Every day there are heroes that walk amongst us that help to make a great impact upon our society. While most of them don’t wear capes, their important work is heroic nonetheless. They are social workers. We all know that social workers play an essential part in our communities. As we celebrate Social Work Month, let’s take a look at some of the amazing work that social workers do across the profession.
As practitioners, social workers are trained to help people address personal and systemic barriers to optimal living. They are employed to effect positive change with individuals, families, groups and entire communities.1
As a profession, social workers frequently use their collective power to pass laws and establish policies that give more people access to community services and benefits, improving the quality of life for everyone.1
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.1
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.1
There are more than 700,000 professional social workers employed in the United States, and more than three million worldwide. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to identify social work as one of the fastest growing professions in the United States. Other government sources report there are more clinically trained social workers providing mental health and behavioral health services than any other professional discipline in the nation.1
Social workers are everywhere. They work in schools, helping children get the services they need to get the best possible education. They are in mental health centers and private practices, helping people overcome mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety and substance use disorders.2
They protect children from neglect and abuse and help form new families through adoption. Social workers are in hospitals, helping patients get the best possible care not only while in treatment but when they return to their families and communities. And they help those cope with the loss of loved ones.2
Social workers also play a vital role in community organizations and local, state and federal governments, helping create programs and policies that help make our society a better and more equitable place for all.2
Social workers really are essential heroes and that’s why we at Good Shepherd Hospice are proud to work with them every single day. From those on our staff to those that we partner with in hospitals and nursing facilities, social workers are a vital part of patient care. To find out more about our commitment to serving people with compassion and dignity and how our social workers play an integral part, contact us today to learn more.
1Social Work Month 2021: Theme & Rationale [PDF]. (2021). Washington DC: National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=etD90pK30Bg%3d&portalid=0
2Social Work Month is in March and this year’s theme is SOCIAL WORKERS ARE ESSENTIAL [PDF]. (2021). Washington DC: National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=BVAeAdBL2iU%3d&portalid=0