Age Safe® America salutes the 700,000 professional social workers in our nation, and the invaluable contributions social workers make in our society, especially as this nation addresses the Coronavirus pandemic. The theme for Social Work Month 2021 is Social Workers Are Essential. Social workers often are unsung heroes, but they play an essential role in helping people from all walks of life and backgrounds to live life to the fullest. As practitioners, social workers are trained to help people address personal and systemic barriers to optimal living. You will find social workers throughout society protecting children from abuse and neglect, providing mental health and substance use disorder treatment, assisting active duty military, veterans and their families, in schools, helping corporations better serve their communities, and in community organizations as well as in local, state and government.
During the Coronavirus pandemic social workers have been on the frontlines along with doctors, nurses, grocery store staff and other essential employees. As our nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty, and racial unrest social workers are needed more than ever. They empower people, giving them the skills and encouragement, they need to overcome life’s challenges. They also link clients to resources they may need to live more fulfilled lives. They are employed to effect positive change with individuals, families, groups and entire communities. Social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is expected to rise to more than 800,000 professionals by 2029.
Social work has been around for more than a century and has made significant contributions to our nation. Social work is the only helping profession which requires social justice advocacy as part of its professional code of ethics, and is therefore a large workforce mandated to advance the rights of the most vulnerable in society. For more than 120 years, the social work profession in the United States has helped bend the arc of justice, making our nation a more equitable and inclusive place. In fact, social workers are everywhere people need help navigating tough life challenges. They contribute to interdisciplinary care teams in schools, hospitals, mental health centers, nonprofits, corporations, the military—and in local, state, and federal government. Many social work professionals also own private consultation practices.
#SocialWorkIsEssential #EssentialSocialWorker #SocialWorkMonth #SWMonth and @nasw
https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Social-Work-Month/Essential-Stories