Social Work Month -- March

In honor of Social Work month, I wanted to make a blog post about social work and why it means so much to me. National Social Work month, observed throughout March, uplifts the social workers of our country and celebrates their constant contributions to our society.

First, I want to share a little bit of the history of social work and how it has become the profession it has become today.

Since the first social work class was offered in the summer of 1898 at Columbia University, social workers have led the way developing private and charitable organizations to serve people in need. Social workers continue to address the needs of society and bring our nation's social problems to the public attention. 

Today,  Americans enjoy many privileges because early social workers saw miseries and injustices and took action, inspiring others along the way. Many of the benefits we take for granted came about because of social workers-- working with families and institutions-- spoke out against abuse and neglect. 

• The civil rights of all people regardless of gender, race, faith, or sexual orientation are protected.
• Workers enjoy unemployment insurance, disability pay, worker’s compensation and Social Security.
• People with mental illness and developmental disabilities are now afforded humane treatment.
• Medicaid and Medicare give poor, disabled and elderly people access to health care.
• Society seeks to prevent child abuse and neglect.
• Treatment for mental illness and substance abuse is gradually losing its stigma.

Did you know?

-The American social work profession was established in the late 19th century to ensure that immigrants and other vulnerable people gained tools and skills to escape economic and social poverty.

-The profession of social work helps people in their personal and interpersonal lives in order to achieve social improvement, and pursues social change to benefit a wide variety of individuals, families, and communities.

-Before they were called social workers, they were called "friendly visitors."

-The 6 core values of social work are: Integrity, Competence, Service, Social Justice, Importance of Human Relationships, and Dignity and Worth of the Person.

- Social workers believe that everyone has the right and potential to lead a productive and fulfilling life. Social workers believe in the importance of human relationships in civil society, and that each individual has dignity and worth.

-The NASW Code of Ethics prioritizes human well-being.

- The policies and programs created by social workers throughout U.S. history seek to give more people-- regardless of life circumstances-- the opportunity to cope with and overcome obstacles.

I could sit and talk for hours on what social work means to me and that I am so happy that I am finally doing something that I have so much passion for. Social work is such a diverse field with so many options. Social workers feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, protect the children, advocate for civil rights, counsel the distressed, empower the victims, research best practices, inform government, protect the vulnerable, challenge discrimination, is a voice for the voiceless, and organize communities. 

Like the quote I chose to attach to this says, "We rise by lifting others." I am a firm believer in this. Ever since I was young I knew that I always wanted to do something that was centered around helping others that are less fortunate in life. I chose to pursue social work in that I want to empower others, battle social justice, and create a positive difference. 

I want to one day use my degree to help as many people as possible and show them that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and believe in your self. If you would have told me even just a year ago that I would be at the place I am at doing what I am doing I don't know that I would believe it. I never knew that it was possible to be this content and just genuinely joyful about what I am doing. I hope that everyone finds that thing that makes them want to get up in the morning and chase their dreams like I have. I love the quote "Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire" and this is how I feel about social work.

I feel that there is a lot of stigma considering social work and a lot of stereotypes with the number one stereotype being that social workers only work in CPS. Social workers work in hospitals, hospice, clinics, schools, jails, inpatient/outpatient, adoption, foster care agencies, colleges, victims services programs, and so so many more places. 

No matter where social workers decide to work their goal is always the same-- to help the vulnerable and marginalized populations. 

I could not take more pride in what I am doing and am happy to say that I am apart of such an amazing program at my school. I wanted to make this short but informational post about what exactly social workers do and why I love it so much. Happy Social Work month!