Pathways for Aging

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Pathways for Aging Celebrates Social Work Month | March 2010

Since its inception, the social work profession has worked to improve life for millions every day. Social workers operate from values that recognize each person as relevant to society and believe that, when needed, society should help each person achieve his or her fullest potential.

No Limitations. People choose careers in the social work profession because they believe they can make a significant impact in the lives of others through individual and group assistance. But they also recognize that effective social work practice with individuals, families and communities is affected by institutions, customs and laws that may limit the success of many.

Our Legacy. A commitment to fairness, and an intense interest in seeing others succeed by removing personal and public barriers, distinguishes social workers from other like-minded helping professionals. These values—coupled with tangible social science skills—have led social workers in history to create essential safety net programs such as unemployment insurance, health insurance, income assistance and child protection services, and to fight for a range of human and civil rights in the United States.

Our Impact. Social workers are close to the critical events that shape the quality of American life. We are on the frontlines, developing, advocating and delivering social programs that are responsive to such human needs as homelessness, poverty, family break-up, mental illness, disability, alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence and many other issues. Social workers help people live more rewarding lives.

This year’s Social Work Month celebration showcases the expertise and dedication of professional social workers in helping to improve community life. The National Association of Social Workers will promote the chosen theme “Social Workers Inspire Community Action” through three core strategies of the ongoing National Social Work Public Education Campaign:

• Consumer Education
• Entertainment Outreach
• Student Recruitment

Facts About Social Work

A 2006 study of licensed social workers conducted by the NASW Center for Workforce Studies revealed the following about the profession of social work:

• Social workers have advanced educational preparation and practice experience. A master’s in social work (MSW) is the predominant social work degree for licensed social workers (79% of active practitioners).
• Social workers’ most frequent specialty practice areas are mental health (37%), child welfare/family (13%), health (13%) and aging (9%).
• Social workers spend the majority of their time providing direct client services (96%), followed by consultation (73%) and administration/management (69%).
• With 12% of respondents planning on leaving the workforce in the next two years and the increasing need for social work services, there will likely not be enough social workers to meet the needs of clients.
Social workers have the right education, experience, and dedication to help people help themselves whenever they need it. It takes a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral social work degree—with a minimum number of hours in supervised fieldwork—to become a social worker.
• More than 600,000 professionals in the United States hold social work degrees.
• Social workers help people in all stages of life, from children to the elderly, and in all situations from adoption to hospice care.
• You can find social workers in hospitals, schools, police departments, mental health clinics, private practices, military facilities, and corporations.
• According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) social workers are the nation’s largest group of clinically trained mental health service providers. Social workers provide more mental health services than psychologists, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses combined.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs—the largest employer of social workers in the country—employs more than 6,000 social workers to assist veterans and their families with individual and family counseling, client education, end of life planning, substance abuse treatment, crisis intervention, and other services.
• Forty percent of mental health professionals working with the Red Cross Disaster Services Human Resources system are social workers.
• There are hundreds of social workers in national, state, and local elected office, including two U.S. Senators and six U.S. Representatives.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for social workers is expected to grow twice as fast as any other occupation, especially in gerontology, home healthcare, substance abuse treatment, private social service agencies, and school social work.

For more information about social workers, please visit HelpStartsHere.org, the social work consumer website or take a look at this handout that provides more information about the profession: http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/swMonth/2010/factsheetHSH.pdf

Key Messages for Social Work Month 2010

• Social workers inspire community action to improve lives.
• Social workers are integral parts of a vibrant community.
• Social workers know the full range of challenges facing families of every description.
• Social workers advocate for inclusion, fairness and non-discriminatory access to services that help people reach their full potential.
• Social workers make a wide range of social contributions throughout their careers.
• Many social workers work to resolve systemic issues that negatively affect a community. Some work in education or research, and others work as elected officials, in government or as heads of nonprofit organizations to create positive sustainable change in communities.
• Most social workers serve individuals and families. Working through private practices, agencies and organizations, they provide resources and guidance that support social functioning.
• People who become professional social workers believe that there are no limits to human potential and use their talents to help others lead rewarding lives.
• Social work is a profession of hope, grounded in practical problem solving expertise.
• Social work is a desirable field of study for bright and socially engaged people of all ages.
• Professional social workers have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree in social work from a program or school of social work. Social work practice is guided by the NASW Code of Ethics.
• Social workers are employed in schools, courtrooms, drug treatment clinics, hospitals, senior centers, shelters, nursing homes, the military, disaster relief, prisons and corporations.
• Social work is relevant to the successful functioning of American society.
• Social workers are on the frontlines, developing social programs that are responsive to such human needs as homelessness, poverty, family break-up , mental illness, physical and mental disability, alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence and many other issues.