considerable financial savings when compared to their traditional peers. This is a consideration that can really tip the scales for students who have tighter budgets. Another appealing trait of online programs is that they will often be extremely modular, allowing students great latitude in terms of class schedules and program completion timelines. This is extremely helpful for students for whom flexibility is at a premium such as students who work full time or are parents of small children. For some students the ability to take classes from the comfort of their own home or office is an attribute of online programs that makes them particularly appealing. You will have to weigh the various pros and cons of online and physical campuses and determine which one is a better fit for your learning style and personal preferences.

Idaho Colleges with MSW Prerequisite and Preparation Degree Programs

• Idaho Resources
• Idaho Human Services Education
• Idaho LPC & LCPC Counselor Certification
• Idaho Psychology License
• Idaho Social Work License
• Idaho Substance Abuse Counselor Certification

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Community-engaged scholarship is increasingly viewed as a valuable strategy for strengthening the quality and impact of academic research. This approach involves partnering with relevant groups or communities—those who are the focus of a research study or who may be directly affected by its findings—over the course of a research project. It represents a departure from the traditional top-down, ivory tower approach to research, in which the community is held at arms-length and the scholar is considered the “expert.”

Alums Coordinate “Secret Santa Program”

Kyle Bollman, MSW ’17 and Michelle Olson, MSW ’95 are school social workers at La Follette High School in Madison, a school where 60% of the students are considered “economically disadvantaged,” according to the state …

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Alumna, former faculty member, and author of the influential book, “The Good Divorce,” Dr. Constance Ahrons, MSW ’67 (also PhD in counseling psychology ’73) passed away last month. “Through her ‘groundbreaking research and clinical training …

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Alum Returns to Campus to Staff New Survivor Services Advocacy Position

Anna Gorman, BSW ’18 (also MSW from Washington University in St. Louis), was recently hired as the first full-time Survivor Advocate for Survivor Services at the UW-Madison’s University Health Services. The Survivor Services Advocacy Program …

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Columbia University graduate in zip ties rips diploma during ceremony amid Gaza protests

N EW YORK — A Columbia University graduate in zip ties and a keffiyeh ripped their diploma on stage at the social work graduation ceremony amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests at the beleaguered Ivy League school.

Video of the protest, which went viral Sunday night after the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine posted the clip on social media, showed the master’s program graduate cross the stage with their hands above their head, before tearing the degree in two and tossing it behind them.

The protester then held up their graduation cap, reportedly decorated with the name of a Palestinian prisoner, Mohammad Natsheh, during the Friday evening event. University officials twice this semester summoned the NYPD to arrest pro-Palestinian campus protesters, who were placed in the plastic handcuffs the graduate wore.

“Thousands of Columbia graduates and their families have already celebrated at Class Day ceremonies that started on Friday and concluded successfully with virtually no disruption,” a Columbia spokesperson said in a statement.

“We join in the excitement of the remaining graduates who will celebrate their incredible achievements at their own Class Days and graduation events the rest of this week and as they start their next chapter.”

Last week, Columbia announced the cancellation of its university-wide commencement, citing security concerns after weeks of campus protests over the war in Gaza that culminated with the takeover of an academic building, Hamilton Hall.

School-level graduation ceremonies are continuing as scheduled but were relocated from main campus to Columbia’s athletic complex several miles north. The undergraduate college graduation will be held Tuesday.

There were other protests and disruptions during Columbia graduation ceremonies over the weekend, including a PhD student walkout and students who crossed the stage with Palestinian flags, including one that said “divest from genocide.”

Another graduate adorned their cap to say: “Acknowledge the Class of 2024 of Gaza and those who will never graduate.”

An estimated 15,000 Columbia students were expected to receive diplomas this semester, including many undergraduates whose high school graduations were canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. Several seniors who face disciplinary action related to the pro-Palestinian protests are not eligible to complete their degrees.

Columbia has requested the NYPD remain on campus through May 17, once all school-level ceremonies have ended.

©2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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For Mormon Missionaries, Some ‘Big, Big Changes’

The church has loosened its strict rules for those evangelizing. And many members of Gen-Z are loving it.

Andres Gonzalez stands in front of a statue of Jesus Christ in Los Angeles as another missionary, Alec Crawley, films him for a video for social media. Credit... Isadora Kosofsky for The New York Times

Supported by

By Lauren Jackson

Lauren attended church in London, Los Angeles and Paris and spoke with current and former missionaries to report this story.

• May 10, 2024

Andres Gonzalez, 19, stands on the balcony of his Los Angeles apartment, his hands in his suit pockets. It is his first week as a missionary, but today, instead of approaching people on the street, he is shooting a video that he will later post to social media.

After about a dozen takes, he is successful. “Hello! If you would like to learn more about Jesus Christ,” he says to the camera in Spanish, “contact me.”

Mr. Gonzalez is the image of the modern missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has changed many of its practices — from how missionaries preach to how they dress.

The faith, long known for sending tens of thousands of neatly and formally dressed young people across the globe each year to preach door to door, is encouraging new missionaries to spread the gospel on social media and, for some, with acts of community service closer to home.

As a church leader, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, put it, missionaries should feel comfortable sharing their faith in “ normal and natural ways .”

In the last few years, the church has also changed some rules for missionaries themselves — loosening restrictions on dress codes ( women can wear pants ) and how often they can call family members back home ( once a week , not just on Christmas and Mother’s Day).

To outsiders, the adjustments may seem small. But to missionaries who adhere to strict rules while on assignment, the shifts are dramatic.

“We’ve seen a lot of big, big changes,” Jensen Diederich, 23, said. He served his mission in Peru and said it was “monumental” when the church allowed him to call home weekly, instead of just twice a year.

The church believes missionary work is essential for the world’s salvation — that people must be baptized in the faith to get to the highest level of heaven after they die. Missionary work also helps increase the church’s membership, and it deepens many young members’ faith. Many missionaries begin their assignments just after they leave home. Instead of partying on a college campus, they commit themselves to the religion and develop habits that can last a lifetime.

One of those members was Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, who was a missionary in France in the 1960s. He has said the isolation of his mission allowed him to examine his faith without distraction . When asked about the changes, he said, “For young people of my generation, I think the separation from family and friends served us well.”

But he understands times have changed. “With today’s youth in near constant contact with one another, maintaining greater connection during a mission fits their life experience,” he added.

Many young church members say the new rules have made missionary service more attractive and realistic.

Kate Kennington, a 19-year-old with a mission assignment to London, said finding people online and messaging them is a more successful way of approaching potential converts. “It’s how I would want to be contacted,” she said.

“Knocking on doors and approaching people on the street are no longer seen as useful as they once were because of shifts in American culture,” said Matthew Bowman, a professor of religion and history at Claremont Graduate University who holds the chair of Mormon studies. He is also a church member.

For decades, missionaries’ clean-cut suits were signs of prosperity, Mr. Bowman said, and an effective way of appealing to converts. But they now feel “outdated.”

Many of the changes, especially the push to evangelize on social media, were fueled by the pandemic, which shut down in-person church gatherings and forced Latter-day Saints and Jehovah’s Witnesses to find alternatives to door-to-door preaching.

The missionaries use their phones to film videos of themselves promoting the church or sharing messages of faith. In one video , a missionary raps about his faith. In another , two missionaries throw a football and a Frisbee through an obstacle course in a church gym — an object lesson meant to visualize how Jesus Christ can help people overcome challenges.

So far, the changes appear to be working: In the last three years, as pandemic restrictions lifted and young members responded to an appeal from the church’s top leader for them to serve, the number of full-time proselytizing missionaries has risen by around 25 percent , according to church data. At the end of last year, the church had about 72,000 full-time missionaries serving around the world.

The church has just under 17.3 million members globally but has seen growth slow. From 1988 to 1989, during a surge in growth when the church expanded into West Africa , the church grew by about 9 percent . Last year, the church grew by about 1.5 percent .

A tradition of travel

Missionary work is a rite of passage for Latter-day Saints — and has been since the church’s founding in 1830.

The church’s missionaries have traveled the world, growing their faith from a fledgling start-up in upstate New York to a global religion that brings in billions of dollars in revenue .

Church leaders say it is men’s responsibility to become missionaries for two years starting at age 18. Missionary work is optional for women, who serve for 18 months. The church has historically encouraged women to focus on marriage and motherhood. But since 2012, when the church lowered the age women could become missionaries to 19 from 21, more women have been going .

Missionaries leave their families and friends, learn new languages and spend the first years of their adulthood spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

While on a mission, they cannot date and must follow the religion’s ban on premarital sex, drinking, smoking, coffee and caffeinated tea. Communication with friends and family back home is restricted. They commit to stay focused on their work, and their proximity to their missionary partner creates a sense of accountability that keeps most from breaking the rules.

Until recently, the experience of young missionaries was similar to that of their parents. They first attended a missionary training center — a religious boot camp of sorts — before then traveling to their missions.

Most missionaries now start their training online at home , where the transition is less jarring. They can adapt to a mission schedule with their family’s support. Being home is also an opportunity for new missionaries to evangelize in their community.

“I’ve had friends who aren’t members of the church,” Tanner Bird, a 19-year-old missionary in Brazil who did part of his training at home in Houston. “And I just get super, super excited and talk to them about the gospel.”

Once deployed, men in some areas are allowed to wear blue shirts and go without ties , while women can wear wrinkle-resistant dress pants in “conservative colors.” Most missionaries now have smartphones and call their families weekly.

Some traditions remain: Young missionaries still do not get to pick their destinations. Many teenagers throw parties to open their assignments, reading their “call letter” aloud for the first time in front of family and friends. Others film elaborate announcement videos — including on ice skates . Some serve close to home (there are 10 missions in Utah). Others go as far as Tahiti or Tokyo.

Mr. Gonzalez, the missionary in Los Angeles, said he first imagined going on a mission when he was a child in Venezuela. His parents, who converted to the faith, often had young missionaries over for meals. After the church helped the family settle in Utah, he said serving as a missionary was part of his “American dream.”

Every morning, he wakes up at 6:30 a.m., the set time for many missionaries, with his “companion,” an assigned missionary partner. They are mandated to “never be alone,” with few exceptions, and each day follow a missionary schedule .

On Facebook, they contact people they have met, including those they have approached on the street in downtown Los Angeles. They also search groups for people who may be open to their message and post videos to generate interest in their faith. They keep track of potential converts’ progress, including lessons they teach. Every Monday, Mr. Gonzalez calls his parents.

Calls are also an opportunity for him to receive support. “It’s a little bit hard,” Mr. Gonzalez said of his mission work, describing people in downtown Los Angeles as “busy.” Still, he remains hopeful: “Some of them, they really are ready. They make time, even just like five minutes.”

The missionary experience is not for everyone. Some people feel isolated, find it difficult to adapt to a location, or struggle with the rules or the pressure to keep their commitment. Some people do leave early; the church does not comment on those who do.

Alex McAlpin, a 23-year-old who went on a mission to Denver, almost did not put in a missionary application. Before her mission, she attended Pepperdine University, where she wrestled with some aspects of church doctrine and history.

Then the church made its dress code change, allowing women to wear pants in 2018.

“That was the first day of my life that I thought maybe I would go” on a mission, Ms. McAlpin said. She saw the new dress code and the church’s other mission changes as a sign the church was evolving and listening to its younger members, many of whom hope their church will modernize in larger ways. “I wanted to be a part of the change.”

Lauren Jackson is an associate editor and writer for The Morning , The Times’s flagship daily newsletter. More about Lauren Jackson

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