Social Work Month Shines Spotlight on Profession of Hope

Kobi · 03-31-2012, 04:07 PM

Professional Social Workers Work to Improve Lives and Communities Every Day

(WASHINGTON, DC (March 1, 2012) Today, the National Association of Social Workers kicks off a month-long celebration for one of the nation’s largest professions.

March is National Professional Social Work Month and this year’s theme “Social Work Matters” seeks to showcase the impact of more than 642,000 professional social workers in America.

“Social workers weave together the threads of society’s social safety net,” says NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH. “As the profession of hope, we help people overcome poverty, inequality, insecurity, fear, violence, trauma, loss and pain. What social workers do and how they do it does matter to our country’s success.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the country due to an increased need for health and aging related services, as well as child, family and school-based supports.

From 1931 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jane Addams to 2011 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Leymah Gbowe, social workers have been instrumental in achieving civil rights and human rights advances in the United States and across the globe for more than a century.

Although professional social workers are employed in more than 50 different fields of practice, their work in eight core service areas is the most recognized:

Adolescent and Youth Development
Aging and Family Caregiving
Child Protection and Family Services
Health Care Navigation
Mental and Behavioral Health Treatment
Military and Veterans Assistance
Nonprofit Management and Community Development
Poverty Reduction

“Social workers believe that a nation’s strength depends on the ability of the majority of its citizens to lead productive and healthy lives,” says NASW President Jeane Anastas, PhD, LMSW. “Every day, social workers help people navigate life’s toughest challenges to find hope and new options for maximum social functioning.”

Just want to acknowledge my esteemed collegues for continuing to fight the fight, especially during these difficult and challenging times. Thank you for continuing to demonstrate the perserverance, resilience, and commitment to those values we hold so deeply.

deedarino · 03-31-2012, 07:02 PM

Employment Resources Northwest-Non Profit/Jobs Program Partner
Department of Human Services-Children, Adults and Families (TANF Program)
Oregon Education and Training Association-Board Member

Proud Social Service Worker!

suebee · 03-31-2012, 07:11 PM

Retired social worker here. I've worked with intellectually handicapped adults, special needs children, family and child services, senior services and palliative care. (and probably one or two others that don't pop into mind just before I go to bed)

My career always gave me much more than I was ever able to give in so many ways. I'll never regret having chosen it, though the field has changed tremendously since I started down the road many years ago. It's largely an invisible profession, in that people often don't talk about the services they receive, and we have a strict code of confidentiality, but I'm sure of it's value to individuals and society as a whole.

Proud to have made the choice to be in the social work profession. It has only enriched my life.

Sue

DapperButch · 03-31-2012, 07:24 PM

Mental Health/Behavioral Health

Past - Chronically/severely Mentally ill - program manager for residential treatment programs, day treatment programs, off-site treatment services program, and provided outpatient therapy. Non profit.

Current - Outpatient Therapy, specializing with the transgender population. Non profit.

dixie · 03-31-2012, 08:07 PM

Former:
Nonprofit Domestic Violence Shelter Overnight Manager and Peer Counselor
Sexual Assault Group Case Manager
Victim's Advocate
Current: dual-enrollment college student, Human Services and Substance Abuse Counseling
Goal: substance abuse counseling/advocate specializing in LGBT population (community center outreach programs)

Kobi · 03-31-2012, 08:30 PM

Retired. Inpatient medical, oncology, neurology, emergency med, and maternal and child health. Ran HIV clinic. Supervisor of student social workers. Consultant to home care agencies and nursing homes.

Quite an array of colleagues here. Nice!

03-31-2012, 04:07 PM	#1
Kobi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Biological female. Lesbian. Relationship Status: Happy Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hanging out in the Atlantic. Posts: 9,234 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,840 Thanked 34,661 Times in 7,652 Posts Rep Power: 21474860	Social Work Month Shines Spotlight on Profession of Hope Professional Social Workers Work to Improve Lives and Communities Every Day (WASHINGTON, DC (March 1, 2012) Today, the National Association of Social Workers kicks off a month-long celebration for one of the nation’s largest professions. March is National Professional Social Work Month and this year’s theme “Social Work Matters” seeks to showcase the impact of more than 642,000 professional social workers in America. “Social workers weave together the threads of society’s social safety net,” says NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH. “As the profession of hope, we help people overcome poverty, inequality, insecurity, fear, violence, trauma, loss and pain. What social workers do and how they do it does matter to our country’s success.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the country due to an increased need for health and aging related services, as well as child, family and school-based supports. From 1931 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jane Addams to 2011 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Leymah Gbowe, social workers have been instrumental in achieving civil rights and human rights advances in the United States and across the globe for more than a century. Although professional social workers are employed in more than 50 different fields of practice, their work in eight core service areas is the most recognized: Adolescent and Youth Development Aging and Family Caregiving Child Protection and Family Services Health Care Navigation Mental and Behavioral Health Treatment Military and Veterans Assistance Nonprofit Management and Community Development Poverty Reduction “Social workers believe that a nation’s strength depends on the ability of the majority of its citizens to lead productive and healthy lives,” says NASW President Jeane Anastas, PhD, LMSW. “Every day, social workers help people navigate life’s toughest challenges to find hope and new options for maximum social functioning.” Just want to acknowledge my esteemed collegues for continuing to fight the fight, especially during these difficult and challenging times. Thank you for continuing to demonstrate the perserverance, resilience, and commitment to those values we hold so deeply. __________________

03-31-2012, 07:02 PM	#2
deedarino Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: Woman Relationship Status: In recovery. Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Oregon Posts: 632 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 3,518 Thanked 1,956 Times in 497 Posts Rep Power: 21474849	Employment Resources Northwest-Non Profit/Jobs Program Partner Department of Human Services-Children, Adults and Families (TANF Program) Oregon Education and Training Association-Board Member Proud Social Service Worker! __________________ Squint your eyes and look closer. I'm not between you and your ambitions. I am a poster girl with no poster. I am thirty-two flavors and then some. And I'm beyond your peripheral vision, so you might want to turn your head~Ani I want to think again of dangerous and noble things; I want to be light and frolicsome; I want to be improbable, beautiful and afraid of nothing as if I had wings Mary Oliver

03-31-2012, 07:11 PM	#3
suebee Member How Do You Identify?: TOWANDA! Preferred Pronoun?: Queen Bee Relationship Status: Good 'n married. Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Eastern Canada. But if I make a wrong turn at the lights I get stopped by a border guard. Posts: 1,499 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,355 Thanked 2,759 Times in 820 Posts Rep Power: 16450091	Retired social worker here. I've worked with intellectually handicapped adults, special needs children, family and child services, senior services and palliative care. (and probably one or two others that don't pop into mind just before I go to bed) My career always gave me much more than I was ever able to give in so many ways. I'll never regret having chosen it, though the field has changed tremendously since I started down the road many years ago. It's largely an invisible profession, in that people often don't talk about the services they receive, and we have a strict code of confidentiality, but I'm sure of it's value to individuals and society as a whole. Proud to have made the choice to be in the social work profession. It has only enriched my life. Sue __________________ "Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind." -Albert Schweitzer

03-31-2012, 07:24 PM	#4
DapperButch Roadster Guy How Do You Identify?: FTM, Stone Butch Preferred Pronoun?: He Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northeast Posts: 7,745 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 26,545 Thanked 26,893 Times in 5,771 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	Social Worker here! Mental Health/Behavioral Health Past - Chronically/severely Mentally ill - program manager for residential treatment programs, day treatment programs, off-site treatment services program, and provided outpatient therapy. Non profit. Current - Outpatient Therapy, specializing with the transgender population. Non profit. __________________ -Dapper Are you educated or indoctrinated?

03-31-2012, 08:30 PM	#6
Kobi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Biological female. Lesbian. Relationship Status: Happy Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hanging out in the Atlantic. Posts: 9,234 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,840 Thanked 34,661 Times in 7,652 Posts Rep Power: 21474860	Retired. Inpatient medical, oncology, neurology, emergency med, and maternal and child health. Ran HIV clinic. Supervisor of student social workers. Consultant to home care agencies and nursing homes. Quite an array of colleagues here. Nice! __________________

03-31-2012, 08:07 PM	#5
dixie Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: I usually just poke it with a stick. Preferred Pronoun?: Bitch Relationship Status: Intertwined deeply Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: We're all a little mad here. Posts: 6,627 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 10,972 Thanked 21,385 Times in 4,808 Posts Rep Power: 21474857	Former: Nonprofit Domestic Violence Shelter Overnight Manager and Peer Counselor Sexual Assault Group Case Manager Victim's Advocate Current: dual-enrollment college student, Human Services and Substance Abuse Counseling Goal: substance abuse counseling/advocate specializing in LGBT population (community center outreach programs)